Let It Be (Butler, Vermont #6) - Marie Force Page 0,75
someone you can’t live without. Until that happens, enjoy being single and have some fun.”
“I have a one-year-old.”
“And plenty of babysitters,” Linc reminded him. “You never want to ask for help, but we’re always willing to give it.”
“Mom watches him all day while I work. That’s the last thing she wants to do at night.”
“Mom loves every second she spends with him, and so do I. If you hadn’t asked her to watch him while you work, she would’ve offered. In case you haven’t noticed, your mom loves kids.”
“Still… I don’t want to take advantage.”
Elmer leaned in, elbows on his knees, his expression intense but loving. “Listen to what your dad is saying, Max. They like helping with Caden. They would say so if they didn’t. So stop manufacturing issues that don’t exist. Put your son to bed, leave your folks in charge and go out and have some fun. You’re only going to be twenty-three once. Enjoy your life. The time for serious and permanent will come. When it’s the right person.”
“You promise?”
“I promise, and I’ve never broken a promise to you yet, have I?”
“Nope.”
“I’m not going to start now.”
“Thanks, Gramps. You’re the best.”
“Aw, thanks, but you should know I’m not going anywhere until every one of you kids is happy and settled, so take your time. Keep your favorite old man around a little longer.”
“I’ll do that. In fact, I may never get married if that’ll keep you here forever.”
“Nah, don’t do that. I want you to have what I had with my Sarah and what your dad has had with your mom, even if I wanted to kill him at first.”
Linc rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. It was love at first sight between the two of us.”
“Sure, it was,” Elmer said, laughing. “The impertinence of him showing up holding my little girl’s hand.”
“The ridiculousness never ends around here.”
Listening to them had Max laughing when only a few minutes ago, he’d been bummed out at the realization that he was once again alone in a sea of happy couples. Leave it to his dad and grandfather to snap him out of the funk.
“I’m off to bed,” Max said after downing the last of his drink. He’d love to have another, but Caden would be up early, and he didn’t need to be hungover on Christmas.
“Walk me up, my friend,” Elmer said. “I’ve forgotten which room is mine, and I’m terribly afraid to walk into the wrong room up there and see something that can never be forgotten.”
Linc and Max laughed.
“Probably a good idea,” Linc said.
“Come on, Gramps. I’ll get you settled with no trauma.”
“Appreciate that. Linc, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you then. In the meantime, I’m going to snuggle with your daughter.”
“Impertinent ass,” Elmer muttered.
Max laughed. “That’s just a rude thing to say to your father-in-law, Dad.”
“I know. Why do you think I said it?”
“You see what I’ve had to deal with all these years, my boy?”
“I see, Gramps. It hasn’t been easy being you with those two to deal with.”
“Not easy at all.”
Late on Christmas Day, after presents had been exchanged and a ton of food consumed, Ella asked if she could have everyone’s attention before they all went their separate ways.
“As long as I don’t have to move, I’m all yours, El,” Colton said from his post on the floor, stretched out next to the Christmas tree, Lucy leaning against him. The guys had spent two hours after dinner snow-blowing and digging their cars out so everyone could go home later.
“You don’t have to move,” Ella told him. “Gavin and I had planned a little surprise for today, not knowing we had our own little surprise about to arrive a couple of weeks early.”
“What’s your surprise?” Charley asked, smothering a yawn as she snuggled with Tyler on the sofa.
Ella looked to Elmer. “Gramps? Are you ready?”
“Ready, willing and able, my love,” Elmer said as he pulled himself up and joined Ella, who held baby Sarah, and Gavin in front of the fireplace.
“What’s happening?” Molly asked.
“Just a little wedding,” Ella said, smiling up at Gavin.
His mother, Amelia, let out a happy shout and hugged her husband, Bob, and then Molly and Linc. “Here we go again,” Amelia said, beaming as another Guthrie prepared to marry another Abbott.
“We wanted to do it while everyone was together,” Gavin said. “We had no idea we’d also have our daughter here.”
“She just makes it perfect,” Ella said, kissing her daughter’s forehead.
“Are you two kids ready to say