Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Connor stifled a groan when he and Bliss pulled up at Reid and Winnie’s house, which was already decked out for Christmas.
Hell, the place looked like Santa’s workshop had thrown up all over it.
The roofline sparkled, the porch glowed warm gold, and even the bushes had little white lights.
The decorated tree in the front window was nice, though.
If Reid put one of those inflatable reindeer in his front yard, Connor wouldn’t be surprised.
Shaking his head, Connor sighed. The things Daddies did for their Littles. He knew it was for Winnie because Reid had damn sure never decorated his house before. All the houses in Arcadian Hills looked the same.
And then there was his house, standing bereft of adornment at the back of the subdivision.
He could practically hear the letter being typed with passive-aggressive cheer about “holiday participation expectations.” If he got one more notice from the MDC–the Musketiara Decorations Committee–about not joining in the community spirit, he was going to spank someone. Make that several someones.
He'd get to it. Eventually. This year was no different from the ones before. Another year where he’d put off doing anything to decorate his house.
Of course, now the Musketiaras gave him more grief about being a Scrooge than he could take.
He’d string up lights and decorate his tree just to see the smiles on their faces.
Then an image hit him square in the chest. Four little girls—not Littles, actual toddlers with his blond hair and Bliss’s gorgeous ocean foam eyes—in fuzzy pajamas staring up at his glowing tree, eyes wide, voices squealing.
And then he couldn’t stop wondering if Bliss would laugh or roll her eyes at his half-assed attempt at holiday cheer. Sure, a four-foot artificial tree from the local discount store wasn’t much, but he liked it.
Everyone else went out to Pine & Danni’s Christmas Tree Farm and chopped down their own giant Christmas tree.
The Littles loved it. They turned it into a whole production, complete with hot cocoa, pictures, and bragging rights that lasted until New Year’s.
The guys had a contest to see who could chop down their tree the fastest.
Maybe he was a Scrooge, but Christmas held no fond memories.
He was probably the only kid in his town who’d rather be in school than at home during the holidays.
His dad was a drunk and not a nice one. He’d beat the hell out of anyone he could catch whenever he was hammered.
The smell of cheap whiskey and pine cleaner still haunted him, even when December rolled around.
Winnie ran out the front door and across the yard as they pulled up in front of the house.
Her sparkly boots crunched across the frosted grass, and her coat flapped open.
Because apparently basic survival instincts didn’t apply to Littles in a panic.
“Bliss! I’ve been worried! Why didn’t you call me? ”
“Tinkerbell!” Reid yelled as he jogged out on her heels. “What did I say about running out into the front yard by yourself?”
Winnie squealed when Reid caught her and tossed her over his shoulder, smacking her ass as he loped back inside. “Come on in, guys. I kept dinner warm for you. Ouch! Daddy, not so hard.” Her laughter floated through the air as Reid carried her back across the yard.
Connor didn’t catch everything Reid said, but it had something to do with clipping fairy wings. Reid set her down just inside the doorway and sent her on her way with one more squeal-inducing smack to her backside. The front door shut behind them, cutting off the sound of their playful argument.
Connor turned to Bliss, and the longing in her eyes took his breath away. The look in her eyes was soft and aching, like she saw something she wanted but didn’t believe she could ever have.
But whose fault was that? He wasn’t the one who ran back to the Society at the first opportunity. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “You ready to go inside?”
Bliss nodded in response. “I need to check on the girls.” Her voice carried that same tired determination he’d heard before.
She reached for the door handle but froze when he grabbed her arm. “Do not touch that handle. I will come around and help you out and into the house.”
She faced him then, and he took the time to take in more than he had before.
His gaze traveled over her long, ebony hair that didn’t gleam as much as before.
Her smooth, high cheekbones were more angular.
Fatigue now dulled her pale turquoise eyes and underscored them with dark circles.
Oh, she was still beautiful. Stunning, actually.
But there was a fragility there now that twisted something deep inside his gut.
A sense of failure overwhelmed him. He’d let her down. He should have tried harder to find her and bring her back home months ago. She needed someone to care for her as much as she cared for those in her life.
More and more, he was fighting the urge to be that someone. She needed a Daddy. And he was beginning to think he needed a Little, too. One with eyes like liquid gemstones. The realization sat heavy in his chest, stubborn and impossible to ignore.
“I can open a car door, Connor.”
He missed the musical quality her voice usually had.
“I didn’t think you couldn’t, Trouble. But just because you can doesn’t mean you’re going to. Not while I’m around.” She was determined to prove she could take care of herself, but he wasn’t so sure.
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. But the relief and satisfaction in her eyes didn’t escape him. After he opened her door, he reached in and lifted her into his arms again. She weighed almost nothing, and the realization made his jaw tighten.
“Connor! Put me down!” She squirmed, trying to escape his arms.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not when she’d practically fainted earlier, swept away in a panic attack. Had she been to a doctor since she’d been home? He’d be putting a call in to Bones, Sabre’s go-to doctor, to set one up if she hadn’t.
“Unless you want a taste of what Reid gave your sister, I suggest you calm down.”
His voice dropped deeper, to that voice that had always made her go still. It was good to see not everything about her had changed.
She stilled, now looking every inch the Little he remembered. There was that new weariness in her eyes again. “We both know you don’t want to go down that road with me.”
Conn wasn’t sure what he knew anymore. He knew she was a perfect fit for his arms. He knew he liked her there. He’d told himself she was off limits now that she had kids, but her nearness had him questioning that, too. She affected him, unsettling in the best and worst ways.
She wasn’t taking care of herself, and that didn’t sit well with him.
He didn’t know much, well, anything, about taking care of a baby, but he knew it was a twenty-four-hour-a-day job.
That was for one baby, and she had three.
Three small humans were depending on someone who looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks.
He clenched his jaw to hold his words back. Words he didn’t need to say, but someone sure did. Why wasn’t Reid looking out for her? An ugly possessive streak he had no right to feel rose up fast within him. The thought of anyone else taking on that responsibility made him want to punch something.
Once inside, he headed straight to the sunken living room. Bliss sucked in a breath when she spotted their big Christmas tree. Yeah, the smaller one in the window was just for show. Between the lower floor and the cathedral ceiling, Connor was pretty sure this one was thirteen feet at least.
Winnie moved in the second Connor had Bliss seated on the couch facing the lights shimmering from every branch of the Christmas tree, ornaments catching the glow like little bursts of color.
Within seconds, Winnie, Georgia, and Breezy had her surrounded, voices soft and excited as they started firing questions.
He knew Trouble was in good hands as they’d gather around her and chat about all things Christmas and babies.
He moved to the kitchen to grab her a plate of whatever food he could find and a large mug of hot chocolate. He should have known as soon as he entered the kitchen that his brothers would descend. They had better radar than airport security.
As usual, Deke Winters was the first out of the gate. He’d gotten even worse since he and Suzi had worked everything out. It was hard to decide which one of them was nosier. “So, Conn, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”
“Not really, no.” Connor wasn’t one for playing twenty questions.
“So, you were alone with Bliss for over an hour, and nothing interesting happened? This is the same Bliss you rescued, lost, searched until you found again, and worked your sources to death to keep tabs on, right?” Gage asked.
Connor didn’t appreciate Gage’s tone, so instead of an answer, he gave him his happy middle finger. Gage laughed and gave it right back.
Reid, however, still had business on his mind. “I need you to stop by the garage tomorrow and get caught up on what we discussed at the meeting.”
Connor nodded as he put a few pigs in a blanket on a plate for Bliss, along with some carrot sticks and broccoli with some kind of dip in a bowl close by.
“That works. I need to drop Bliss’s car off anyway.
It needs four new tires and a spare. You might as well check over the whole thing.
She’s driving a piece of shit 1979 Nova. ”
Reid scowled. “What do you mean it needs four new tires? She’s been driving around for two months and didn’t tell me she needed tires? Why the fuck not?”
“That’s a good question.” One of the many Connor wanted answers to.
Lucky for one naughty Little girl who kept secrets, he couldn’t ask right then because Zane Thorne drifted into the kitchen, summoned by the scent of food, drama, and conversation.