Page 133 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

I smiled at Evie, glad I could be part of this tradition. “Maybe I will get to surprise her. I doubt she’ll guess what we bought for her.”

“Please,” Mia huffed. “I’ve known for weeks what you and Cole got me.”

“What? Did he tell you?”

She shook her head. “No. I just figured it out.”

“No way.” There was no chance she’d ever guess our gift.

“No way, what?”

Cole and Brad walked back into the kitchen. Brad looked sullen but he was trying to hide it, while Cole’s relief radiated through the room.

No one brought up their conversation in the living room. Instead, Evie brought them both into ours. “Mom said she knows what Poppy and Cole got her for Christmas, but Poppy doesn’t think there’s any way she could have guessed.”

Brad chuckled. “Take my advice, Poppy. Just accept that there is no such thing as surprising Ms. Crane. The harder you try, the faster she figures it out. Save yourself the stress.”

“But, how could she possibly—”

“You got me a puppy like Nazboo.”

My chin fell open as I gaped at Mia. Impossible. Cole and I had just ordered the dog yesterday. The puppy wasn’t even weaned yet, so we’d had to wrap up a collar and leash along with a picture.

“How—I don’t—” I blinked and closed my speechless mouth.

“See what I mean?” Zack muttered.

I took a long gulp of my beer and looked up at Cole. “So much for our big surprise.”

Cole chuckled. “Sorry. I should have told you about Mom’s superpower. Honestly, I thought we might have had her on this one, but I guess not.”

“Are there any other family secrets I should know about?”

“Don’t tell her!” Brad shouted as both Mia and Evie opened their mouths. “If I’m lucky, it will take her a few years to figure out mine.”

The kitchen erupted in laughter as Mia kissed Brad’s cheek and went back to making dinner and Zack and Evie started debating baby names. And I just smiled and leaned into Cole’s side, happy to be part of it all.

Hours later, after too much food and drink and gifts, Cole and I loaded up a sleepy Nazboo and drove home.

“How did it go with your dad?”

“Better than I expected. He didn’t want to hear me at first, but when I told him that I’d make a shit chief of police because my heart wasn’t in it, he started to come around. I still think he was disappointed though.”

I knew Cole hated disappointing people, but in this case, he’d done the right thing. Reaching across the console, I took his hand. “He’ll come around.”

“Yeah.” He kissed my knuckles. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes, so much. I love your family.”

“They’re yours too. You’re stuck with me, so you’re stuck with them.”

I smiled out the dark windshield. “I like stuck.”

“Good.” He laced our fingers together. “How would you feel about being stuck at my house? Maybe make it our house?”

My head whirled toward him. Cole was grinning into the night. “Really? You want me to move in?”

He looked over and nodded. “Pretty much since the first night you stayed over but I thought that might be too soon.”