Page 49 of A Little Christmas Wish

Oh. She was in so much trouble.

“Come back here!” he yelled.

She ran back inside the house, coming to a stop as she saw Baron, Royal, and Zippy staring at her in shock.

“Betsy! You’re in big trouble!” Ink said as he barrelled inside.

Suddenly, a small girl appeared between them. Betsy took up a protective stance in front of Zippy, her legs and arms wide apart.

As though she was trying to ward Ink off.

But why?

“Don’t you hurt Betsy!” Zippy declared.

Oh God.

Betsy should have realized why she had gotten between them. Now that they’d learned about what life had been like for Zippy with Leon . . . they should have understood that things like this could happen.

But Zippy had never acted like this before . . . maybe talking about it had brought it all up.

Or perhaps this was the first time she’d been concerned that Ink might hurt Betsy.

“Zippy, Ink wasn’t going to hurt me,” she explained gently.

“He was yelling at you. Chasing you.”

“Yes, but it was a game. See . . . I glitter-bombed him.”

Zippy turned to give her a skeptical look. “You glitter-bombed him?”

“Uh-huh. See the mess?” Betsy waved her hand over the living room.

Zippy’s eyes widened. “Whoa. That’s a lot of glitter.”

“And there’s even more on Ink,” Baron said with a grin.

Royal shook his head. “You’re going to be finding glitter for weeks to come. In places you probably thought you’d never have glitter.”

“Or want it,” Baron said with a grin.

“Oh. He wasn’t . . . he wasn’t going to hurt you?” Zippy asked.

Betsy walked over to the small girl, crouching down so they were eye-level. “No. Ink would never hurt me. I promise. And I’m really thankful that you were going to try to protect me, but you don’t have to do that, okay? It’s my job to protect you.”

“That’s not what Royal and Baron say,” Zippy told her. “We have to protect you. And I agree.”

Betsy shot Baron and Royal a look. They just gave her innocent looks back. The ratbags.

She glanced up at Ink for some help, but he just grinned. “I agree with the kids. We have to protect you.”

Betsy sighed, shaking her head. “You’re all terrible.”

Zippy crossed her arms over her chest. “You said that’s what a family does. They protect each other. No matter what.”

“Yes, but I don’t think you’re all meant to gang up on me!” Betsy exclaimed, standing straight.

“It’s not ganging up on you, Ma,” Baron said, walking over to wrap his arm around her. “It’s called loving you.”

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