Page 114 of Sexted By Santa
Tori’s voice was a murmur, then a few whines from Sir Elton.
Uh-oh. Someone was in trouble. I headed to the shower, whistling a happy tune. This daddy was taking his break and letting his partner manage a mess for a change. If this didn’t break Christian, nothing would.
But I wasn’t worried.
Love leaves no room for regret.
Which was a damn good thing, when dealing with a precocious eight-year-old, a hyper dog, and an alarming amount of glitter.
I’d have to reward him later. Thoroughly. Until then, I’d bask in the knowledge that I was no longer alone. None of us were.
We were a family now: for better, or worse—or glittery.
Epilogue
Five Years Later…
“Dad, what do you think?”
Tori emerged from the back hall, with a smiling Henry at her heels. She wore a floor-length white ballgown with a high waist and a skirt that flared out, which helped disguise the bulge of her insulin pump. Her lips sparkled with gloss, and eyeshadow—with a hint of glitter, of course—colored her eyes a pale blue.
It had become a tradition for Tori to dress up in Henry’s glamorous things for the dinner party one week before Christmas. Each year, though, she began to look less like a little girl playing dress up and more like a beautiful young woman.
“You look so grown up,” Jaxson said, sounding mournful.
I couldn’t blame him. Tori was our precious little girl—except she wasn’t. She was thirteen going on twenty these days. She had a boyfriend at her middle school. A boyfriend! Jaxson had nearly lost his mind at that little revelation. I’d had to remind him that he couldn’t lock Tori in a tower. He’d reined in his protective streak over her health with the help of a support group—and a partner to share his worries with—but he was still the father of a teenaged girl. It was scary as hell, and we were just entering the years of boy terror.
Fortunately, having two dads was a pretty good tool for weeding out the truly awful boys. Tori wouldn’t put up with anyone who didn’t accept me as part of her family. She’d embraced my place with them wholeheartedly, never once making me feel like a substitute parent, and I loved her for it.
Tori did a little spin. “It’s fun to dress up, and Henry showed me how to do makeup this year!”
“The makeup is for special occasions only,” Jaxson said immediately.
She pulled a face. “I know, Dad. Don’t get all scowly.”
“I’m not scowly,” he protested while scowling.
I pulled him toward me, giving him a quick kiss. “She understands, Jax. Holidays only.”
“Or school dances,” she added. “Those are special occasions.”
“Don’t push your luck,” Aunt Henry said. “Give him time to adjust. Then he’s more likely to agree when the dance comes around later.”
“You hear this?” Jaxson muttered to me. “They’re plotting.”
I snuggled against him on Henry’s settee, where we’d settled before dinner. We came a bit early to allow Tori to dress up, and not all the guests had arrived just yet. The furniture was antique and not entirely comfortable, so I leaned against Jaxson’s side, soaking in his warmth.
“Let them be,” I murmured. “It’s harmless.”
“Ha, not likely.” Jaxson didn’t sound overly concerned though. He lifted his arm, pulling me in against his chest. “But I’m glad Tori has her. Without Henry, she’d be relying on girls at school or freaking YouTube.”
I patted his chest. “That’s the spirit.”
“I need more of that mulled wine,” he mumbled, pushing to his feet.
In the five years since I’d started dating Jaxson, we’d settled into a life that was more fulfilling than anything I’d thought I’d ever have. I’d moved in with him three months after we started dating, sold my house by the following Christmas, and never looked back as we built the family we all wanted together.
Later, I had a surprise for Tori that was making me nervous. But for now, I was content to watch my family—the one that chose me, and the one I chose—celebrate the holidays together. Darius, Gabe, his boyfriend of two years, and Roger were across the room having an animated conversation with Barry and Teresa. Lydia was refilling her wine glass and nodding along to Jaxson, who was probably lamenting the invention of makeup or school dances. No doubt Lydia could commiserate, not being the type to want to pretty herself up. Henry had no true dress-up playmate until Tori came along, just one of the reasons the two were so close. Henry would have loved Tori regardless, but the fact they both enjoyed sparkly jewelry, fancy dresses, andlooking fabuloushad made them even closer.
