“Did we dance?” Serena asks. “We totally danced, didn’t we?”
“Oh, yeah,” I confirm as my lower back screams, ‘Haha, bitch, I told you not to drink that last bottle.’
“Where is everyone?” She asks, tying her hair in a knot and securing it.
“Our amazing parents took Gracie, Wyatt, and Conner into town for breakfast at the inn and to get pictures with Santa at the pharmacy. Mom was going to attempt to rid Peyton of his contempt, but Eli stepped in and whisked him away with a promise to build another snowman.”
“Eli saved him from Santa?” Serena glances into the dining room to see Eli sitting at the head of the table, pouring Cheerios onto Peyton’s highchair. Peyton pounds at his cereal with a plastic hammer before shoving the remnants into his mouth as Thatch joins them at Eli’s side.
Serena’s expression softens considerably as she watches Eli dote on her son, and it’s then I know this cheese has been left to stand alone.
Eli has managed to win Serena, and surprisingly I’m fine with it.
I grin at Peyton as he hammers away. I couldn’t resist giving him his workshop early—his reaction was a hundred percent worth it. He’s been playing with it nonstop since I set it in front of him after dinner last night before passing out early presents to the rest of the kids. My only regret is that Peyton’s chosen it as his weapon of choice this morning. Eli looks up at me with sympathy as Peyton bangs away, a sexy grin whispering over his lips before he mouths a ‘good morning.’ The sight of him sleep rumpled, hair disheveled, definitely one I could get used to. I was all too tempted to rouse him from sleep before I hit my wall last night, but I know he wouldn’t have let it go far. Sinking into his gaze now, I’m brought back to our kiss and his latest revelation. Peyton rips Eli’s attention away with an attempt to grab the box of Cheerios, and it’s then that I catch sight of Thatch’s forlorn expression as he stares out the window.
“He’s so pissed at me,” Serena whispers.
“For?”
“I don’t know, our fight yesterday, I guess. He wasn’t in bed when I woke up.”
“Did anything else happen?”
“Shit, you tell me. I haven’t drunk that much in a decade.”
“We did get a bit rowdy last night.” We share a grin, and I tap my coffee cup to hers. “He’ll get over it. It was a good night.”
“Yeah, it was. Worth it. By the way, you’ve been pretty tight-lipped. Are we going to talk about,” she jerks her head in the direction of the table.
“Soon. I’m willing to hear him out, and I want to go there, badly. But, I’m trying not to let the twenty-year-old me take over just yet, ya know?”
She reads the old hurt and hesitation in my eyes and nods. “I get that, but,” she glances over at Eli, who gifts her with a smile.
Now she’s batting for him? Damn him and his voodoo icicle eyes.
“It’s just…” The bomb Eli dropped last night about his virginity is burning a hole through my psyche, but I can’t bring myself to confess it to her. It feels so personal—so intimately ours. Even with my person standing in front of me, I want to keep it between me and the man feet away. “My head is doing enough on its own at the moment. I need to be smart about this.”
She stares at me as though I’m literally spewing crap out of my mouth. “Sis, let’s be real. You’re already so fucking gone.”
“Shut up.”
“Pack it up girl, you no longer have a case,” Serena chuckles, and I elbow her in the boob before trailing her into the dining room. Eli looks up to me as I approach, his eyes twinkling as Serena and I shuffle in with matching hangovers.
“Morning, baby man,” Serena kisses Peyton as he stuffs his mouth with remnants of a Cheerio before eyeing Thatch, who doesn’t so much as look up at her.
“Morning, babe,” Serena says, testing the waters—a slight ache in her voice. Thatch simply nods, picking up his spoon and pressing his cereal into the milk. We all glance up as Brenden and Erin stroll up to the table with sated smiles making it glaringly obvious they both had a good night. It’s all I can do not to gawk at Erin as Eli presses his lips together firmly to hide his own amusement. Erin wishes everyone a Snow-White type of ‘good morning,’ and I swear I see birds land on her shoulders as she eases into her seat.
“Mufasa!” Peyton exclaims, pointing to Erin. The whole table bursts into laughter as Erin frowns at his observation, and Serena leans over to enlighten her.