Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Chapter Thirteen Harder and Harder to Leave

That evening, Theo found himself sitting at his parents’ dining room table with Lucy across from him. They were making their way through the call list they’d brainstormed earlier at the school. Once they’d come up with what they needed, they’d figured out who’d be able to help them get those things. They’d gone over everything with Fatima, and she’d even taken a portion of the list home with her.

As they made phone calls, his parents whipped up some French onion soup and chicken Caesar salad for dinner, while Gia played with Bear and recorded more videos.

It wasn’t like it was the first time Lucy had been at his parents’ house, or even sat at their table. But it was the first time she’d been there because of him. Sure, Theo had introduced women he’d dated to his family, but he’d never brought anyone to family dinner night. Having Lucy there was new, but familiar at the same time. She fit right in . . . like she was always supposed to be there.

Theo wasn’t going to draw too much attention to the situation . . . or any attention, really. It hadn’t been the plan for Lucy to come over that evening, not that he hadn’t wanted to ask her. It was more that he was being very cautious about asking for too much too soon.

He watched her from across the table, not missing a word of what Captain Savage was telling him over the phone. She looked less tense than when they’d first sat down, maybe because once they’d started making phone calls, it was clear that people were more than willing to help. Or maybe it was because of the wine that his mother kept pouring into her glass.

Lucy got off the phone a few seconds after Theo, and she danced in her chair for a second. “Jeremy said that Barrett approved for us to use some dumpsters to clean out the auditorium. He’ll haul them off too. They’ll be delivered to the school on Thursday. And,”

she emphasized as she reached for her wineglass, “he’s going to donate some lumber and other material that we need.”

“I always liked Jeremy’s boss,”

Theo said as he grabbed his pen and checked off dumpsters from the list. “Well, Barrett isn’t the only one who’s offered to help with supplies. Cameron and Weston Savage will donate what they can, and they’ve volunteered to be in charge of the set rebuild. They’ll be at the school on Saturday and Sunday once we confirm everything. Harrison also said some of the firefighters have offered to help. So, we can check those things off as well.”

Theo made little ticks next to supplies and volunteers.

“What else do you guys need to get taken care of?”

Juliet asked, looking up from where she was cutting lettuce.

“Well, we’ve got meals covered for everyone on Saturday and Sunday.”

Theo glanced down at the list. “Dancing Donkey has got drinks, Browned Butter will be covering breakfast, and Quigley’s is taking care of lunch. Desmond also said that whoever volunteers can get a drink on the house and a bowl of their Irish stew, so I’m sure plenty of people are going to take him up on that.”

“No doubt,”

Isaac agreed as he slid another beer down in front of Theo. “Are you feeling better about everything now, Lucy?”

“For the most part.”

Lucy nodded. “It looks like paint and lights are the only other things left on our list.”

“What kind of lights do you need?”

Juliet asked.

“Christmas lights. We had them strung up on the trees. Luckily that was the only electrical thing that we lost. Unluckily, it’s Christmas season. I was told the ones we had were purchased last year when they were like seventy-five percent off . . . so I don’t know if we’ll get enough money to replace them.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let’s see how much money Fatima can get us. But until then, what have I told you about being a Negative Nelly?”

Theo pointed the pen at her.

“I believe, Theodore”—she emphasized his name with her usual sass—“that you told me to stop being one.”

“I thought you weren’t allowed to call him that?”

Gia asked as she walked into the kitchen, Bear following at her side.

“I’ve gotten used to it.”

Theo shrugged. “Lucy’s going to have to figure out another way to get under my skin.”

“I’ll work on that.”

The little smirk at the side of her mouth should cause him concern, but he had a feeling whatever she came up with would probably be more fun for him in the end.

Gia did a full body shake like she was creeped out by something. “It’s still so weird when you two are nice to each other. I’m not used to you being a couple yet.”

Well, shit. Thanks, Gia. That was the first time that word had been used.

“Leave your brother and Lucy alone,”

Juliet scolded Gia before she gave Bear a piece of chicken. “She’s so gentle,”

she marveled, waiting a beat before giving the dog another piece. “I can see why you aren’t giving her up.”

Theo noticed how his mother had quickly changed the subject . . . and how Lucy went along with it.

“She’s fit right in,”

Lucy replied, shifting in her chair.

“The people who abandoned her are monsters.”

Juliet petted Bear’s head, scratching between her ears.

“Karma will get them.”

“Keep doing that and you’ll win her over,”

Theo told his mom. “You thought any more about keeping a puppy?”

Juliet made a furtive glance toward her husband. “It’s been discussed.”

Gia had been focusing on her phone, and she looked up so fast she had to have given herself whiplash. “It has been?”

“It has been.”

Isaac was grating cheese, and he set the parmesan down as he focused on his daughter. “If we say yes, you understand that it’s going to be your responsibility to walk and feed the dog before school?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Gia nodded.

“And you’re going to be in charge of pooper-scooper duty,”

Juliet added.

“I’ll do that, no problem.”

Isaac leaned back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. “And potty training is nonnegotiable.”

“I’ll write up a contract and sign it right now.”

Gia pointed to her computer on the counter.

“I think we’ll discuss more of the specifics later, but the answer is yes. We can keep one of the puppies.”

“Really?”

Gia jumped up and down for a moment before she ran at her parents, pulling them both into a hug.

“Merry Christmas,”

Juliet said as she kissed the top of Gia’s head.

It was a couple of moments before Gia pulled away, wiping beneath her eyes. The excitement on her face was almost enough to get Theo choked up.

“Can I be there when the puppies are born? It should be during Christmas break, so there won’t be any school to worry about. Can I get first pick?”

Theo looked to Lucy, who was smiling. “You can have first pick. But let’s just hope she doesn’t go into labor in the middle of the night.”

She held her crossed fingers up in the air.

“You’ve just jinxed us.”

Theo shook his head.

“So, question,”

Juliet said, and Theo knew whatever was about to follow would be prying. Those were the two words his mother always started with when she was about to ask something that she probably shouldn’t. “If you’re keeping Bear, and the puppies will need to be with Bear for . . . what . . . a couple of months?”

“They’ll need to be with her for eight or nine weeks.”

Lucy nodded.

“So that means you’ll be in Cruickshank for at least that long.”

Theo froze for a second. He still had no idea what Lucy’s plans were. She hadn’t mentioned leaving after the semester . . . but she also hadn’t said she was staying.

“I don’t have any plans to leave at the moment.”

“Good to know.”

Juliet grinned.

That was an understatement. Theo purposely didn’t look over at Lucy, and instead made eye contact with his father, who got the message.

“Is there anyone else who’s shown interest in keeping any of the puppies?”

Isaac asked, changing the subject.

“Gavin said he wants one. And Jeremy has been hinting to Lilah that he’d like to get another dog. So that’s three homes . . . only like five more to go. Hopefully we’ll get a better puppy count tomorrow at Bear’s vet appointment.”

“Yeah, Theo told us it was going to be a good-size litter.”

Isaac bent down and started to pet Bear, who’d begun circling around his feet, no doubt because he had cheese. “Are you two planning on keeping Bear at Lucy’s apartment when the puppies are born?”

“I don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but I think my apartment is out of the question. Luckily, there is some time for us to figure that out. Though with all of this”—Lucy gestured at the table—“I feel like I just lost a week. And I still need to figure out where we’re going to do rehearsals because we can’t lose any more practice.”

“What about the gym at the school?”

Juliet suggested.

“We can’t.”

Lucy shook her head. “Basketball season has started, and they already have a hard enough time getting the boys’ and girls’ teams scheduled in there. And the library is out because it’s the science fair this week.”

“What about the cafeteria?”

Isaac asked.

“They’re using it for ACT prep,”

Gia answered.

The four of them continued to brainstorm spots while Theo kept quiet. It wasn’t lost on him how quickly Lucy had changed the subject of where they would be keeping Bear and her puppies. Though Lucy had continued to say we. Lucy might be the one who was officially adopting the dog, but they had been making decisions together ever since they’d rescued Bear from the back alley of Browned Butter.

They hadn’t discussed what they’d be doing when it got closer to the puppies being born, though. Theo had thought about it himself . . . especially as Bear was getting bigger and bigger. She wasn’t having issues with the flight of stairs up to Lucy’s apartment, but he figured it was just a matter of time before she started to struggle. They were more than a little steep.

It wasn’t like he didn’t like Lucy’s place—because he did—it was just that it was a little cramped, especially at night in her queen-size bed. Besides, he’d really liked having her at his place, liked her in his bed regularly.

He’d enjoyed the weekend they’d spent together, though it was pretty clear that a certain cat’s presence was missed, by both Lucy and Bear . . . and by Theo, if he was being totally honest. He’d come to really like Estee. Getting the cat to his house was the first obstacle he needed to tackle, because once she was there, Lucy would have less of a reason to not stay over.

He made a surreptitious glance in Lucy’s direction, wondering how to broach this particular topic. He was already treading so lightly with her.

Don’t go too fast too soon, he reminded himself. Just one step at a time.

* * *

Lucy stared at the screen of the ultrasound through her phone, recording as Oscar pressed the wand to Bear’s belly. He started counting as he moved it around. One, two, three, four . . .

It wasn’t until he got to double digits that Lucy started to panic a little.

“Eleven?”

Her eyes went wide as she looked over to Theo. “Holy crap.”

“That’s a lot of puppies, Mama Bear.”

He petted the dog’s head reassuringly. She licked his hand.

“There could be one or two hiding,”

Oscar said as he continued to move the wand, searching.

“Stop looking for more!”

Lucy all but shouted. “We don’t need any more. Eleven is enough,”

she looked down and told the dog.

“I don’t think she has any control in the matter.”

Theo laughed as he shook his head.

“No, I don’t suppose she does.”

Lucy pressed the button on her phone and stopped recording. She tapped a few more buttons, forwarding the video to Gia before dropping the phone in her purse.

“Well, no matter what, you’re going to need to get her a good-size whelping box,”

Oscar told them as he turned the machine off and pushed it away. “I know we’ve got a few weeks until her due date, but I’d get her one sooner rather than later. Sometimes they start to nest early, so it’s a good idea to get her comfortable with the box. Make sure she has blankets, her favorite toys, that sort of thing,”

he finished as he wiped the ultrasound gel off Bear’s belly.

“Well, she is quite partial to her Beyoncé sloth.”

Oscar looked over at Theo, his eyebrows bunched together in confusion. “How is it a Beyoncé sloth?”

“It’s wearing a shirt that says I Woke Up Like This.”

Theo made a gesture over his chest as if to indicate where the words were. “It was either that or the Taylor Swift cat. That shirt said Karma Is My Boyfriend, but I didn’t think Estee would approve of Bear chewing on something that looked like her.”

“Definitely not,”

Lucy agreed.

“So, sloth it was.”

“Clearly.”

Oscar laughed again as he looked at Theo.

“What?”

Theo asked.

“Nothing.”

Oscar shook his head. “It’s just . . . I don’t know.”

He waved his hand in the air, gesturing at Theo. “The way you are with Bear is kind of . . . adorable. I’m not used to you being adorable. It’s new. Endearing almost.”

Lucy looked over at Theo, her head tilted to the side as her eyes moved up and down, studying him. After a moment she shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d go with adorable. He’s okay.”

“Okay?”

Theo repeated. “Wow, what high praise.”

“You’re welcome.”

She grinned at him before turning to Oscar. “Speaking of adorable people, how are things going with you and Edward these days?”

Oscar’s face went a little dopey. “He’s in New York at the moment, but he’ll be back on Friday. He volunteered to help at the school on Saturday. He might be the business suit type, but apparently he’s no novice when it comes to swinging a hammer.”

“Are we still talking about construction? Or . . .”

Lucy trailed off, waggling her eyebrows.

“Well, in that department I can confirm he’s no novice.”

“So, things are going very well.”

Lucy grinned.

“Well, I’m glad it’s not just okay.”

Theo narrowed his eyes on Lucy.

“Oh, Theodore.”

She patted his chest. “You know how to swing your hammer too.”

Oscar laughed but turned it into a cough, taking a moment to control himself.

“Seriously, Lucy?”

Theo asked. She could tell that his skin had gone a little pink under his beard.

“You’re the one who started it.”

Lucy bit back her own grin.

“And now I’m regretting it. Can we please move back to Bear?”

“Yes.”

Oscar let out another awkward cough. “We’re around week six now, so she’s going to need more food and more rest. But you’ll need to make sure she doesn’t overeat. I’ll get you an updated calorie intake.”

“What about walks?”

“Exercise is good, but I’d start to limit her being around other dogs. This is both for health reasons, and because she might start to become territorial. So, I’d be careful there. I’d say in another week or two, you need to make sure she isn’t around any other dogs.”

“What about Estee?”

Theo asked. “They’ve been getting along.”

“Just watch for signs. If it’s clear Bear doesn’t like the cat around her, you might need to reevaluate. This is where your whelping box will help. If she has her own space, she’ll feel more comfortable.”

“Okay.”

“Besides that, she seems to be doing well and the puppies looked good on the ultrasound. I think we’ve got a healthy pregnancy on our hands. You guys found her in the nick of time.”

“Yeah, we did.”

Theo petted Bear’s head again, rubbing his palm between her ears. She looked up at him adoringly.

“We can schedule her next appointment for two weeks from now, but I’d just monitor her behavior and if she starts to act weird or you aren’t sure about something, you know how to reach me.”

“I think we do.”

Lucy nodded.

“In the meantime, have fun swinging your hammer.”

Oscar clapped Theo on the back.

“Jesus Christ.”

Theo dropped his gaze to the floor, rubbing his forehead. He didn’t look at either Lucy or Oscar as he helped Bear off the exam room table.

* * *

Rehearsals for the musical had found a new place in the chorus room. It was a little cramped—even after they moved all of the chairs and stands out of the way—but they made it work. They’d be back in the auditorium by Monday anyway.

Thursday’s rehearsal was done at five, but Lucy had to stay a little longer, needing to be there when the dumpsters were dropped. She wasn’t too late for her family’s dinner night and was able to enjoy a glass of wine with Lilah, Caro, and Sasha before Wes finished cooking the chicken marsala.

Sasha wasn’t the only one who’d joined; Lorraine and Theo were there as well. The Belmonts were regular guests at the Buchanan family dinner, but there were a few more raised eyebrows with Lorraine that night. While no one was addressing the elephant in the room, it was clear everyone was wondering about that Thanksgiving kiss between Wes and Lorraine . . . and what had happened since.

On the other hand, it was Theo’s first time coming to dinner. Lucy had asked him if he’d join after she’d gone to his parents’ on Tuesday. She hadn’t done it because she’d felt obligated; she’d wanted him to come. There was something about him standing outside with Jeremy and Max. All three of them had a beer in their hands as they watched the kids riding their bikes up and down the driveway, the dogs all running around.

Bear was walking with Emilia, the little girl leaning into the dog’s side. Jeremy and Lilah’s schnauzer, Angus, was circling around them protectively. The little dog had been around Bear a number of times in the last couple of weeks, and he was very clearly smitten with her. It didn’t matter that Bear was roughly seventy pounds heavier than him, and twice as tall. Apparently, there were short kings in the canine world too.

It was very clear that Bear had gotten bigger in the weeks since they’d rescued her. Not only had she put on some weight, but her belly had grown with her eleven puppies.

Eleven puppies . . . if not more.

“Hey, Lilah,”

Lucy called out as she turned to her sister-in-law. “Have you and Jeremy talked any more about keeping a puppy?”

Lilah moved closer to Lucy, looking out the window and to the backyard. “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. I think it would be good for Angus. He loves being around the other dogs. I was concerned about how big Bear was when it comes to Emilia, but she’s so gentle with her.”

They all watched as Bear slowly moved with Emilia, not leaving the little girl’s side as she stopped to pick up the ball that Leia had just dropped at her feet. Emilia made a pathetic little throw, the ball not going very far in the air before rolling into the grass. All of the dogs took off except for Bear.

It was then that Emilia stumbled, but Bear moved her body, preventing the little girl from falling to the ground.

“You think her babies will be like that?”

Lilah asked.

“Yes,”

Lucy said without hesitation.

Lilah laughed. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to keep one. I’ll confirm with Jeremy tonight and let you know.”

“You going to try and get all of those puppies adopted before they’re even born?”

Lorraine asked.

“That’s my current plan.”

Lucy nodded. She’d been a little anxious since the vet appointment the day before.

Lucy had known Bear was pregnant almost from the moment they’d rescued her, but there’d been something about seeing those babies that had made it feel more real than before . . . if that made any sense. Maybe it was because it had been confirmed that there were so many of them now.

Bear had already been abandoned, and Lucy didn’t want that to happen to any of her babies. Gia had told her that there were messages flooding in about people wanting to adopt the puppies. Maybe it was unrealistic, but Lucy wanted them to go to people she knew, not strangers. If they were with families in Cruickshank, she’d get to see them grow up, and so would Bear.

Well, that was if Lucy stayed in Cruickshank.

New York was still on the line; the apartment offer from Stephanie hadn’t gone anywhere. Then there was the job offer from Fatima for the following semester. Lucy hadn’t made a decision about either of them. But what with the puppies, there was no chance she was leaving until they were all adopted, and that wouldn’t be until mid to late February.

But Bear wasn’t the only reason she was dragging her feet . . .

Lucy glanced back out the window, looking to where Theo was now squatting next to Emilia, helping her throw the ball for the dogs.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t falling deeper and deeper into whatever this was with Theo. Every day it was something new, and it fucking terrified her.

But it went further than whatever things were with Theo. She knew they were at a point where she was going to have to address something she’d been avoiding for weeks: what to do with Bear.

The fact that the dog couldn’t continue to stay in that little loft apartment through the rest of the pregnancy was not lost on Lucy. She’d been thinking about it for a while now and had come to the conclusion that she had two options.

Option one: She could stay at her dad’s. The last thing she wanted to do was start sleeping in her childhood bed again, mainly because Theo wouldn’t be in it with her. Going that route would significantly slow things down with him.

Which led to the other option: she could stay at Theo’s . . . which would significantly speed things up with him.

They hadn’t spent a night apart from each other since everything had started, and sure, some of those nights had been at his place. But once Bear was settled, once she had the puppies, there would be no moving her, or at least not without some difficulties. The last thing that Lucy wanted was to create any complications or stress for the dog.

Where Bear went was where Lucy would be. So, she just needed to figure out which path she was choosing. And what with the ticking clock that was Bear’s due date, she’d never felt more unsure about anything in her life.

* * *

The lumber and supplies were delivered to the school on Friday afternoon. Lucy was grateful that it wasn’t a late delivery as they had the high school championship football game to watch. The game was a couple of hours away, and while some people were making the drive, Lucy was not one of them. She had to be at the high school at eight o’clock in the morning, so she wasn’t going.

It was a sacrifice, but the musical was her top priority.

Instead, she and Theo went to Quigley’s to watch the game. They were broadcasting it locally and it was way more fun to watch with a crowd than at home alone, especially as it was another close game. The Fighting Goats didn’t pull out the win until the very end.

Both Lucy and Theo were so hyped up after the game that neither was ready to leave. So, darts it was. As Theo wrote their names on the top of a napkin, Lucy leaned over and whispered in his ear.

“Winner gets to pick who’s on top.”

His head had come up so fast he nearly collided with her. “Why do I have the feeling we’re both going to have the same answer no matter who wins?”

Lucy just grinned at him before she turned to go get their darts.

And as it turned out, Theo was right. He might’ve won the game, but it was Lucy who found herself riding him when they got back to her place. One of his hands gripped her thigh as they moved together, while the other was between their bodies, his fingers playing with her clit.

He paid attention to her body in ways that no man had before. He knew exactly how and where to touch her, knew what she needed to come. He knew her.

Lucy screamed his name to the ceiling as the orgasm rolled through her. She collapsed onto his chest, trying to catch her breath, and Theo’s hands moved up and down her back, his fingers tracing her spine. It was a couple of moments before she realized he was still hard inside of her.

“Theo?”

she whispered his name.

“Now it’s my turn.”

He rolled until she was underneath him, his arms moving under her legs until the backs of her knees were looped on the insides of his elbows. “I want another one,”

he said as he started to move in and out of her.

“A . . . a little greedy, are we?”

she managed to ask before another moan filled the room, her back arching off the bed.

“With you? Always. It’s never enough, Lucy.”

He kissed her neck, his teeth nipping at her skin. “It’s never enough.”

He emphasized the words as he continued to thrust his hips.

Every move he made had the pleasure climbing higher and higher inside of her. The buildup consumed her, took over every part of her. He had taken over every part of her. Her hands were in his hair, her fingers twisting in the strands and holding on for dear life as another orgasm ripped through her.

How was it more intense than the first?

Theo let go of his own release, groaning Lucy’s name into her throat as his hips slowed. He didn’t let go of her as he rolled to the side, pulling her with him as he caught his own breath. Lucy held on to him too, unable to let go.

* * *

The alarm went off at six thirty the following morning. Considering the fact that Lucy was usually up at five, she counted it as sleeping in. Theo left before her, needing to go to Browned Butter to get breakfast for everyone who was coming to help with the auditorium while Lucy got Bear fed, watered, and walked.

It just so happened that the walk took them to Jeremy and Lilah’s place, just around the corner from her dad’s house. Lucy and Theo were going to be at the school for most of the day and they didn’t want Bear to be alone. As Lilah would be home with the kids, she’d offered to keep an eye on the dog. Plus, Bear would get to hang out with her new boyfriend, Angus.

It was cold that morning, but at least there were no clouds covering the clear blue sky or the sun. Lucy took the long way to Lilah and Jeremy’s house, going around the bigger part of the loop. Bear needed to stretch her legs a little and moseyed along like she usually did, sniffing all the sniffs and taking her time to empty her bladder. The dog sure did like to mark her territory.

It was just before seven thirty when Lucy walked inside of the house, Angus making a beeline for them the second they stepped through the door.

But the little dog wasn’t the only one to greet them. Emilia set her milk down before she sleepily stumbled over to Lucy, her arms wide open. Her hair was a halo of messy curls and she was wearing thermal pajamas patterned with reindeer and green fuzzy socks with the Grinch.

Lucy put her purse down on the coffee table before scooping up the four-year-old and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “How’s my favorite niece?”

“Good,”

Emilia huffed out as she pressed her tiny face into Lucy’s neck. One of Lucy’s absolute favorite things in the world was when Emilia was snuggly. Her nephews used to be this way too, but not so much anymore.

“You going to keep an eye on Bear for me today?”

Lucy asked as she played with Emilia’s little foot.

Emilia lifted her head so she could look at her aunt. Her blue eyes were the exact color that Rachel’s had been. Sometimes Lucy thought she was seeing her mother again when she looked at Emilia. So many similarities, even the freckles on her little nose. “I will.”

She nodded exuberantly before she resumed snuggling.

Lilah came into the living room, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug with a gingerbread man missing his leg and the words Bite Me printed underneath. She looked quite cozy with her own candy cane–striped socks—also fuzzy—and all bundled up in a thick white robe.

“Morning, sunshine,”

Lilah said. “You ready for today?”

“I will be after another cup of coffee. One wasn’t enough.”

“It never is.”

Lilah shook her head. “You guys going to come to the pub tonight? Mom’s making japchae again. Didn’t think you’d want to miss it.”

“Is this still part of her plan to get me to not move out of Cruickshank?”

Emilia pulled away from Lucy’s neck again, a startled and scared expression on her face. “You’re moving?!”

“No, bug,”

Lucy soothed the child. “I’m not moving.”

“Not any time soon, at least,”

Lilah said.

“I want you hereeee.”

Emilia’s voice went up many octaves, usually the telltale sign she was about to start crying. Well, that and her now trembling bottom lip.

“Emilia, I was just joking, and so was your mom.”

“I d-d-don’t want you to go,”

she all but wailed before she started to cry, her arms tightening around Lucy’s shoulders as she buried her now very wet face into Lucy’s neck.

Lucy looked up to Lilah for help and found that her friend had a funny little smile pulling up her lips. “This isn’t funny.”

“What isn’t funny?”

Jeremy asked as he walked into the room. “And why is Emilia crying?”

“B-be-because Aunt Lucy is leaving,”

Emilia hiccuped as she turned to look at her father, tears streaming down her face.

“Just for the day, bug.”

He reached up, gently running his fingers across his daughter’s cheeks. “We’ll be back tonight.”

“N-n-no. She’s moving.”

“What?”

Jeremy’s somewhat severe gaze moved up to his sister’s face, alarm in his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Lucy shook her head. “Look what you started.”

She turned to Lilah. “You’ve got everyone upset.”

“I didn’t start anything.”

Lilah bit her bottom lip, trying not to laugh.

“Oh, really.”

Lucy indicated Emilia, who was still crying.

Lilah waved it off like it was no big deal. “If Emilia doesn’t start the morning having some sort of emotional breakdown, it’s just not a normal morning in this house. Yesterday it was because she couldn’t find her penguin pants.”

“Well, that would upset me too.”

Lucy nodded before moving her focus back to her niece. “Listen, bug, I have no plans on going anywhere anytime soon. I might even be teaching for another semester.”

“What?”

Lilah and Jeremy said in unison.

Lucy looked up at them. The only person she’d told about the offer was her dad. She wasn’t exactly sure why she hadn’t told anyone . . . especially why she hadn’t told Theo.

Maybe because things already felt too intense with him . . . and she wasn’t ready for another step. But there was always another step no matter if she was ready or not. Things kept moving even though it all seemed too fast already.

Way too fast.

“I haven’t decided yet,”

she told them. “Mrs. Griffith isn’t ready to come back. And there’s Bear and the puppies and—”

“Theo?”

Lilah finished.

“Yes, and Theo.”

“What’s going on with him—”

Jeremy started to ask, but Lilah cleared her throat loudly, shaking her head at him. “Never mind, I’m just glad to know you could be here through the spring.”

Lucy looked over at Lilah. She knew her sister-in-law was dying to know the answer to Jeremy’s unanswered question too. As promised, Lilah had taken a step back from her usual meddling the last few days. Lucy wondered how long that was going to last.

“Just until spring?”

Emilia started to wail again. Lucy knew the child had no concept of time. She was just crying to cry at this point.

It was then that Lilah finally took pity on Lucy. She set her coffee cup down on the dining room table before crossing over to them. “It’s going to be fine, Emilia. Aunt Lucy is here now, and that’s what we need to focus on. Okay?”

“O-kay.”

Emilia’s arms tightened around Lucy again, like she was never going to let go.

“Now give her a kiss, and give one to your daddy, and then we can go make waffles.”

“Gingerbread waffles?”

Emilia asked, the tears very quickly stopping.

“Whatever you want.”

“Okay.”

She sniffled before pressing a very wet kiss to Lucy’s cheek. And then she unlatched her arms, holding them out to her father. He scooped her up, snuggling her a little as he whispered something in her ear for only her to hear. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

He made the motion over his chest before moving his mouth to her throat and giving her a raspberry. A high-pitched squeal filled the room as she started to laugh. He then set her on the floor, where she ran over to her mother.

“Waffles,”

she said as she grabbed Lilah’s hand and started to tug her in the direction of the kitchen.

“Hold on, little miss.”

Lilah shook her head before she looked up at her husband. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, my love.”

He nodded as he pressed a kiss to Lilah’s lips.

They didn’t get to linger too long, as Emilia started pulling on Lilah’s hand again. “Let’s go, Mommy.”

“Okay, okay.”

Lilah turned, letting herself get dragged away to the kitchen. Jeremy just stood there for a moment, watching with that dopey lovestruck expression that he always had on his face when it came to Lilah.

It was only after his wife and daughter disappeared through the door that he turned to his sister, catching her staring at him. “What?”

“It’s just that . . .”

She shrugged. “You’re adorable.”

“I’m what?”

He looped his arm around her neck, gently pulling her close as he gave her a noogie.

“Hey, don’t do that!”

Lucy tried to pull away.

“Don’t call me adorable.”

He let go of her and she pushed at his side.

Yet another reason it was getting harder and harder for Lucy to think about leaving again: she’d miss out on all of this. Miss out on Emilia and the boys growing up, on being around her friends and family.

Maybe staying was more of an option than she’d realized.