Page 62 of Wicked Little Secret

Maverick had played Santa and put presents under the tree for everyone after they’d all gone to bed.

It’d seemed like old times, only he appreciated that his kids weren’t up at the crack of dawn to see if Santa had come. He probably had a few more years before that started again.

It was nice having his parents in town. They’d welcomed Olivia with open arms, as had Nash. Maverick had a feeling Nick liking Olivia as much as he did had gone a long way in influencing his younger son’s opinion of his new wife.

The night before, Olivia had been as charming with their wedding guests as she was beautiful. All three of his brothers tripped over themselves to attend to anything she needed.

Derrick made sure she had sparkling cider for the toast, since she wasn’t drinking yet because she was breastfeeding. Beau heard her mention she’d set her phone somewhere and couldn’t find it, and made it his quest to locate it. And Gabe sought the caterers out and made sure they got her a hot plate of food when she came back from feeding Sawyer.

Meanwhile, Maverick congratulated himself—repeatedly—for marrying her. Seeing his ring on her finger while she animatedly waved her hands around when she talked made him want to beat his chest, drag her upstairs, and do what newly married people were supposed to do.

All night.

Even if by some miracle she wanted to, knowing they couldn’t, since she hadn’t gotten the okay from Rose, had him settle for a kiss on her cheek before they went to bed.

The only one who seemed immune to her charms was Evan.

Her brother had a perma-scowl on his face the entire night, as if someone had pissed in his cornflakes that morning. Hope even had to pinch him and tell him to smile when they posed for photos with her family.

If Olivia was bothered by her twin’s attitude, she didn’t show it. She continued flitting about like the perfect hostess. Maverick was so fucking proud to be with her.

Thank God he’d decided to have dinner and watch the Bruins that night at Flannigan’s, and she had come in for a cheeseburger after work, not realizing the hockey game was on. If she’d known, would she have stopped in?

Then they felt the sparks between them, went across the street, and made their little boy.

And nine months later, his oldest son drove her to the hospital?

How was thatnotdivine intervention? They were supposed to be together. Maybe they were doing things out of order, but they’d get on track. They had to.

****

Olivia

Her parents joined them for Christmas dinner, along with Maverick’s three brothers and two adult sons. The long table in the formal dining room she’d thought was unnecessarily and obnoxiously gigantic proved to work out perfectly.

They ate early so Nash could make his flight back to Florida. As she watched father and son embrace in the doorway, her eyes teared up. The love between them was obvious, and both were emotional about him leaving.

That gave her a sense of peace about the relationship Sawyer was going to have with his dad. Even though Nash’s mom was married to someone else, the two were still close. Olivia wasn’t going to have to be the one to teach her son how to be a good man—he’d have a role model for that.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Olivia

“You’re cleared to have sex,” Rose said as pulled off her blue gloves. “Although, I’m kind of shocked to hear that you haven’t already.”

“Of course we haven’t.”

Rose looked at her with furrowed brows, so Olivia quickly added, “I know better than that.”

“After watching you two make googly eyes at each other all night at your wedding, I thought for sure you were going to risk it.”

She’d gotten so caught up in the romance of that night, she’d almost thought so, too. Especially after the exchange they’d had in bed before the wedding. Then he came into the bedroom while she was nursing Sawyer, kissed her cheek, changed out of his tux and into his pajama pants, and got into bed—careful to stay on his side once she joined him.

Although she should have known he wasn’t interested in anything more after the chaste kiss he’d given her once the officiant proclaimed them husband and wife, and the equally innocuous kisses they exchanged whenever someone tapped their glass at dinner.

Olivia had felt so rejected she didn’t even snuggle up next to him once he’d fallen asleep.

The night she’d arrived they’d wound up spooning. She didn’t know who had initiated it. But when she woke up nestled against him with his strong arm around her, she realized how safe he made her feel, so she’d started doing it regularly. Once his breathing slowed and evened out, indicating he was asleep, she’d scooch her back to his front to be the little spoon.

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