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Before I can embarrass her further, I turn and walk into the foyer I unlock the door and pull it open

A tiny blond-haired, brown-eyed dynaht "Uncle Beck"

I reach down, pick Ally up, and give her a quick hug before sitting her on my hip Caroline steps over the threshold and I holdaround my waist

"Hey, sis," I say as I press a kiss on her hair, the sarins up at me with blue eyes that also match mine

"Oh, you look great A sight for our sore eyes," she gushes, patting aze slides past hter She pulls away and steps past me I turn to follow and watch as she walks up to Sela, who's standing there with her hands clutched in nervousness before her

"And you must be Sela," Caroline says in wide-eyed wonder She steps forward, and Sela hesitantly extends her hand Caroline ignores it and wraps Sela up in a hug "Oh my GodBeck emailed me a picture of you but it didn't do you justice"

I roll her "Okay, that's enough Caroline You're ruining my street cred"

Caroline ignores me and turns Sela toward the kitchen "The turkey smells wonderful Let me help you finish whatever up Beck can entertain Ally and we can talk You have wine, right?"

"Um, yeahactually we do," Sela says with a return s me behind

I hear the in excited undertones, Caroline beside herself that her big brother has actually got a girlfriend, and Sela clearly relieved to finally understand what I'd been telling her That my sister is cool as hell

Craning o watch some TV?"

She cocks an adorable four-year-old eyebrow that descended directly from her mom's DNA "Dora the Explorer?"

"I was thinking football," I counter

"Dora," she says adamantly

I sigh and tickle at her ribs She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck "Fine, you little monster Dora it is"

I carry Ally into the living roo a bottle of wine, and Caroline is pulling glasses out of a cabinet The s turkeyready to have a unique fah my chest

It's a fucking fantastic feeling that I could et used to

Chapter 19

Sela

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Beck asks as he pulls a sweatshirt over his head I watch as his head pokes through the top, s the bottoh hisit messier and even sexier, and I have to restrainmyself at him

I seem to want to perpetually do that

"No, I'ive you quality time with Caroline and Ally," I tell hi tomorrow and I want you to have some alone time"

Beck steps into me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me into his body I tilt my face up, oh so naturally to accept his lips, and he leans down A soft kiss and a smile "You know the time would be more quality if you came with us"

"Nice try, Mr North," I tell him as I pull out of his e And you're not going to change my mind"

I really do want hie my mind, but I also think he needs this time with his sister and niece They've been here only twenty-four hours, but I've seen enough to know that they are incredibly close as siblings and that they don't get to see each other enough

I'h Caroline and Ally live north in Healdsburg, only about an hour and a half away, but as far as I can tell, they only really see each other at holidays Beck told ether that Caroline hates the city and Beck is always so busy he just has a hard ti away It ith a bit of sadness and shaets in the way sometimes"

I snuggled in closer to hi out on

Then he added, "And I'ht not be the "

That prompted me to kiss him