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Arran cleared his throat, glancing away. “Something came up. A party she wanted to go to. So, she backtracked.” He looked up with a smile. “Great news for me, and Mum and Dad.”

“I’ll bet,” Nico said. “First grandchild at Christmas. Fiona and Abeo will be delighted.”

Liv shook her head. “Can you imagine what Mum would be like, Sam?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m terminally single though, so you and Maya will have to take the baton with that one.”

Heat rose in Maya’s cheeks as Sam laughed, squeezing her shoulders and kissing her red-hot cheek.

“I’ll get on it,” he said. He winked at his sister. “There’s some mistletoe over there. Maybe you can find someone to kiss under it.”

Liv glanced at Arran. “Nah.”

Maya smiled at Liv, then looked at Arran. “What about you? Fancy kissing someone under the mistletoe?”

She raised her eyebrows, and Liv kicked her under the table.

Arran lifted his beer to take a sip, seeming oblivious. “Nope. None of that for me. It’s just me and Jayce now.”

Liv glanced away, and Maya felt guilty for having spoken.

Elise came over, Jack in her arms, and took a seat on Sam’s other side. “What brilliant news. Congrats, Maya. And Sam.” She tried to lift her drink, but Jack kept grabbing at it.

Nico held his hands out across the table. “Here. I’ll hold him while you have your drink.”

Elise raised her eyebrows. “Really? I thought a Porsche was more your kind of accessory.”

Nico smiled. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Sam nudged Elise. “Nico has the most baby-related experience out of all of us.”

Elise shot Nico a wry smile. “Because he’s got so many love children stashed away?”

Nico arched a brow. “Ha ha. No. Because I’ve got so many nieces and nephews, not stashed away, but under my care on a regular basis.”

Elise’s eyes widened. “You help out with childcare?”

Nico shrugged. “Yep. For all of them. From birth.”

Elise studied him for a moment, then stood and handed Jack over the table. Nico placed him onto his lap, and Maya felt like they should start calling him the baby whisperer, because Jack seemed right at home.

Sam leaned in toward her ear, his lips brushing her skin and making her shiver. “I want to give you something. Upstairs.” Maya raised her eyebrows and he smiled. “No, not that. That’s coming later, back at mine.”

Intrigued, she nodded and got to her feet, taking his hand to lead him out of the kitchen and up to her bedroom.

She shut the door. “What is it?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to give you your Christmas present.”

“Now?” she said, excitement rising at the thought of giving him the painting. She’d been anticipating the look on his face.

Sam nodded.

“Ooh,” Maya said, rubbing her hands together. “Can I go first?”

Sam smiled. “Of course.”

Practically running across the room, she lifted it out from behind some stacks of books, wrapped in brown paper.

Sam raised his eyebrows, coming over to kneel beside it. “Wow.” He glanced up. “Yours is bigger than mine.”