Page 87 of Axton

She placed her hand on my cheek. “You’re making our first Christmas absolutely perfect.” She leaned in and pecked my lips then smiled brightly. “I’ll be right back.” She hopped up and ran upstairs then came back down in the pajamas and she looked so damn adorable that I had to get another photo as she walked down the steps.

The doorbell rang and I groaned. “Dammit, Drakos has got to get Melissa under control. She’s a very bad little elf, and I don’t mean that in a good way.”

Belle laughed as I went to the door and opened it. I guess I didn’t learn my lesson last time. “It’s Christmas Eve, mom.”

She had her arms crossed but she was bundled up in a thick coat. “I believe I deserve an explanation.” She stepped inside.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on in, don’t mind our little cozy Christmas Eve that did not include guests.”

I shut the door and mom turned to glare at me, then she looked at Belle, then at me. “When is she due?”

I groaned again. “Not now.”

“Yes now. I learned from a complete stranger that my son is married, and I wasn’t even invited to the wedding?”

“She’s not pregnant, we are married because we want to be married and out of all the people in the world that we don’t need a blessing from is you. Now if you would excuse us, we would like to enjoy our first Christmas Eve alone. We will see you and Kayla in the morning.”

She turned and looked at Belle. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”

That sounded more like a warning to me. I’d be scared shitless if someone tried to welcome me into a dysfunctional family like ours.

They hugged. “Thank you, Ms. Axton.”

Oh boy.

“That’s Pammy to you, my sweet girl, and it’s Mrs. Axton. I’m still married to big Mike if you could believe that.” Mom took off her coat, dammit!

“Because you never made a petition to the court and your own daughter is an attorney.” That still burned my ass.

“My son doesn’t understand our Catholic ways.”

“Right, because it’s so Catholic of you to abandon your children and blame your son when his dad almost took his life away. Not to mention all the “uncles” you brought home for us to meet.” I said it so low she didn’t hear, because I didn’t want an argument in front of Belle.

“I love the Christmas pajamas! Come sit, I believe I need to get to know my new daughter a little better.”

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Kayla.

Me:Come get your mom, you brought her here and I told you she wasn’t going to be my problem.”

Kayla: I’m busy.

Me: Come get her before I throw her out and she comes crying to you. Imagine that drama for the next week.

Kayla: Ugh, fine! But she’s your mom too!

Me: She’s smothering Belle, and we had plans tonight.

Kayla: Are you finally going to pop that cherry?

Me: Fuck off!

Kayla: Fine, but you better get to work at giving me a niece.

Me: Quit acting like this is a real marriage. Believe me, when I marry her it’ll be a hell of a better ceremony than a clerk of courts office.

Kayla: Aww, my brother’s in love.

Me: Get here now! She’s starting the story about how great her Christmas’s were as a kid. I’m about to choke her!

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