Page 67 of Bring Me Back

My cheeks burn. “Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

She laughs. “Anyone who can make these boys smile is a very good thing in my book. Plus, you have a kick-ass name.”

“Told you.” James waltzes into the room with a young dark-haired girl sitting on his shoulders.

I stick out my tongue at him, and the little girl laughs. “She stuck her tongue out at you, JJ.” Then her eyes go wide. “Is that puppy for me?” We all laugh as she squirms to get down, and James sets her on the floor.

I kneel down beside Wilbur. “This is my dog. I brought him over because I heard you loved puppies.”

She gives me an emphatic nod. “I do. Mommy said I can get one when I’m old enough to pick up his shit.”

Denise tries to hide her mortified expression behind her hand. “Madison, remember what I said about cursing?”

Madison nods. “Not in front of other people because they’re going to think you’re a bad mommy.”

Denise grins. “Good girl.”

Madison crawls into my lap as if I’m her own personal chair, and Wilbur climbs on top of her to lick her face. “What’s the puppy’s name?”

“Have you ever read the bookCharlotte’s Web?”

“That’s the one where the spider dies at the end. It was really sad.” She points up at James. “JJ cried.”

His jaw drops open. “That was supposed to be our secret.”

She giggles. “Oops.”

I bite back a smile. “Well, I named him Wilbur, because he was the smallest puppy in his litter.”

“Hi, Wilbur.” Madison scratches behind his ears, and his tail goes wild. “Can you tell me when he has to poop? If I can show mommy that I can pick up his poop, then maybe she’ll let me get a dog soon.”

“Don’t push your luck, kid,” says Denise.

Leo lifts Madison and tosses her over his shoulder. “Let’s go play with Wilbur and let JJ get to cooking so we can eat.”

James grumbles as he heads for the kitchen. “Calm your tits, it’s almost ready.”

Madison giggles. “Yeah, Leo. Calm your tits.”

Denise pinches the bridge of her nose as she flops down onto the couch. “Great. I’ll be getting another phone call home from school about that one.”

I brush off Wilbur’s fur from my pants as I stand and follow James into the kitchen. “I’m helping, and you can’t tell me no because it’s Christmas.”

He arches a brow. “Is that so?”

“It’s a rule. You can’t be bossy on Christmas.”

He pulls me in for a hug and lowers his lips to my ear. “I think you like it when I’m bossy.”

A shiver dances down my spine, and my breath hitches in my throat. “I’ll never admit it.”

He pulls back wearing a smug smirk. “Grab that head of romaine over there and start chopping.”

I do as he says and start prepping the salad. “It’s so nice that your aunt spends Christmas with you.”

“It helps us all feel like a part of Mom is still here.”

I nod. “The last good Christmas I had was the year before my dad passed. Then my brother moved away, and after that, my mom stopped decorating or even acknowledging that it was a holiday—even though I was still there. It was like I wasn’t worth the effort.”

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