Page 104 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

He shook his head. "No. I'm just an elf. Merry Christmas, baby." The girls rushed into his arms. Oliver buried his face in between them. Then he looked up at Grayson. "Do you have a hug for me too, Grayson?"

Grayson smiled and hugged Oliver.

"I guess I'd better go make some more hot cocoa,” my father said.

Finally finding my bearings and realizing I didn't know what this meant that Oliver had shown up, I stood. "I'll go make the hot chocolate. Santa Claus can help me."

Oliver looked down at the kids. "Give me a minute to talk to your mom, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey, kids, how about a game of Candyland? I'm sure your grandfather would love to play with you."

My father shot Mira a look but then smiled. "Candyland it is."

I led Oliver to the kitchen. A part of me wanted to throw myself in his arms, but instead, I crossed my arms over my chest. "What's going on, Oliver?"

He scratched his chin, and I wasn't sure if he was thinking of what to say or if it was an itch from the Santa beard he'd been wearing. "I fucked up, Lindsay."

I stared at him, willing the hope that wanted to bloom in my chest to stay down. "I know that. I know you know that. But it doesn't tell me why you're here."

He let out a breath as he looked down. Finally, his green gaze lifted to mine. "When you and Liam were together, aside from the fact that I was jealous as fuck, I had the feeling that you were too good for him while at the same time knowing that you would be able to elevate him. I wanted that for him."

My jaw tightened. "We’re back to Liam?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just trying to explain. The thing is, the same is true for me. I am not good enough for you—"

"News flash, Oliver. That's not for you to decide. I decide who is good enough for me. And I'll be honest. The way you always run off, I wonder if maybe you're right."

He flinched and took a step back. For a moment, I thought maybe he was going to turn and leave again.

“Why don't you fight for me?" I said, even though I hadn’t wanted to. "And if not for me, fight for the girls?"

This time, he took several steps toward me. His eyes filled with tears. "That's why I'm here, Lindsay. I don't deserve you or them. I'll be honest, I'm scared to death that I'm going to bring more ugliness with me. But God help me, I can't live without you or the girls."

I found it difficult to guard my heart from the sincerity I heard in his voice and saw in his eyes.

"Five years ago, I should've told you how I felt. My mind was fucked up because you'd been Liam's. I betrayed him. I felt like I'd taken advantage of you. I couldn't deal with that and so I ran. And because of that, I lost five years. And I'm not just talking about the girls. I'm talking about five years with you."

The final shreds of the wall I tried to erect fell away. "So, what happens now?"

His hands took my arms and pulled me against him. "Here's what I'd like to have happen. I'd like you to forgive me. I'd like to hear you tell me you love me again. And I would like to have a life with you and the girls. In that order would be great, but if not, I will take whatever I can get."

"If we do this, Oliver, you can't run. You can't leave those girls because they love you so much. I don't know what you see in yourself that you think you don't deserve us. They idolize you. I don't know if you noticed, but they were happier to see you than they were to see Santa."

He looked down, so I pressed my palm to his cheek, lifting his head to look at me. “I forgive you. I love you. And I want you to be in our lives."

His lips came down on mine so fast, I could barely take a breath beforehand. But who needed to breathe when the man I loved was finally mine?

I didn’t know how long we were there, but at one point, I heard my father clear his throat.

"I was a little worried I'd walk in here and you two would be naked, and that would've traumatized me forever. But it's getting late, and we think the kids should go to bed."

Oliver and I pulled away, but Oliver's green eyes stayed on me, staring at me with love and awe. Finally, he asked, "Can I help put the kids to bed?"

"You’re their dad. Of course, you can help put them to bed."

With Oliver there, the girls were keyed up, and with that and Christmas Eve, it was a challenge to get them down. But finally, they were in their beds, sound asleep.

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