Page 5 of The Merriest Christmas

"Hmmm.Hey, Mom?"I looked behind her, and my eyes went wide.

"Yeah, Emmy?"

"Did you invite the baseball team to spend Christmas with us?"

"No, of course not."

I sighed in relief."Oh good because I—"

"I just invited the ones who couldn't go home for Christmas," she finished.

"—don't think I got enough food for everyone," I mumbled."Ah well, that was really nice of you, Mom."

"It was," Finn said.

"And I guess I can just go get more."

Mom shook her head with a smile."Emmy, it smells like a bakery in here.I'm sure you got enough."

Yeah, that might be true.

If my brothers weren't coming.

But I knew first-hand that baseball players could eat like there was no tomorrow.

"Seriously, it'll be okay," Mom said while the players filed past, several saying hi to Finn and me."Why don't you rest now while the guys get settled?I told them they could stay in your brothers' old rooms."

As three, no four, of the Wolves walked by, I nodded, trying to wrap my head around how everyone was going to find somewhere to sleep inside this house.

"Damn, is someone making cookies?" one of them said.

"That would be me," I said.

"Can I have one?"

"Sure, just leave a tip in Mitsy.She's the little jar shaped like a polar bear dressed as an elf."

He blinked.I blinked back.Then Mom rolled her eyes and led him to the kitchen.

"We definitely need more food," I said once they were gone.

"Weren't you going to read?" Finn asked.

"Yeah."

He pointed to his forehead."Mom's right.You should relax, give those wrinkles a rest."

"Ha ha."Elbowing him in the ribs, I was about to go find my book when the doorbell rang.Opening it, I saw Rose standing there on the threshold."Hi, Rose!So glad you could make it."

"Me too," she said with a smile."I love my family, but they were driving me crazy."

"Tell me about it," I said, shooting my brother a look.

"Hey, Finn."Rose waved at him."How's it going?"

"Better now that you're here," he said—then blushed.

Gah, my baby brother was too cute for words.

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