Page 80 of Going All In

I turn to Maddox, my voice choked with emotion. “Thank you. This means so much to me.”

He gives me a hug, brushing his lips over mine. “We’re going to make every Christmas magical for you from now on, Holly. You deserve it.”

“Open your present!” JJ demands, interrupting our kiss.

I break away from Maddox, giggling. “Jeez, JJ. Don’t you have your own man to entertain right now?”

She waves a dismissive hand in the air. “He had to work. Open it!”

I cross the apartment and pick up the box from beneath the tree. It’s wrapped in plaid paper, with a gift tag on the front.

Merry Christmas, baby.

There’s no indication who it’s from.

I look at JJ. “Is this from you?”

She shakes her head, and I look at Maddox.

He just winks. “Maybe it’s from Santa.”

I roll my eyes, but I tear the paper off and open the box. There’s a key sitting there.

I look to Maddox. “Is this to your…” I don’t want to assume he got me a key to his place, but what else could it open?

He shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “Not to my place, babe. To yours. Ours, hopefully. I got your dad to sell you the house. You have to sign some papers and you won’t get the deed until after New Year’s, but it’s all yours.”

28

MADDOX

TWO MONTHS LATER

If I was in a position to get married in my sixties, you’d better believe I’m going on a honeymoon that lasts weeks, if not months. I sure as shit wouldn’t be skipping it altogether to invite a kid into my home.

I suppose that just means that my mom and Robert are better people than I am, or at least that they’ve had enough experience in their lifetimes to be able to prioritize more effectively. They decided to cancel their honeymoon entirely, foregoing wine tasting in Napa to take in Julio. It’s been almost two months since he moved in, and I think Holly might have some serious competition when it comes to who loves Julio the most, because Robert and my mom are enamored.

He really is the cutest little guy. He’s living in Addison’s old room, which has been completely redone in shades of dark blue with a space theme.

If I’m being honest, it looks much better than how it did before, with posters plastered all over the walls with pictures of male celebrities—the ones who were “hot,” according to Addie—and animals. Addie, being Addie, doesn’t care at all that her room has been taken over. Of the three Anderson kids, she’s the most easygoing by far.

I pull into the driveway and put the car in park behind a Subaru, rounding the car to open the passenger side door for Holly. She steps out, her short high heels tapping on the asphalt.

Kitten heels. That’s right. That’s what she called them. The name makes no sense to me. Just call them short high heels. Then we all know what we’re talking about.

“Is this weird?” Holly asks, chewing on her bottom lip.

I shake my head. “Not at all. We’re visiting our parents and their foster kid.”

She doesn’t look reassured. “Whose cars are these? Are Addison and Josie and Chris here?”

I shrug. “No idea. Let’s go in and we’ll find out.”

Holly still looks stressed as fuck, but she takes my hand and lets me lead her up to the door.

“It’s weird to visit my dad at your mom’s house,” she whispers.

I ring the doorbell. “It’s his house too, now. And it’s not any weirder than when your dad visits us at his old house. Haven’t you done a home visit for Julio?”

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