“You too,” I say, pulling away when Jude and Aeron approach to say hello to her.
“Hey, Mom,” Jude smiles, sitting down next to her and tugging her in for a hug. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, darling boy,” she gushes back, kissing him on the cheek and then letting him go so she can do the same to Aeron. I go to get out of the way, but he just wraps us both in his enormous arms and we giggle like schoolgirls as he kisses both our cheeks. “Rogue, just like your father,” Heather chides, her voice full of smiles.
“Merry Christmas to my two favorite ladies,” Aeron replies smoothly, and a peal of laughter rings from my throat at his chivalry.
Adam hands out drinks for everyone, but although I take the champagne, I don’t drink any after the toast, and Tarl catches my eye, a considering gaze in his that leaves me blushing and looking away.
Adam leads us all into a vast dining room, which is fully decked out with another enormous tree in the corner and greenery and tinsel everywhere.
“You guys must have chopped down a forest for all these trees,” I tease as we take our seats, and Adam chuckles.
“We may own a Christmas tree farm after we took Aeron, Jude, and June to one when they were kids and they made us take them back another twelve times.” Adam laughs, then pauses as he looks over at Heather on his left with a somewhat panicked expression. She smiles, placing her hand over the top of his and squeezing.
“June used to love them so much that Adam couldn’t resist buying the whole thing and taking them all every year,” she adds, and I can see Adam relax, his eyes glistening as he gazes at her.
Aeron leans in to place a kiss on my cheek, Jude taking my hand under the table as they settle either side of me. Knox gives a playful glare as he takes his seat next to Heather, who immediately leans over to place a small kiss on his cheek which irons out his frown. Rook sits next to Knox at Tarl’s insistence,and I could kiss him for ensuring that my brother doesn’t feel left out sitting at the end.
A couple of staff enter the room bearing trays of food, and at my look of censure, Aeron rolls his eyes.
“They’re here because they volunteered to get paid triple time just to serve us lunch and then they’re going home and have the rest of the week off, paid in full,” he tells me, and I shuffle slightly, my cheeks heating at having thought badly of Adam, thinking he’d somehow forced them to work.
Jude just laughs, brushing a kiss to my hot cheek and then reaching over to serve himself from the delicious-smelling food. We all tuck in, and by the end of the meal, I really do feel like I might burst if I try to eat another bite.
“Do you want me to roll you out of here, Dove?” Aeron teases, and I scowl at him, patting my very full stomach, then pausing, my hand resting on the slight food baby swell. “Everything okay?” Blinking, I glance up into his face, his brows dipped slightly in concern.
“Yes, it’s absolutely perfect, Devil Man.” Leaning over, I kiss the furrowed place between his brows and feel him relax under my lips.
“Time for presents!” Adam calls out, and Jude whoops, leaping from his chair and almost sending it flying in his hurry to leave the table. Laughing, Aeron helps me up, and that single butterfly from earlier clearly has some friends that have joined him, as my stomach rolls and I regret eating quite so much.
Aeron holds my hand in his, which I’m sure must be gross and sweaty but I can’t stop the way my heart thuds the closer we get to the room with the tree. Taking a deep inhale, and before I can let myself get any more worked up, I let go of Aeron’s hand and stride over to the tree.
“Does anyone mind if I go first?” I ask, only a slight tremor in my voice as I bend over to pick up the red gift bag. My handstremble, and I have to take another deep inhale to calm the nerves that are leaving me a little light-headed.
“Of course, darling,” Heather says, ushering everyone else into seats that surround the fire.
My hands shake as I reach into the bag, pulling out a long, black box, a gold ribbon tied in a bow around it. “You have to open them at the same time,” I tell the guys, walking over and handing Aeron the first one. He catches my eye, giving me a soft, reassuring smile.
“I’m sure we’ll love it, whatever it is,” he assures me, and I nibble my bottom lip.
“I hope so.”
Handing the last one to Tarl, who gives me an all-too-knowing look, I step back and wait. My heart threatens to leave my chest as they undo the bows, and Aeron is the first to pull out the long, white stick, a blue lid on one end. His entire body freezes as he looks at it, then up at me, the box falling to the floor when he surges up.
“Tell me this is what I think it is,” he demands, his voice barely above a whisper, his hand shaking.
“A stick with my pee on it,” I blurt, resorting to humor as the others remain silent.
“Fuck, Dove. You’re pregnant,” he states, striding over to me and then pausing. He drops to his knees, the positive pregnancy test falling to the floor as both of his hands reach out and slide under the emerald green, cashmere sweater I’m wearing. Goosebumps cover my skin as he lifts the garment, exposing my stomach to the room. Then ever so gently, he leans forward and places the softest of kisses on the place over my womb. “Hey, little Taylor.”
Tears fill my eyes, my hand coming up to stroke his hair as he places his forehead over the spot.
“We’re gonna be daddies!” Jude cries out, and I laugh as he gets up. “Well, Knox is already our Daddy, but you know, semantics.”
“Jude!” I exclaim, heat suffusing my cheeks at his very fucking inappropriate words given his parents and my brother are in the room. Giving no shits, he strides over, and Aeron stands up and lets Jude take his place in front of me. Palming my cheeks, he brings our foreheads together.
“Thank you, Nightingale. This is the best fucking present.” Closing the small distance between us, he kisses me with a gentle tenderness that’s unusual for my wild Tailor boy.
