Mistletoe Baby (Crescent Cove 9.50)

Callum was a very good father. Between the research he’d done—books on baby to childhood development littered our bedroom and another dozen were scattered in his office—and his precise schedule, we had a damn happy baby on our hands.

And a happy mom. I didn’t worry about leaving him alone with her. Callum had stepped up and then some. His studio was a study in chaos, but when it came to our baby, he was as organized as…well, a teacher.

Guess I’d gotten the best of both worlds there.

I picked up the cap from the bottle and put it in the sterilizer. Well, some things were still chaos. And personally, the fact that he wasn’t perfect was a relief. I certainly wasn’t.

He’d settled with the baby at the kitchen table. He propped up her bottle with his thumb and took off his hat, tossing it on the table. “Did you want to feed her?”

I moved to kiss her goose-down fluffy blond curls then threaded my fingers through his wild hat hair. “Nah, you guys are all settled. I’ll just put some stuff away.”

He snagged the loop on my jeans and dragged me back. He lifted his chin toward the holly berries mixed with mistletoe hanging from the chandelier. “Pay your toll first.”

I bent down and kissed him softly. “How many of these do you have in the house?”

“A few.”

I rolled my eyes, but I had a feeling I’d enjoy the hunt after Faith went to bed.

Domestic chores took up the rest of our evening. Laundry, bath time, and Callum’s favorite part of the night—story time.

I looked in on them in the rocking chair in Faith’s room. It was one of the smaller rooms in the house, but right next door to ours. It was painted a soft lavender with ash furniture in a pale sandy color. We’d put up a small pre-lit tree in her room on her dresser. There was an ornament from each of her uncles hanging up, as well as her grandma and grandpa. Even her new aunt Cara had sent an ornament for her tree.

New traditions—just for our little family.

It was pretty amazing.

I was happy to see there was no mistletoe in her room. It was poisonous, after all. And knowing Cal, all the mistletoe in the house was probably silk, just to be safe.

But Faith was definitely in the ‘put everything in her mouth’ phase. Right now, it was the corner of her Llama Lovey’s tail from Paisley. I watched them for a little while longer then sneaked away to shower off the day.

When I returned to our room, the

lights were turned on low, and candles were flickering all over the room. The Christmas tree was lit up in our triple window, and the fireplace was crackling. I expected Cal to be lounging on the bed waiting for me, but the room was empty.

In the corner, just beyond the tree, was one of Cal’s easels.

Did I know him or what?

A canvas was wrapped in kraft paper with a massive red bow.

There was something different about the room. I looked around, and finally landed on the paintings over our headboard. There was usually three hung up there. The triptych Cal had painted of me. I still wasn’t used to seeing my form on a canvas, but I was getting used to seeing myself through his eyes.

The first painting was the altered version of his drawing with my red scarf. Now I was wearing a man’s white dress shirt, teasing innocence and a hint of all the curves he loved to draw.

The second painting was a bit more wild. My hair looked as if I’d just spent the night making love. Instead of being buttoned, this shirt showed more than it hid, and my chin was lifted, my eyes defiant and hooded with knowledge.

The third was softer. I was rounder with my baby-filled belly peeking from the shirt. The cuffs were rolled up, and my engagement ring sparkled on my left hand.

I glanced down at my ring and thumbed the underside of the band to straighten it. The icy diamond was in an antique setting with a starburst shape of smaller diamonds surrounding it. Callum never did anything small.

A hand slid along my hip. Cal’s cedar scent surrounded me just before his arms did. His slightly rough fingers slipped inside my robe to trace over my waist. “Our princess is finally asleep.”

“Must have been right after I left. You’ve been busy.”

“I pulled out most of the stuff earlier. Just stashed it in the closet.” He kissed my neck. “I know we have tomorrow as our day with Faith, but I couldn’t wait any longer to give you your present.”

I covered his hand with my left one. “I’ve been thinking about yours too.”