Page 25 of Third Time's the Charm

Erik chuckled, patting my back. “Be careful. She uses Connect Four to lull you into a false sense of complacency. You’ll be having a full tea party before the hour is out.”

“I like tea parties. Ma always makes sure they come with lemonade and cookies. Who doesn’t want cookies?”

That only made Erik laugh harder. But he was right. After four rounds of Connect Four—where Aurora legitimately beat me twice—she got out the special tea set my mother gave her. Each grandkid got one precious almost-adult something. For Aurora it was tea, but pink and purple with lots of flowers. For Damien it was a train set.

“Can you please pass the sugar, Uncle Erik?”

I handed her the little covered dish and the tiny silver spoon. She carefully added one spoonful to her teacup and stirred, then took a small sip. “Delicious. How is yours?”

I was clearly a man-child because I added four scoops of sugar to my “tea.” “Excellent. Shall I check on the cookies?”

“Yes please.”

I unfolded my frame. Sitting on the ground at the coffee table was a bad idea. My back hurt but kneesreallyhurt. “The cookies done?”

Ma was at the sink vigorously scrubbing the pan. “Just out of the oven.”

My mouth watered at the sight and smell of one dozen chocolate chip cookies. As I moved half of them to the fancy pink and purple plate, Ma moved closer.

“When you’re done with Aurora, would you be so kind as to retrieve the chocolate mousse from the bakery? It needs to be picked up by three and I’ve completely run out of time.”

“No problem.” I glanced at my watch and realized I only had thirty minutes to finish tea and get my ass across the square. “Just mousse? No Key lime this year?”

“You’re the only one who voted for Key lime. Sorry baby boy.”

Stupid chocolate-loving family. Didn’t they know where we were? TheKeysfor heaven’s sake! If there was anywhere on the planet to eatKey limeanything, it was here! Maybe I could ask Conchita to add just one cup for me. Yeah, that’s what I’d do.

As Aurora and I finished our tea and cookies, Damien set up his train around the Christmas tree and through the living room. I saw Erik and Zoe sneak off to the hammock, Roberto and Nacho start a card game at the dinner table, and Elena and Marcel were helping wrap presents. I loved how full the house was and how happy everyone seemed to be. Even Jane, whose boyfriend was deployed, excitedly ran through the house when her phone rang with a video call from Shawn.

So many years I missed this part of Christmas, using my career as an excuse to blow in minutes before dinner. All the attention on me. My focus completely on myself and how important I was that I couldn’t make the time to be here until the last possible second.

Idiot!

These quiet hours of family coming together were freaking awesome. I wouldn’t miss them again.

I helped Aurora clean up the tea set and return it to the glass cabinet, then I grabbed my wallet and sunglasses. “I’m getting the mousse!”

“Thank you!” Ma called back.

I got to the bakery with ten minutes to spare.

“Oh thank goodness!” Conchita exclaimed, hands in the air. “I’m down to four orders and I thought I was going to have to walk all over the island myself!”

Mildly dramatic, but that was pretty normal for Conchita. She was loud, had a thick Mexican accent, and made the best sweets and baked goods in the Keys. “How are you?”

“I’m hot. I’m anxious. I’m ready to get off my feet.” She fanned herself with a menu as she spoke.

“Well I’m here to take one order off your hands. Is there anything I can do to help?”

She smirked at me. “You can tell your ex-wife to get her ass over here already.”

Berlin had an order too? Well, well, well. “I could deliver it, if that would help.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Doesn’t she hate you?”

“No. We’ve made up.”

She stared me down. “You’re lying. I’ve always been able to tell when you’re lying, Jackson Michael Cassidy.”

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