Hadley looked down at her sleeping daughter.“I think I can be convinced.”
“I’m just in disbelief,” Poet said.“She came right on time.And fast.How did you do that?”
“Coconut oil.She slipped right out of me.”Hadley chuckled and gently took her daughter’s hand in hers.“Look at how small her fingers are.She’s got little nails and everything.”
“She’s beautiful, Mama,” I murmured, staring down at the baby who was all pink and squishy.
“Who wants to hold her first?”Hadley asked.
“Salem should,” I stated.“Being Rory’s aunt and all.”
“You’re all Rory’s aunts,” Hadley informed us.
“I prefer to think of us as the three good fairies,” I said.
“Dibs on Merryweather,” Salem said as she lifted the baby from Hadley’s arms.“Okay, Miss Rory, we gotta have a talk here.I’m your Aunt Salem and I’m going to spoil you so rotten that your parents will want to give you away.You come from good stock, kid.But if you need anything, you come talk to me.”
“My turn,” Poet said, holding out her arms for the baby who didn’t appear at all put out at changing hands.“Piggybacking on what Aunt Salem said, I’m your Aunt Poet.I’m the one you come to if you need a good cry.We’ll go to Sweet Teeth and get a Hadley’s Hooch—named for your awesome mama—and you’ll pour out your heart to me.Okay?Okay.”
“Hand that beautiful thing over here,” I said, itching to hold the baby.
I peered down into her sleeping face, marveling at something so perfect.“I’m your Aunt Wyn.And I’m the one you come to when you need advice about boys.Because I’ll teach you how to protect your heart, and I’ll tell you that you’ll find the right one when the time is right and never to doubt it when the time comes.You’ll get your great love, little Rory.I promise.”
After a deep breath, I gave her back to her mother who looked to be in danger of falling asleep.
“That’s our cue,” Salem said.
We tiptoed from the room, letting baby and mother sleep.
“Holy shit,” Salem whispered in the hallway.“She fucking did it.”
“You’re next,” I quipped.
“Don’t remind me.It sounded painful,” she joked.
“But look at the reward,” Poet said wistfully.
We headed back to the den where everyone was quiet and nibbling on leftovers from the night before.
“She’s asleep,” Salem said to Declan.
He finished the rest of his scotch in one swallow and then went to join his wife and daughter.
“Some Christmas,” Archer said.“Am I right?”
“Not sure how we top this one,” I said.
Muddy beamed.“Oh sugar, this is just the beginning.”
Epilogue
Early Summer
Wyn
“Do you think she’ll say yes?”Archer asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“No way,” I said.“He put it on a kite this time for the entire town to see, but it won’t matter.She’ll say no.That’s half their fun.Grampy finds new creative ways to propose, and Muddy continues to refuse.”
