glitter.
“A friendship bracelet,” Max said, pulling out the bright purple-and-pink braided band. “Uh . . . thanks, Mia. They’re my favorite colors.”
Mike’s mother, who no one knew very well, leaned toward Max, and Andi heard her say, “You’ve got your father’s brown hair and your mother’s blue eyes.”
Max flushed and glanced at her and Jake. Then shook his head. “They’re not my parents.”
The lady shrugged. “They look as if they could be.”
Andi turned her head and caught Jake looking at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Adopt Max?” Jake asked and nodded.
“My father is going to say I’m being impulsive again. What will I tell him?”
Jake grinned. “That you were moved by compassion.”
“He says it’s my compassion that gets me into trouble.”
“And I say it’s your compassion that I love most about you. Tell him it’s my idea, and we can be impulsive together.”
Jake motioned to the stocking in Max’s hands. “There’s something else for you in there.”
Max lifted out a pair of new drumsticks. “No way! For me?”
“The tag says, ‘Love, Santa,’ ” Mia said, pointing to the words. “He found you this year.”
“Goes with your other gift in the kitchen,” Jake told him. “What’s a drumstick without a drum?”
Max stared at him, ran into the kitchen with Mia, gave a whoop of delight, and ran back. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Jake said, “but an offer. You don’t need to be a rock star to be somebody special. If you agree to join our family, you will be special to us.”
Max frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Will you adopt us?” Jake asked. “Although I must warn you before you make a decision—you’d also be gaining two sisters.”
Andi touched Jake’s arm and smiled. “Actually, he’d be gaining one more, but I’m not sure if it’s a girl or a boy.”
Jake opened his mouth and stared at her. Then finally said, “You’re . . . you’re—”
Andi nodded. “We’re having a baby.”
“She gave me a baby for Christmas!” Jake shouted.
“We’re going to need a bigger house,” Andi told him.
“After we all get back from Hawaii,” Jake agreed and held up five airline tickets.
Andi gasped. “How did you know to get five?”
“Well, one was supposed to be for your father, but we don’t have to tell him that.”
“What do you say, Max?” Andi asked, holding her breath. “Will you accept this crazy family as your own?”
The bright smile that spread across Max’s face lit up the whole room. “I will!”
After Max ran back to his drum set, Andi wrapped her arms around Jake’s neck and pulled him close. “What if I told you that you’re the most caring person I’ve ever met?”
“What if I told you I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you?” He grinned. “Except . . . Taylor, Mia, our new baby, and now Max—”
Andi laughed, her heart happy and full. “I’d say this is the best Christmas ever. And love . . . is the best gift.”
“A gift we can use all year long.”
She smiled. “And can’t be stolen.”
Jake leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet, passionate, head-swirling kiss. Then Andi looked around the circle of people holding hands and singing carols, with their holiday Scrooge standing on a chair in the middle. Her eyes narrowed. What was he up to? Was that a smile on his face? A sparkle of holiday joy?
“Merry Christmas!” Guy Armstrong shouted. “Cupcakes for all! And God bless us, everyone!”
Recipe for
PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
from Malorie Gibson of Jackson, New Jersey
www.SweetBumCupcakes.com
Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out everything except the eggs directly into your mixer bowl.
Mix on low speed until
“A friendship bracelet,” Max said, pulling out the bright purple-and-pink braided band. “Uh . . . thanks, Mia. They’re my favorite colors.”
Mike’s mother, who no one knew very well, leaned toward Max, and Andi heard her say, “You’ve got your father’s brown hair and your mother’s blue eyes.”
Max flushed and glanced at her and Jake. Then shook his head. “They’re not my parents.”
The lady shrugged. “They look as if they could be.”
Andi turned her head and caught Jake looking at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Adopt Max?” Jake asked and nodded.
“My father is going to say I’m being impulsive again. What will I tell him?”
Jake grinned. “That you were moved by compassion.”
“He says it’s my compassion that gets me into trouble.”
“And I say it’s your compassion that I love most about you. Tell him it’s my idea, and we can be impulsive together.”
Jake motioned to the stocking in Max’s hands. “There’s something else for you in there.”
Max lifted out a pair of new drumsticks. “No way! For me?”
“The tag says, ‘Love, Santa,’ ” Mia said, pointing to the words. “He found you this year.”
“Goes with your other gift in the kitchen,” Jake told him. “What’s a drumstick without a drum?”
Max stared at him, ran into the kitchen with Mia, gave a whoop of delight, and ran back. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Jake said, “but an offer. You don’t need to be a rock star to be somebody special. If you agree to join our family, you will be special to us.”
Max frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Will you adopt us?” Jake asked. “Although I must warn you before you make a decision—you’d also be gaining two sisters.”
Andi touched Jake’s arm and smiled. “Actually, he’d be gaining one more, but I’m not sure if it’s a girl or a boy.”
Jake opened his mouth and stared at her. Then finally said, “You’re . . . you’re—”
Andi nodded. “We’re having a baby.”
“She gave me a baby for Christmas!” Jake shouted.
“We’re going to need a bigger house,” Andi told him.
“After we all get back from Hawaii,” Jake agreed and held up five airline tickets.
Andi gasped. “How did you know to get five?”
“Well, one was supposed to be for your father, but we don’t have to tell him that.”
“What do you say, Max?” Andi asked, holding her breath. “Will you accept this crazy family as your own?”
The bright smile that spread across Max’s face lit up the whole room. “I will!”
After Max ran back to his drum set, Andi wrapped her arms around Jake’s neck and pulled him close. “What if I told you that you’re the most caring person I’ve ever met?”
“What if I told you I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you?” He grinned. “Except . . . Taylor, Mia, our new baby, and now Max—”
Andi laughed, her heart happy and full. “I’d say this is the best Christmas ever. And love . . . is the best gift.”
“A gift we can use all year long.”
She smiled. “And can’t be stolen.”
Jake leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet, passionate, head-swirling kiss. Then Andi looked around the circle of people holding hands and singing carols, with their holiday Scrooge standing on a chair in the middle. Her eyes narrowed. What was he up to? Was that a smile on his face? A sparkle of holiday joy?
“Merry Christmas!” Guy Armstrong shouted. “Cupcakes for all! And God bless us, everyone!”
Recipe for
PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
from Malorie Gibson of Jackson, New Jersey
www.SweetBumCupcakes.com
Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out everything except the eggs directly into your mixer bowl.
Mix on low speed until
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