Amy shut her eyes and waved a hand in front of her face, the mass of smoke choking the air from the room. Violent bouts of coughing sounded as she grappled her way over to the window. She struggled to unlatch the lock, the dark clouds of smoke making it difficult to see.
Logan’s big hand covered hers, unlocking the window and heaving it open with a shove. Amy took off her hat and waved it wildly, ushering the smoke outside and blinking as it cleared.
Dominic stood by the fireplace. Each of his hands clutched a twin by the waistband, holding them in the air.
“Why did you do that?” Dominic sputtered as he shook them gently. “I know I won’t understand but go ahead and tell me. Why?”
Jayden scrunched his nose and twisted his head up to answer, “So Grace and Gwen won’t get hurt.”
Dominic blinked. “What?”
“That’s what Aunt Cissy asked Santa for.” Kayden squirmed against Dominic’s hold. “The fire’s hot and the babies will get hurt when he comes down the chimney with ’em. So, we had to put it out.”
Dominic’s face went slack and he burst into laughter. Amy joined him, dropping her hat to the windowsill and glancing over at a chuckling Logan.
Cissy shook her head. “We talked about this, boys. The babies won’t come for a few more weeks. I thought you understood the babies were in here,” she said, patting her belly.
Amy’s heart tripped as she studied Logan’s profile. A muscle in his jaw ticked and his posture grew rigid.
The boys cocked their heads and studied Cissy’s belly with a frown.
“So you asked Santa for ’em, he made ’em and then put ’em in there?” Jayden asked.
“No,” Kayden declared, smacking a hand on his brother’s arm. “Santa don’t do all that. That’s what the elves are for.” He glanced up at Dominic. “Ain’t that how babies are made?”
Dominic cleared his throat “Not exactly.”
“Then how?” Kayden asked. “How are babies made?”
“Go ahead, Dominic,” Cissy said, laughing. “Explain it to us.”
Amy slipped her hand in Logan’s. He glanced at her, smile tight and eyes bitter.
Her chest ached. There was no way Logan would react well to the news of a possible pregnancy. The pain of losing Sara was plain in his expression.
“Amy?” Logan squeezed her hand, his deep voice low against her ear. He studied her, his face creased with concern. “You okay? You went pale there for a second.”
She leaned her head out of the window and sucked in a lungful of icy air. “I’m fine. Just took in a little too much smoke, I guess.”
“See there, boys,” Dominic boomed, “you owe Aunt Amy an apology.”
“Are you avoiding the question, Dominic?” Cissy asked.
Dominic chuckled. “No. I’ll be more than happy to explain it to you tonight, baby. In the meantime, you boys go apologize to your aunt Amy, then help me clean up this mess.”
The boys ran across the room and tugged at Amy’s jeans.
“Sorry, Aunt Amy,” Kayden said.
“Me, too,” Jayden added.
Grateful for the distraction, Amy knelt and drew the boys close. They wrapped their arms around her and pecked a kiss to her cheeks.
“Y’all better be on your best behavior for the rest of the night,” Logan said. “So Santa doesn’t hold it against you.”
“We will,” the boys chimed, nuzzling their warm faces into Amy’s neck.
Logan scooped up Amy’s hat from the windowsill and placed it back on her head. His warm palm smoothed through her hair and curled around her shoulder, causing her heart to beat faster.
“Santa won’t be mad with us,” Jayden whispered against her ear. “It’s all right ’cuz everything turned out okay. Right, Aunt Amy?”
Amy hugged the boys close against her middle, spirits lifting at the thought of comforting her own child in her arms. A possibility that became more real with each passing day.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Everything’s okay.”
It would be. Either way. Life was moving on and there was a chance things might change. That she might become a mother, after all.
She hugged the boys tighter, straightened her hat with her other hand and smiled. It was the time of year for gifts. And the smallest ones, it seemed, held the biggest promise of all.
“HE CAME!”
Logan jumped, eyes flying open and arms clutching Amy tighter to his chest. The mattress beneath him dipped to one side then bounced. The springs squeaked and the bed frame rattled.
“Santa came!” Kayden jumped up and down at the end of the bed. “He ate all the cookies we left and he drank all the milk and—”
“He left presents,” Jayden shouted, scrambling onto the bed and bouncing with his brother. “Lots and lots of presents! They’re under the tree and in the hallway and in our room—”
“And he left a trampoline outside,” Kayden gasped. He stopped jumping and dropped to Logan’s chest, his small knees jabbing into Logan’s ribs. “A trampoline, Uncle Logan!” His face contorted. He raised his fists and shook them on a primal yell. “A tram-po-line!”
Logan winced, his voice leaving him on a painful groan. “Then why aren’t you using it instead of me?”
Gentle breaths of laughter brushed his ear, causing the skin on his neck to tighten. He rolled his head to the side. Amy smiled up at him, green eyes warm and excited. Her cheeks flushed a sweet shade of pink and her raven hair clung to her face in mussed waves.
Logan’s chest warmed. Christmas morning was definitely much more beautiful with Amy at his side. Friends, like they used to be. The relationship familiar, safe and inviting.
He cleared his throat, leaning in and whispering, “Merry Chr—”
“Come on, Uncle Logan,” Kayden said, smooshing his hands against Logan’s cheeks. He leaned in, the tip of his nose brushing Logan’s. “Get up. Aunt Cissy said we can’t open presents until everyone’s up.”
“Yeah, get up, Aunt Amy,” Jayden hollered, tugging at Amy’s nightshirt.
“Boys, I told you to keep your tails out of here.” Dom stuck his head inside the room, his hand covering his eyes. “You two decent, I hope?”
Amy laughed and Logan joined her.
“Yep,” he said.
Dominic dropped his hand and smiled, dimples flashing. “Then get your butts out here and let’s get this party started.”
Five minutes later, Logan and Amy were dressed and in the family room. The boys pounced on the presents while the adults sipped warm drinks and watched with smiles. The next several hours passed in a blur of squeals, torn wrapping paper and excited hugs.
It didn’t take long for Logan to get swept up in the twin tornado. He, Pop and Dominic assembled new gadgets for the boys and helped them test out their new toys. It had taken the boys over an hour to tear into them all. Then, they spent hour upon hour afterward testing out each one. At one point, the boys couldn’t decide whether to eat or play. They ended up grabbing a handful of sugar cookies, eating them with one hand and shooting their toy guns with the other.
Eventually, Logan crashed into a heap on the floor. His eyes