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Law works on getting the fireplace going while Shadow and Echo do their best to supervise.

Abby curls up at my side, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch to tuck over her legs.

I grin like a fiend.

She’s cuddly, and I’m living for every second of it. She’s in a soft set of navy blue cotton pajamas with little silver and gold stars on them.

I’ve seen her in the same style on several occasions, meaning she must favor them over other pajamas.

I’m not sure if I have enough time before Christmas to order us matching pjs, especially with the storm, but I make a mental note to search for some when I have a free minute.

“I’m going to go make some drinks.” Bryant claps. “Do you drink boozy eggnog?”

“I’ve never tried it,” Abby says. “But I’ll give it a taste.”

“Perfect,” he says. “When you’re done with that, why don’t you drag in the boxes?” The last part, he directs at Lawson.

“Yeah, got it.” Law pulls Echo back with his forearm around her sternum. “That will singe your fur. Have you never seen a fireplace before?”

“I don’t think she has,” Abby says.

“In that case, why don’t you call her over to lie with you on the couch.” Lawson pats Echo’s shoulder. “Once it’s going, she’ll be able to sense the heat, but I don’t want to risk giving her a new haircut.”

I laugh, calling the dog over.

Echo climbs onto the couch, lying right between Abby and the back cushion. There’s technically not enough room, so she mostly ends up lying on Abby.

“She’s committed to making room, huh?” I ask, chuckling.

“Apparently.” Abby grunts, scooting her legs closer to the edge. “What’s the plan? I thought we might watch a movie or something. What boxes was Bryant talking about?”

“That’s a surprise, but we’ll get into it once he’s back.” I run my hand down her arm, soaking up her raspberry and lemon scent. “Don’t worry. We won’t torture you for too long.”

“Good.” Abby beams. “I suck at waiting.”

Hmm.

Now I can’t help but wonder if she’s frustrated that we’ve tried to take things slow. Not that waiting a week or two is truly moving slowly. Then again, it kinda is when alphas and omegas are involved.

* * *

“Real Christmas trees are so pretty,” Abby says, almost sounding awed. “I’ve never had one before. My family always used the same fake one.”

I catch Law’s gaze, nodding. He made a good call there, even if getting the eight-foot monstrosity out of the bed of his truck and into the house was a pain in the ass. The interior setup went mostly smoothly. We always had a real tree when we were growing up, but we haven’t bothered decorating since we inherited the house.

Bryant bought one of those fake tabletop already decorated trees last year, and that was the extent of our holiday spirit.

Having Abby here is like a breath of fresh air.

“They really are a whole different experience,” Bryant says from next to the fireplace. “I can smell it from over here.”

“There are going to be so many pine needles to sweep up.” Abby smiles over her shoulder as she glances between us. “Will the dogs try to chew on it?”

“Nah, we’ll keep an eye on them,” I tell her, winking. “They’ve got enough chew toys to keep them busy, and we can always toss them one of Bryant’s boots.”

“Oh, fuck you,” he says, laughing.

Lawson grabs Abby by her waist and tugs her into his chest. “Do you have a guess about what’s in the boxes?”