Page 9 of The Me I Left Behind

Zach pointed to a long table. “Let’s all sit over there. Order what you want,” he said. “It’s on the house.”

“Oh, no.” Sam pulled out a chair for Julia. “We’ll gladly pay our share.”

“Zach, are you sure? My kids can eat a lot.” Maggie ushered her kids toward the table.

He smiled. “I’m positive. Let them eat!”

Lia moved in, too, and sat beside Julia. “There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that Zach Allen is going to let any of you pay for dinner tonight,” she said.

“Well, that is just too kind.” Julia smiled at Lia.

“Are you sure?” Alice hustled closer and sat across from Lia. “Hi. It’s just me. Ella and George opted to stay home.”

“Are they okay?” Maggie had to wonder what kind of after-Christmas discussions had happened in the McBain household, since Alice officially—but not willingly—came out.

“They are both…prickly. Yes, that’s a good word for it.”

She stifled a laugh. Alice had rarely dealt with a prickly Ella or George before now, Maggie was certain. “I suppose prickly is understandable given the circumstances?”

Alice shrugged. “Probably.” She looked at Carol, then glanced off.

Maggie gave Carol a side eye. “Let’s sit here, kids.”

They found seats opposite Sam and Julia, with Jason sitting at the end of the table. Chloe sat between her and Carol.

“Looks like we’re all here,” Zach said. “Menus are on the table.”

“Smaller group than on Christmas day,” Sam noted.

Chloe tugged at Maggie’s sleeve. “Baby Grace?”

Maggie glanced about, not seeing Belle. “Will baby Grace be joining us? Belle too? Chloe is obsessed.” She grinned at Lia, then looked down at her daughter’s questioning face.

Lia opened her menu. “She’s tired, but might pop down after a while. Gracie was sleeping.”

“Oh, shoot, Mommy,” Chloe said. “I wanted to see that stinker.”

Everyone laughed.

Chloe hid her face in her mom’s side.

Julia teased, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Chloe talk that much ever.”

Maggie hugged her child. “She is a quiet one, usually. But she really loves baby Grace.”

Chloe looked up then and grinned. “Can we have a baby, Mommy?”

Maggie choked back a shocked cackle, made brief eye contact with Julia, then Lia, Alice, and finally Carol.

Carol’s eyes twinkled. “Yeah, Mommy. Can we?”

Squaring her shoulders, Maggie said firmly to her oldest. “No, we cannot.” Then turning to Chloe, she whispered,“Mommy’s baby making days are over, sweetheart. You’re my last baby.”

At that, Chloe beamed and cuddled into her side again.

Maggie put her arm around her youngest and looked up at everyone staring back—then she eased out a slow, cleansing breath.

Alice leaned in, changing the subject. “It’s too bad Grant and Ginger had to get back to Seattle so soon,” she said. “I’m sure they would have liked more time with baby Grace, too.”