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“Brooklyn!” she scolds. “Keep it in your pants for a little bit longer, at least until everyone has gone home. We can celebrate in the rickhouse.”
I move my mouth to her ear. “I love it when you talk dirty.”
“Dad!” I hear my daughter from behind as she crashes into me, effectively hugging me around my waist.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” I laugh. Then I realize that she’s being chased by Trudy and Trinity, along with Noodle and Daisy.
“Holy crap!” Eden’s eyes widen as she goes to scoop up the dogs, one in each arm, and I give her a look of admiration.
“I wish you could do that again so we could film it, Mom,” Blake laughs. “That looked so cool.”
“I’m so sorry!” Trudy whisper-shouts as she scoops Daisy out of Eden’s arms, still holding onto Trinity’s hand. “They all had a little too much sugar and ran off on me!”
“I don’t want to ask what the heck that means.” Eden shakes her head. “But let me take you guys back to Grandma and Grandpa’s so the party can go on without any runaway dogs, or children, bowling them over.”
“Oh, yum, are those canapes?” Blake points at a tray of crackers with cheese and an assortment of finger food.
“How do you even know what that is?” I shake my head.
Blake rolls her eyes. “Dad. I’m eleven.”
Touche.
“I’ll fix you a plate, then we all have to get out of here before anyone really notices…”
I roll my lips. “I think it’s a little too late for that.”
“Could I get a picture?” Autumn smiles. “This is going to look so stinking cute with the dogs, real farm life, you know people love that kind of thing.”
“Uh, I…” Eden turns to look at me.
I smile. “It’s fine, honey.”
“Then I want one of all the Bassett siblings and your mom and dad too.” Autumn shuffles us together in front of the barrel on the corner of the long counter.
“I should really get going…” Trudy starts.
“Don’t you dare,” Eden orders. “If I have to be in this photo, so do you.”
“Uncle Bwook?”
I look down at my niece. “Yes, little one?”
She forces her hands in the air. “Up.”
I grin, lifting her into my arms as we turn to get into position. The dogs are, thankfully, behaving, and while it wasn’t the greatest idea them running through the tasting room on opening night, nobody seems bothered by it. In fact, everyone around us turns to look, smiling.
I put my arm around Eden who’s holding Noodle, and then Blake nudges in between with Trudy on the end, still holding Daisy.
Autumn snaps away and as people watch on, I know that accolades and attention don’t matter. What matters is I have my family all around me. And the best part? Eden and I are back together for good.
Family. I grin wider. There’s no place like home.
Christmas Eve
“… You know I fetched five hundred bucks at auction once,” I joke to my wife when we’re wrapping the last of the Christmas presents. We haven’t gone crazy this year, mainly because Blake wouldn’t let up if we didn’t hold back the usual present buying a little and make a similar contribution to Stoney Paws Rescue like we did for her birthday. It’s becoming a theme.
“Oh, don’t you just love telling that story.” Eden laughs while sipping on the eggnog she made. We’re heading to my folks for Christmas lunch tomorrow where the whole family, plus her parents, will be there, too.Much like at Thanksgiving.
