There were now five times the usual number of people in Adam’s house. He hadn’t expected it to feel so… right. Chaotic, loud, and cramped? Yeah, those he’d expected. But the contented feeling? That was surprising.
“I still have to share with Bella?” Emmett looked up at them.
Adam put a hand on his head. “Yeah, buddy. But only for a little while. We’re looking at some four-bedroom houses and then you’ll get your own room.”
Emmett sighed. “Okay.”
“I thought maybe we could make cookies,” Hope suggested, unpacking some of Bella’s clothes. “Christmas ones.”
“Excellent.” Adam grinned. “And I hoped we could sit and watch a Christmas film tonight.”
Olivia rolled her eyes but didn’t complain. Progress.
“When is Santa coming?” Bella asked, snuggling her toy lion. Maybe Adam should buy her a moose.
“Tomorrow night, when you’re asleep,” Hope said. “We can leave a cookie out for Santa before you go to bed.”
“Never hurts to bribe the big guy,” Adam added.
“Adam!”
“What?”
Bella giggled. “Leave a cookie for Wudolph too!”
“Absolutely,” Adam agreed. “Rudolph does all the work, after all.”
“I think it’s customary to leave Rudolph a carrot,” Hope pointed out, turning to Emmett’s suitcase.
Adam shared a look with Bella.
“Cookie!” they said together.
Hope laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll admit that my reindeer would prefer the cookie too.”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t go to work on Christmas Eve if they paid me in carrots.” Adam shook his head. “Cookies, though… I’d work for those.”
“Can we have fancy shaped cookies?” Emmett asked.
Hope flushed, and Adam knew she was thinking about the X-rated cookies she’d accidentally made at work.
“What kind of shapes?” he asked.
“Umm… snowmen? Santas? Candy canes?” Emmett suggested.
“No weindeer!” Bella insisted. “I’m not eating weindeer.”
“Me neither,” Emmett agreed.
“So Christmassy non-reindeer cookies.” Adam nodded. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“C’mon squirts,” Olivia said to Bella and Emmett. “Let’s go check if we have everything we need to make them.”
“If not, I’ll run to the shops,” Adam promised. “Just write a list of anything we’re short of.”
Olivia nodded and herded the kids downstairs.
Hope smiled as she closed a drawer and zipped up the empty suitcase.
Adam glanced around. “They really don’t have much, do they?” Each kid had a small suitcase full of clothes, and Bella and Emmett had a handful of toys. He looked over at Hope. “Please tell me that we’re waiting on more stuff arriving.”
Hope sighed. “My cousin Mercy is sending a few things we left behind, but that’s mostly my stuff.” She sat down on Bella’s bed. “My sister didn’t buy them much.”
Adam sat next to her. “It’s okay. We’ll get them whatever they need.” He smiled. “And a lot that they don’t.” Yeah, he thoroughly intended to spoil those kids rotten, and he knew his mother was launching into full grandma mode.
Hope leaned into him. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Well, as hugs go, it’s pretty lame, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Hope snorted. “I meant having us all move in.”
“I know what you meant.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and nuzzled at her hair. “I’m good. Actually, I’m more than good.”
“Honestly?” She pulled back to look at him. “This isn’t really what you signed up for.”
“Sweetheart, this is exactly what I signed up for.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And truthfully? I’m loving this whole family dynamic we have going here.”
“And the house hunting?”
“Eh, the actual house hunting is a pain, but I’m cool with moving. We ran the numbers and we can afford it. And there is no good way of dividing up two rooms between those three kids. So, we’ll find a nice place and make it ours.”
“I like the sound of that.” Hope leaned back against him. “Ours.” She sighed. “You do realise that with our children around, it’s going to be hard to get alone time.”
Adam snorted. “We’ll just have to get creative.”
Hope snuggled in. “Oh, I can be very creative.”
“Me too. When I’m motivated enough.” And when it came to Hope, Adam was extremely motivated. They’d find a way.
He tipped up her face and brushed a kiss over her lips, feeling her smile against him. Deepening the kiss, he slid a hand down her back to cup her ass.
A crash sounded from the kitchen, followed by raised voices.
Hope pulled away. “Duty calls.”
Yeah, they’d definitely need to get creative.
***
Hope glanced over at Adam. They were at opposite ends of the couch, with Emmett and Bella between them.
On the TV, the Grinch was now returning the Christmas stuff he’d stolen. Bella had already fallen asleep snuggled into Adam. Emmett was blinking slowly but hadn’t yet succumbed.
Even Olivia had participated in the cookie baking and film watching, and Hope loved that they were finally doing Christmassy things together. Bella was permanently excited now, and Emmett was quietly hopeful. Olivia seemed less anti-Christmas, which was probably as good as it would get.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and Bearbank had a huge party planned for the evening. Then Hope would bring her family back home and get the kids into bed before Santa arrived. The presents had been moved to Auntie Anna’s place, and Adam was going to pick them up once the kids were asleep. Finally, the kids would get the Christmas they deserved.
Adam met her gaze and smiled.
Yeah, maybe Hope would get the Christmas she deserved too.
When the film ended, Adam scooped up Bella and carried her to bed. Luckily, they’d already brushed her teeth and changed her into her onesie before they started watching the film. Hope was wise to that by now.
Hope played with Emmett’s hair. “You sleepy, honey?”
Emmett yawned.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Hope said. “Why don’t you get ready for bed?”
“Night, Auntie Hope. Liv.” Emmett trudged out of the room.
“Emmett done for tonight?” Adam asked as he came back in.
“Yeah. How was Bella?”
“Totally passed out.” Adam sat next to her, twisting around to pluck a piece of popcorn out of the cushions. “Didn’t even stir.”
Olivia stood up. “I’ll go read in my room.”
“What? No. You don’t have to go anywhere,” Hope protested.
Olivia gave them a wry smile. “Three’s a crowd.”
“No, Liv.” Adam frowned. “This is your home. You never have to make yourself scarce. Stay and watch another film with us. How about ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’?”
Olivia shook her head. “Thanks, but this is your first night with your new mate. I don’t know a lot about mates, but I figure you probably want to be alone.”
“Liv—”
“It’s okay.” Olivia held up a hand. “Honest. Just for tonight. I promise to be a pain in the ass and stick around at other times, but tonight is yours. Besides, I have a good library book to finish.”
“As long as it’s your choice, Liv,” Adam told her. “You’re always welcome to hang with us.”
Olivia smiled. “Thanks.” She walked to the door before turning back. “Oh, and I don’t hate you, Adam.”
“I don’t hate you either, Liv.”
This time, Olivia grinned. “Night.”
Hope chuckled. “That’s actually pretty high praise, you know.”
“I know. I shall treasure the warm fuzzy glow for many years.” Adam edged closer. “So, what will we do now, Hope Phillips?”
“I thought you mentioned ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. How about that?”
Adam raised one eyebrow.
“What?” Oh! Right. They were alone.
“And now she gets it.” Adam smirked. “For a moment there, I thought you were choosing Christmas films over me.”
“Well, I do love Christmas films,” she teased. “So it’s not an easy choice.”
“Oh, okay.” Adam leaned back and began the film.
Hope narrowed her eyes. Two could play that game. She settled in to watch the film, determined that Adam would crack first.
In the end, she had no idea who gave in first. Maybe they both did. But five minutes into the film, Hope and Adam were kissing wildly. Twenty minutes later, they were in their bed.
Yeah, all was well in the Roberts–Phillips household.