"I think you already got the hint I'm marrying her, Grant." I address him by his first name to emphasize my point. "But it's important to relay that I adore her. Going into that law firm gave me a view of how she was to these people. She will never be lost again."
He clears his throat, and fuck me if his eyes don't go misty. "Is that your way of asking my permission?"
"Take it as you want."
He tips his chin. "You got my guesthouse in progress yet?"
I throw back my head and laugh into the night air. "Working on it."
"Hey, we brought the good stuff." Andrew and Austin walk through the side gate with a case of beer and bottles of liquor.
"Your mama call you?" Dozer asks as they unload in the outdoor kitchen.
"Nope, this was all Miller and Ashlyn," Andrew answers.
"It was all her. She's scheming about something." I take the beer Austin offers.
"I thought the house was complete. If she's scheming, it means work for us. It always has."
"Actually, it doesn't." Ashlyn comes bounding down the steps, securing her scarf and knit cap. She greets them with a quick hug and comes to my side. Janie joins us, warming her hands by the flames.
"What's up?" Andrew pushes.
"Mom and I have discussed it, and I'd like to make some changes to our Christmas plans. Instead of driving down early, I'd love it if you'd come Christmas Day and stay with Miller and me at his house."
This is news to me. I glance down to find her grinning at me slyly. "If you don't mind."
"They're welcome, but you wanted to be in your house."
"That was when I thought I'd be living out of the front room or a hotel. Things have changed. I love your house. It's already set up, and it will look beautiful decorated. It'll be perfect for our first Christmas."
Outside of a small tree for Maya and Cole's benefit, I've never decorated my place. She reads my mind and nuzzles into my neck. "I've got the decorations covered. If it won't hit your lifetime bachelor cred, that is."
"Lifetime bachelor street cred hit the dumps a while ago, Princess."
Her face lights up and she focuses back on her family. "So, if you two can swing it with work, we'd like you to come Christmas Day and stay through New Year's with Mom and Dad. They are staying with Jill and Warren, you can have the guest room, and the office will be cleared of my boxes and presents so you can both work."
"Mom and Dad know about this?" I jostle her shoulder.
She shrugs. "I may have been thinking about this for a few days."
"I can swing it. We’re running skeletal crews right now with the time of year." Austin winks at Dozer.
This leaves Andrew, who pulls out his phone and slides through his screen. "As long as I can have a fully functioning office a few hours a day, I can make it happen."
"You need anything specific, you can use Kendrick Construction offices," I offer.
"Awesome!" Ashlyn bounces. "It'll be great."
All three men groan. "We're moving you, aren't we?" Austin grumbles.
"Nope, you won't have to lift a finger except to keep the liquor stocked and grill some food."
"I've got the grill. As soon as we're ready, I'll move mine over to your porch."
She nibbles on her bottom lip, staring wide-eyed at her dad.
"We got that covered. It'll be delivered when Ashlyn calls the company," Dozer advises.
"I appreciate that, but a man likes to pick out his own grill."
"You think I'd buy you a sissy grill? Look around here." He throws his arm out to the state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen that rivals anything I've ever seen.
"Point taken, thank you."
"Merry fucking Christmas," he finishes on a grouse. "The contractor thought I'd pick out a shit grill."
Ashlyn giggles, rolling up on her toes to kiss the underside of my jaw. "May need to do better than a thank you when you see what he got you."
"He got us. And I'll do better next time I'm not blindsided."
She settles back with her head to my shoulder and whispers, "I'm loving my life. It's finally all coming together."
The crowd goes static, and the silence is broken when Janie sniffs and snuggles into Ashlyn's other side.
"Yeah, it's about fucking time you see it's all here for you," Andrew replies gravely.
"And just like that, one of my children ruins a perfect rocking chair memory," Janie scolds. "Dozer, you still need to have that conversation with your son about appropriate comments during emotional times. Even if it's too late."
"Shit, woman, I didn't know what you meant twenty years ago, and I still don't. You're the one who wanted to keep going after Andrew. How was I supposed to keep up with the etiquette when you gave me these heathens?"
The seriousness of the moment is lost as all three argue, getting louder as they each claim to be the perfect child. I gulp my beer, watching Dozer as he winks at his wife and lets his kids verbally duke it out.
His expression tells it all. This is everything to him.
•—•—•—•—•
"It still needs something," Ashlyn complains from the back of the room.
"Sit down," I demand, patting my thigh. "I didn't bust my ass for the last six hours not to enjoy this."
"One second." She holds up a finger and goes to the kitchen. The soft sound of Christmas music begins and a minute later she walks in carrying two glasses of wine.
She scoots across my lap, carefully balancing the glasses. "Before you gripe about the wine, this is a delicious brand my boyfriend introduced me to a while back. Since it's a special occasion, humor me."
I take a glass and click it to hers before taking a sip.
She watches closely. "Not even a flinch. The beer and whiskey man didn't even flinch."
"I drink wine occasionally. Refined tastes and all that shit."
"You said you didn't drink wine!"
"I didn't say that."
"That first
