Page 117 of He's The Reason Why

Della peeked behind them and giggled. “Oh yes, you have to. Spin.”

“Fine.” Mattie sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

They rotated in slow motion until the back of the sweater was revealed.

A reindeer pooping nuts onto a pile of glitter stared out at them, a phrase arched over its head like a rainbow.

“‘Jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse,’” Piper read.

“I think we might have a winner,” Lizzie said with a laugh.

“I’m not sure Ben can top that.” Carrie’s lips twitched with amusement. “He’s almost here, though, so just hang on.”

“Can he hurry up? This is humiliating,” Mattie whined. “And it’s hot under here.”

“Yes, it is,” Adam agreed, but Piper didn’t think he was talking about the temperature.

Mattie’s fiancé always went one step further than he should, but his adoration of her sister was endearing. “Have you two set a date for the wedding yet?”

Adam gave Mattie a kiss on the cheek. “We’re still negotiating. It’ll depend.”

“On what?” Della asked. She snatched a cookie off the cooling rack and bit into it, spilling crumbles.

Mattie gave Piper a significant look.

“On me, I think,” Piper said.

Heads swiveled in her direction.

“You’ve all been avoiding a certain subject since I got here, and while I appreciate you giving me space, I don’t need it.”

Mattie’s hand flew over her mouth.

Lizzie clutched Carrie’s arm.

Piper faced her baby sister. “I changed my mind. I’m in.”

“You’re in.” Della’s eyes widened. “You’re in? Like, really in?”

Piper couldn’t stop the smile from stretching across her face if she wanted to. “Yes.”

Della waved her hands in the air and screamed loud enoughto break the windows. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” She tackle-hugged Piper. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Arms went around them as first Lizzie, then Mattie joined in, dragging Adam with her.

It got hot in the middle of the group hug as Mark, Carter, and Renic added their bodies to the mix. Tears streamed down Piper’s face as love enveloped her. Della’s too.

Piper had never felt so connected to her family as she did right now. She didn’t want this feeling to end, ever.

“Did I miss something?” a deep male voice asked.

They turned their collective heads toward the door.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Mark asked.

Dr. Ben, chief of surgery at Geneva Memorial Hospital, wore a green onesie with a hood that had reindeer horns coming out the top and a Christmas tree covered with real tinsel and lights that actually lit up on the front. Below the tree, the words Merry Crotchmas were spelled out with yarn, and there was an arrow pointing down to where a giant sprig of mistletoe dangled between his legs.

“Oh dear God,” Carrie said.

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