Flopping onto her back, she distracted herself by looking around Connor’s bedroom. It was as big as her whole house. The walls were a dark pine green with cream accents, and wide wooden beams crossed the high ceiling. Large black and white photographs of nature decorated the walls. She ran her hand over the luxurious, earthy brown comforter as she grinned at the caramel-colored leather chair and matching ottoman they’d made such creative use of two nights before.
It all smelled faintly of him, of home, and she wanted to bury her face in it and never move. His scent was her safety, her calm, and just thinking about him made her toes curl with happiness.
She rolled back on her side and thumped her pillow to get all the dips in the right places. Once it was perfect, she stared at the window that took up almost one entire wall. Was that the sun she spied peeking through the evergreens that filled the lot beside Connor’s? It was hard to tell, but maybe. She should ask Connor. It could be bandits sneaking through the woods.
“I wouldn’t,” Connor growled. “Not unless you want to start the morning with a red-hot bottom. Go back to sleep.” He rolled over and pretended to snore.
Bliss pressed her lips together to keep from shouting. Unreasonable Daddy. Who could’ve guessed that, after moving her and the girls into his house for Christmas, he’d turn out to be such a Christmas grump?
It had taken her a long time to get to sleep in the new bed. A new house. She still couldn’t decide how she felt about the girls not being in the room with them. She’d never slept without them close.
Her hand itched to reach out to them, to make sure they were safe, warm, and sound. She was learning, slowly, that Connor’s house was enough protection. But that mama worry didn’t just turn off.
Yes, Connor had video monitors so she could check on them without waking them up. But what if they needed her and didn’t make any noise? She’d better go check on them.
Her small fingers curled around the edge of the mattress, the soft sheets pressing against her palms. She could almost hear the whisper of the monitors calling her name, telling her everything was okay, if she only trusted it.
Lying aside the covers, she scooted to the edge of the mattress. Rolling onto her tummy, she hung her legs off the bed and inched herself lower.
“Let your feet touch that floor and see what happens, Trouble.” Connor didn’t even turn over. How did he do that?
Her stomach fluttered with nervous excitement. He always knew, didn’t he? Always knew exactly what she was thinking before she even moved. She pushed up on her hands and knees, crawling across the enormous, customized mattress and tried to search through his hair without bothering him.
“What are you doing, naughty girl?”
With a squeal, she crawled back to her side of the bed. “Nothing, Daddy. I just wanted to see your eyes.”
“By searching through my hair?”
“How else would I find the ones in the back of your head?” She gave him her very best Cindy Lou Who impression, blinking her large eyes extra slowly.
Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, Connor sighed and rolled to face her. With a huffed laugh, he shook his head. “You’re lucky you’re so cute, little girl. All right, let’s go see if Santa stopped by during the night.”
“Yay!” She threw her arms around his neck, giving him a quick hug before jumping off the bed and racing to the bedroom door. Her feet pounded against the floor, echoing like drumbeats of joy. Hopefully, it would be later in the morning before herealized that she had bumped the time on the bedroom clock up an hour.
“Shoes, Trouble. I don’t want you coming down with a cold and missing New Year’s Eve.”
Skidding to a halt, she turned back and ran to grab her new bedroom slippers.
“Walk!” Connor barked out the order while putting on his own slippers.
Her Daddy was wearing Santa slippers. Bliss’s grin stretched wider than ever, and she felt warmth spread through her chest like melted chocolate.
“Yes, Daddy.” Bliss grabbed the matching puffy Santa slippers he’d bought for all of them and shoved them on her feet. They paired with the matching pajamas they all wore.
Never in a million years would she have believed he was a family-pajama-set kind of Daddy, but he was. And seeing the babies in theirs, the five of them in a cozy line, made her heart swell so much she thought it would burst.
The babies were adorable, and now they had their first family photo. She was part of a real family. That was the only Christmas present she needed.
Her Mary Poppins angel snorted. Miranda told her to hush and hide her crazy. Those shoulder angels sure knew her well.
There would be presents out there with her name on them. She’d told him not to, but he would have done it anyway. He’d told her not to feel guilty that she hadn’t been able to get him anything big, but she still did. He’d given her everything.
She did have one thing she hoped he’d like, but it wasn’t expensive and wrapped in thick, glossy paper like hers were. There wasn’t a big enough present in the world to equal his love for her and their girls.
Their girls.
The thought made her chest ache with warmth. Each time she thought of her babies as theirs—a family—it felt like a secret treasure that no one could ever take away.
