Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Bliss

Bliss lay on her side, staring at Connor, trying her best not to wiggle. Her Daddy had told her if she woke him one more time to see if it was time to get up and see what Santa had brought her, Santa would make all her presents disappear.

She’d gasped at the time and pretended to go back to sleep. Now that she’d had time to think, she wasn’t sure her Daddy was right. It didn’t sound like something Santa would do. Still, since Santa had never visited her before, she wasn’t ready to risk it. Her Mary Poppins shoulder angel was whispering about a proper night’s sleep , while her Miranda angel kept talking about something bad about to happen .

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.

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.

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.

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.

Laying 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?

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. Hopefully it would be later in the morning before he realized that she had bumped the time on 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 shoes.

“Walk!” Connor barked out the order while putting on his own slippers.

Her Daddy was wearing Santa slippers!

“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. 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 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.

When in the last week had she gone from thinking of them as hers and started thinking of them as theirs? The way he was with them now, it was impossible to think of them any other way. She’d been wrong. Connor accepting her daughters as his own, all of them, was the greatest gift he would ever be able to give her.

And now it was time to open those presents. She’d pouted when he’d sent her to bed right after they got the girls settled for the night, while he stayed up to clean the kitchen, even though it was spotless. She’d fallen asleep before he’d made it to bed.

Entering the family room, she skidded to a stop, unable to do anything but stare. He’d created a winter wonderland right there. No wonder he didn’t want to get up. It must have taken him hours. New ornaments hung on the tree. Four stockings hung from the mantle of the stone fireplace, though how they stayed in place as stuffed as they were she had no idea. Shimmering snowflakes hung from the ceiling and the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air. More presents now spilled halfway across the room, too numerous for the tree to contain them.

The babies wouldn’t remember any of this. No, he had done all this for her. She battled the tears gathered in her eyes and lost. Flinging her arms around him, she buried her face in his chest and cried.

“I-I- c-can’t b-believe you d-did all this f-for us. I-It’s the m-most b-beautiful sight I’ve e-ever seen.”

When he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was so much more than she’d ever expected to have in her life. So much more than she deserved.

“Hey now, none of that, babygirl. You deserve more than these boxes could ever hold.”

“B-but I-I didn’t b-buy you anything.” She grabbed his arm so hard he winced. She was a horrible babygirl. She should have ordered things online or gotten Winnie to pick them up. Instead, he would be sitting there watching everyone else open presents. “I will though. I promise. I’ll go out tomorrow and find you the bestest present in the world. Better than anything any other Daddy has ever gotten. Ever.”

Keeping one hand under her bottom, the other tilted her face up to him. “What are you talking about? I already have the bestest gifts a Daddy could ever receive. Don’t shake your head. Look at me. The things you’ve given me are priceless. I have three tiny blessings to care for and I get to watch grow into strong loving women like their mother. A house that now feels like a home. And most importantly, I have the gift of your love.” He kissed her forehead and patted her bottom. “Not to mention a Little trouble to keep me on my toes. Just because your gifts didn’t come in a box doesn’t mean you didn’t give me something precious.”

She tried to find disappointment in his face or hurt hiding in the gold of his eyes. The only thing she found was love and happiness. He’d meant every word he said.

He rubbed the tip of her nose with his own. “Now, are you going to see what Santa brought, or not?”

“Yes!” She hopped down and lifted the stocking with her name embroidered across the top. After plopping on the floor, she pulled out each item inside. He’d filled her stocking with pop-fidget toys, modeling clay, sparkly band bracelets to decorate, LEGO sets, and nail polishes. She felt like Aladdin going through his treasure cave.

Her favorite was a large set of washable Tattoo Pens. Connor looked on, smiling and commenting on what Santa had brought. He even let her draw a tiger on his arm with her new pens.

Just as she pulled the last gift from her stocking, Sadie’s precious voice reminded them they were not alone. Jumping up, she dashed to the girls’ rooms. Each had a bedroom to call her own, but they all branched off a shared nursery that could be turned into a playroom when they got older.

The twins were standing in their cribs, arms outstretched and waiting. Bliss and Connor each took a twin and made quick order of getting the girls changed.

Sadie did her best to break into a run, while Sophie kept her fingers wrapped around Connor’s fingers. The change in him after he’d talked to the counselor Bones found was hard to believe. He’d already been holding them and helping with feeding and changing diapers, but now he dropped all his walls and relaxed with them. He talked with the girls and fed them. He never rushed them or raised his voice when they made messes. And they adored him.

They sat on the floor between the fireplace and the Christmas tree like a real family. Connor helped the girls go through their stockings. They were too young to understand what was going on, but she didn’t care. They were laughing and babbling. It was Bliss’s favorite present yet.

“Okay,” Connor said when the twins showed the first sign of growing bored. “Time for Daddy to feed his girls. I don’t suppose anyone is interested in Christmas yogurt and reindeer pancakes.”

Bliss leaped to her feet. “Oh, that sounds yummy, doesn’t it?” The twins caught her excitement and toddled to the kitchen behind Connor, squealing with delight. Nori woke and joined them at the table, watching her sisters gobble down pancakes while she enjoyed a warm bottle.

The pancakes were adorable, and Bliss ate until she was stuffed. Turned out, Christmas yogurt was vanilla with tiny sprinkles shaped like Christmas lights.

“Who’s ready to open gifts?” Connor asked after they’d all had reindeer pancakes for breakfast and regathered in the living room.

“Meeee!” Bliss cried out, raising her hands and waving them in the air.

“I’ll be the Christmas elf and hand out the gifts. I know just the one I want to start with.” Connor picked out four matching red boxes held closed by thick white ribbon. “I want you to all open them together.”

Bliss bounced in anticipation, waiting as Connor took turns helping first Sophie, then Sadie, then Nori open their gifts. Bliss almost melted into a puddle when he pulled out the stuffed animals he’d gotten for each of the girls. He nailed the choices, giving Sophie a purple kitten, Sadie a pink bunny, and Nori a yellow elephant.

“Your turn, trouble. Go ahead and open your present.”

Unable to stop herself, Bliss ripped off the ribbon and yanked out the tissue paper. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”

Tipsy stared up at her, golden eyes gleaming in the Christmas lights. She lifted her friend with gentle hands and hugged her to her chest. Connor had given the girls stuffies of their own so she could have Tipsy back. He’d had her spruced back up, so she looked brand new. Having her lynx back in her arms meant the world to her.

Soon it was time for the girls to go back down for their naps. Bliss wasn’t sure but what she needed one herself. Well, she wanted to go to bed anyway, although sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

After Connor pulled the girls’ door shut, she took his hand and led him back to their room.

“Are you tired of opening presents already?” Connor asked with a smile.

She allowed her eyes to slide from his face, down to his cock and back up. “Not exactly,” she said.

Heat flared in his eyes. Good.