Page 116 of Getting Lucky

She grinned. “First rule of running a shelter: tug the heartstrings. Second rule: do anything you can to seal an adoption.” She gave his arm a tap. “Well, within reason. As long as you come home with me, they can look all they want.”

Maisie was torn about when to give the dogs their stockings, but they worried they’d be late for brunch since they’d gotten a late start.

“Let’s just come back later,” Jack said. “You know Iris is going to want to be part of it. She can take pictures for Instagram.” His lips tipped up. “Maximize the heartstring pulling.”

“Okay,” she said. “But let’s make sure we do it this afternoon. I don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Deal.”

Maisie drove them to the Buchanan house, and Jack couldn’t stop looking at her, her hair like a fire in the sun. He reached over and took her hand, shocked all over again that this gorgeous, feisty redhead was his.

“If you look at me like that at brunch,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Lee might take us out back and hose us down.”

“I think he’ll be feeling his hangover too much to notice me lusting after you.” But the thought of Lee was sobering. The guy was in serious trouble, and he was going to need his siblings to help him through it. Would he want Jack’s help too?

Everyone had already arrived by the time they walked in the door. Christmas music was playing, and the delicious smells made his stomach growl. Finn was sitting on the sofa with Addy on his lap. Tyrion lay on the floor at his feet, but he was staring up at Addy as though she’d hung the moon. Iris was in the overstuffed chair next to them, reading something on her phone, but her face lit up when she saw Jack holding Maisie’s hand.

“This is the best Christmas present ever!” she exclaimed, launching herself out of the chair and into his arms.

He gave her a tight hug. Then she moved on to Maisie, whispering loud enough for Jack to hear, “I’m happy he’s in good hands. Now I won’t have to worry about him so much when I go to college.”

Maisie laughed. “I’ll make sure he’s fed and watered.”

Iris pointed a finger at her. “I’m holding you to it.”

“Dottie says we can eat now that Jack and Maisie are here,” Georgie said as she emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, River on her heels. She shot Jack a look. “And don’t let the apron fool you. Dottie cooked it all. We only got to arrange it on the counter.”

“At least you were allowed to go into the kitchen,” Addy complained. “She shooed me out.”

“Too many cooks in the kitchen makes the soufflé fall,” Dottie said, appearing behind River. “Besides, I had to pass all of my Christmas brunch traditions down to River’s future bride.”

Georgie’s face flushed with happiness, and Jack was relieved the mess with her father hadn’t stolen her joy.

They all headed into the kitchen, where Georgie and River had set up Dottie’s food on the counter—under her watchful supervision—buffet style, next to a stack of plates. Jack wasn’t surprised to see tented papers with labels next to every dish. A bowl of Jell-O salad said “Comfort,” and a casserole dish with an egg casserole said “A hearty new year.” A plate of banana muffins read “Prosperity,” and a pitcher of mimosas was labeled “Peace,” along with several other dishes and notes.

Jack wanted a jumbo-sized mimosa for all of them.

He was starving, but he made sure Iris and Maisie got plates first. He was about to make his own when he realized he hadn’t seen his brother.

“Where’s Lee?”

“Out back,” Addy said, wincing. “He said the smell of food was making him sick.”

He shot Maisie a pointed look, then said, “You all start without me. I’m going out to check on Lee.”

“That’s a good idea,” Dottie said. “First let me make him one of my special cures.”

Adalia pulled a face. “I can still taste it in my nightmares,” she said, backing out of the kitchen. “I recommend that you all clear out of here for a minute. The smell alone might make you lose your appetite.”

She was right. It looked disgusting and smelled even worse, but Jack had seen firsthand that it was a miracle drug. Once it was done, Dottie called him in, and he took it out back, holding the cup as far away from him as possible.

Lee was sitting in what was referred to as “Beau’s chair.” It was the one their grandfather had always sat in, and Jack found it amusing that the Buchanan siblings tended to automatically gravitate toward it. He was sure Dottie would have had something to say about that.

“Hey,” Jack said softly as he sat in the chair next to him, still holding the cup a good distance from his body.

Lee lifted his bloodshot eyes but didn’t respond.

“Do you feel as bad as you look?” Lee flipped him off, and Jack laughed. “I guess that answers that.”

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