15. Tyler #2
“Yeah, wifey, we’re still doing it. You should probably call me by my real name now, though. Or husband. Your choice. Now, let’s serve breakfast before the minions revolt and start throwing things.”
Her laughter follows me to the table. It’s new to me. I’ve heard it directed at Lennox, Hannah, and Sara, but now that it’s because of me? I won’t lie; it’s a sound I wouldn’t mind hearing for the rest of my life.
When Josie notices the bite missing from the casserole, she picks up her fork, begging to try a scoop right from the dish too. As if it’s meant to be, I dive into the story of how my mom and I always ate it that way.
“Did your mom leave like mine did?” Josie asks as Ava takes the fork from her to dig out a bite.
Wordlessly, Ava hands it over, then drops a small serving onto her plate, cuts it up, and slides it onto Scarlett’s tray. Instantly, my little girl fists a bite, shoves it into her mouth, and squeals.
With a smile on my face, I turn my attention back to Josie. “No, my mom died when I was twelve. But I have lots of great memories of her like this one, and I can’t wait to share them all with you.”
The whole group grows somber in response to my sad confession, but the spell is broken a moment later when Scarlett throws a strawberry at Josie.
“What other traditions did you have?” Josie asks.
“The pajamas are another of my favorites. My mom and I always had matching pj’s, and she always gave them to me on Christmas Eve.”
Ava’s green eyes meet mine. “My mom did that too. It was always my favorite gift. My sister’s too.”
“My mom and I used to go outside and look for reindeer tracks after we opened presents,” Brayden offers.
My chest tightens at the sadness shining in his eyes. Fuck, I didn’t even consider how hard today would be for him since his mom hasn’t called. I really hope she makes an effort this afternoon. “We should do that today, then.”
That, thankfully, has his lips quirking. “Yeah, that’d be cool.”
“Oh, I want to see a reindeer,” Josie hollers. The girl is always excited. “Ava saw one a few weeks ago. Do you think it’s the same one?”
With a tinkling laugh, Ava digs her fork into the casserole.
Even though we all have plates, we eat straight from the casserole dish.
One by one, we pull it close, then pass it along, though Josie and Brayden make sure to help Scarlett when she’s finished with what Ava set out for her and gesturing for more.
It isn’t lost on me, the way they wordlessly continue my tradition.
There were no words of apology or a sorry for your loss .
It’s a relief. My mom has been gone for decades, yet it never gets easier. Rather than doling out empty platitudes, my family is honoring her and our memories in a way that means more than I can explain.
“No, love bug, I don’t think it’s the same reindeer. That one lives on a farm in Bristol.” An uncertain smile curves her lips. “But if Tyler says it’s okay, maybe I can call his owner and see if we can come by his farm one day and meet the reindeer.”
I like the sound of my name on her lips, even if she says it in that soft voice, her eyes meeting mine as if she’s unsure how she feels about it. I’m guessing that’s how a lot of this will play out. Testing things. Toeing the line. Figuring out just how far each of us will go.
My lips curl at just the thought of it. Yeah, I’m going to like that a lot.
Josie practically climbs onto the table and grasps my outstretched arm, almost causing me to drop my fork into the baking dish. “Can we, Tyler? Pretty please? I’ll do the dishes and make all the beds.”
Laughing, I press a kiss to her head. “How about you eat your breakfast, and Ava and I will see what we can make happen?”
Josie launches herself off her chair, scurries around Ava, and wraps her arms around my middle. “You’re the bestest ever.”
I set my fork down and hold her to me, dropping my head against hers. “Merci, mon chou.” When I pull back, Ava is watching me, her green eyes full of curiosity and wonder, like she’s seeing the real me for the first time.
“You bought her a drum set?” Brayden groans as Scarlett bangs on the last of her gifts.
Already, I’m second-guessing the choice.
It’s a plastic toy that lights up and makes premade sounds.
It’s not like she’ll be making her own percussion sounds.
Or maybe she will, since she’s already walloping on it.
In theory, it’s great. It plays fun little tunes that aren’t too terribly loud.
In practice, it does sound an awful lot like she’s beating on a drum.
“Couldn’t exactly give her a hockey stick.
” I cock a brow at the pile of gear at Brayden’s feet.
He unwrapped every piece of hockey equipment he could need this morning.
Every piece. I know that because I went to the store myself and told them I wanted one of everything.
When he started playing, he wouldn’t let me buy his equipment.
He was adamant that I didn’t spend my money on him.
Now that it’s Christmas, he can’t really complain, and he can see that I spoiled the girls just as much.
We’re all spread out on the floor. I stationed myself by the tree, making it easier to pass out presents. Josie is on Ava’s lap. No surprise there. Scarlett is beside them with her drum in front of her, and Brayden is on her left, his legs spread wide to keep Scarlett relatively contained.
“Let me grab a trash bag to clean up all this paper,” Ava offers.
Josie gets up off her lap, but when Ava pushes off the floor, I haul myself up on my knees and hold out a hand to stop her.
“Wait, we have one more present.”
“Is it mine?” Josie says, bouncing on her toes.
I laugh. The girl is surrounded by a mountain of gifts. She never acts spoiled, but she does like pretty things, so I’m not surprised by her question. “No, this one is for Ava.”
Ava’s eyes jump to mine. “I didn’t—” She shakes her head. “I didn’t get you anything.”
I smile. “No worries. This is a gift for both of us, really.”
Frowning, she scrutinizes me as I reach into my pocket and pinch the band of the gold ring I’ve kept locked up for far too long. When I pull it out and hold it between us, the emerald sparkles in the glow of the fire. Just like Ava’s eyes did last night.
As suspected, it’s the exact shade of green.
“Holy shit,” Brayden mutters.
“Oh my god,” Josie squeals.
Their comments sound distant. My focus is fixed firmly on the woman I’m about to ask to be my wife. I tilt my head, brow furrowed, silently saying are you sure about this?
Her eyes go wide in a way that says what the hell did you do?
That expression, the one of sheer panic and maybe a little fury—probably because I’m doing this in front of the kids—only eggs me on.
There’s no resisting the opportunity to push her.
This moment, if she allows it, is like magic, and that’s exactly what every one of us in this room needs.
A little magic, as well as a bond, a tether to keep us together forever.
To keep us safe from the outside world. Our family full of strays.
Maybe Brayden has a point.
“The last few months with these kids have been nothing short of magic. But until now, something has been missing. Someone has been missing. And in the last twelve hours, it’s become abundantly clear that you are that person.
Honestly, this gift is probably more for me than it is for you because, you see, I’d like to extend the magic.
And I’d really like to keep you.” With a long exhale, I survey each kid. “ We’d like to keep you. Right, guys?”
Josie nods so emphatically I worry she’ll give herself whiplash.
Scarlett is already nuzzling into Ava’s side.
Brayden just laughs. “Yeah, you’ll fit right in.”
With my heart in my throat, I meet those emerald eyes. It’s a dangerous thing because they really do break through every wall I’ve ever erected. “So what do you say? Will you be ours?”
Either she’s the most talented actress I’ve ever seen, or my spiel was even better than I hoped it could be.
In slow motion, her eyes fill with tears.
Then I swear her lip wobbles as she breaks into a wide grin, as if she’s truly surprised by the question.
As if she didn’t concoct this scenario herself in this exact spot beside the fire last night.
Either way, I don’t expect her to lunge toward me and wrap her arms around my neck. The whispered thank you makes my chest tight, and when she lets go, the loss of contact hits harder than it should.
She sits back on her knees and holds out her hand, waiting for me to slide the ring onto her finger.
For a moment, the world falls away. The kids’ chatter, the sound of that damn drum toy, the crackle of the fire, none of it exists as I slide the ring that used to belong to my mother onto Ava’s finger, my hands trembling.
With her pinky, she grabs a hold of mine and stops the shaking.
That little squeeze is all I need to center myself.
“Where did you—” Her eyes meet mine, and she shakes her head, like she just knows it’s my mother’s ring.
Her expression softens, and once again, I get the feeling that Ava and I are much more alike than I ever could have imagined. “It’s perfect.”
It hits me in this moment that I might really be in trouble. That remaining detached may be more difficult than I anticipated. Because I really want to kiss my future wife.
“Traditionally, the bride says yes,” I taunt.
With a roll of her eyes, she settles between the girls, and just like that, the rest of the world returns. She wraps an arm around Josie before looking back at me, her expression carefully neutral. “Of course I want to be your—all of yours. Yes. Yes, I’ll stay.”
The way she answers, making it about them, is exactly what I needed.
Letting out a long breath, I look away from her.
So what if this is the first meaningful gift I’ve received since that last Christmas with my mother?
This is about the kids. What we’re doing is about them, not about me finding some long-forgotten happiness.
Focusing instead on how Brayden lights up as he scrambles over to hug her and how tightly Josie is clinging to her, already yammering about moving Ava in and begging for her to sleep in her room and not mine, I push to a stand.
“Husbands and wives share a room,” I grumble as I walk past them, headed for the trash bag Ava originally offered to get.
“Jealous of a nine-year-old girl?” Ava mumbles, following me toward the kitchen.
Out of earshot of the kids, who are already distracted by their gifts, I whirl around and put my hands on my hips.
“What are you doing?” My tone is harsher than I mean for it to be, but I could really use a moment away from her.
Otherwise I’m at risk of letting wild ideas like happily ever afters and shit like that take over.
Guys like me don’t get happily ever afters. Arranged marriages? That’s more like it. A partnership? That’s something I can control.
Feelings, though? Not a chance.
“Doing the dishes, you grump.” She saunters over to the sink, where the empty casserole dish is soaking. “And I thought maybe we could have a moment away from the kids to discuss what just happened.”
Working to keep my breathing even and deep, I take her in, but I don’t respond.
She sighs. “Or not.” Standing in front of the sink, she rinses the dish and gets to work scrubbing it. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re very hot and cold? One minute, you sweep me off my feet, and the next, you drive me nuts.”
She doesn’t look at me as she speaks, which is a relief. Feeling a little less out of sorts, I pull a trash bag from the box on the pantry floor. When I turn around and see her bent over the sink, her red hair cascading down her back, my name and number front and center, that relief evaporates.
In the space of two heartbeats, I’m pressed up against her, my chest flush with her back. “Remember that comment you made about my name on your back?”
She nods against my chest, still focused on the dishes. She hasn’t pulled away, but she’s trying hard to ignore me. To ignore this moment. Probably because I’ve once again gone from cold to hot. But I won’t be ignored. Not when there’s no escaping the pull between us.
I slip my arms around her waist and find her hands in the soapy water. When I lace our fingers, I relish the bite of the emerald digging into mine.
Lowering my mouth to her ear, I can’t help but let out a possessive growl. “Now it will be your last name too.”