Page 50 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

“Once you open one, you’ll want to open all the others.” Rachel laughed.

“No, no, really. Just one,” Avery begged.

“No, Avery.” Eddie urged her to get up from the couch. “The sooner you go to bed, the earlier you can get up and openallyour presents.”

“You know,” Avery said, placing her hands on her hips, “I’m almost ten, which is almost a teenager. And teenagers get to stay up way later than this.”

Rachel cringed. “Oh, no, please don’t talk about being a teenager yet. I’m not ready.”

“Neither of us are,” Eddie agreed. “But in any case, Avery, your yawns tell me you need some rest.”

Avery turned toward the stairs with a huff. “Fine.”

“Tell you what.” Nick flashed a smile at her. “You go on and get ready for bed, and I’ll come up and say goodnight.”

“Or you can come now.” Avery tilted her head.

Nick snickered. “Okay, I guess I can come now.”

Avery gave him a sheepish grin. “Can Holly come too?”

Nick lifted his brows as he turned to Holly.

“Absolutely, kiddo.” Holly held up her hand for a high-five. “Count me in.”

Avery slapped Holly’s hand. She then kissed her parents and grandfather on the cheek before racing up the stairs ahead of Holly and Nick. She hung a right at the top of the stairs, her arms swinging lazily as she entered her room.

Holly had never been up here before. The ceilings on this floor were high, just like they were on the ground level. Avery’s walls were a muted gray-green tone, contrasting nicely with her white furniture. Her bedspread had a lovely pastel floral pattern that gave the room a sense of being alive. In front of a couple of ruffled pillows sat five fluffy stuffed animals. On a small table in the corner stood the dollhouse Nick—ever the brilliant craftsman—had built for Avery.

Avery opened one of her drawers and yanked out some pink, flannel, anime-design pajamas. “I’m just going to change and brush my teeth.” She pointed to a rocking chair by the window. “You better call dibs before I get back.”

She skipped into the hall and headed toward the bathroom, leaving Holly and Nick staring at each other.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her bossy side before,” Holly remarked.

Nick laughed. “She definitely knows what she wants.”

“That sounds like a Mason trait.”

Nick pulled Holly closer. “It’s a strong gene.”

“Oh, yeah?” Holly rose on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips. “Hey, guess what.”

“What?”

She raised a brow, slanting her head toward the rocking chair in the room. “Dibs.”

Nick’s eyes widened as he chuckled. “Now who’s the one going after what she wants?”

Holly batted her lashes as she twirled out of his arms and planted herself in the rocking chair.

Nick groaned in jest as he stuck his fists in his pockets, seemingly accepting defeat.

Whistling a Christmas tune, Avery waltzed into her room, jumped into bed, and tugged the sheets up to her chest. She propped her head on the pillows so that she was slightly sitting up.

Nick sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing the covers. “Did you want us to read you a story?”

“I’m a bit old for that, Uncle Nick. I can read my own books. I’d rather talk.”

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