Stumbling Into the Holidays (Stumbling Through Life #3) - Molly O'Hare Page 0,1

out to take Helen, she sent Ben another glare for good measure.

“What?” Ben smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’ve got her.” Jimmy maneuvered so Holly couldn’t take the little girl. “I changed her diaper but I think she’s hungry. She’s still really fussy. Even Ripley can’t calm her down.”

Ben’s heart warmed as he watched Jimmy hold his baby sister close to his chest. From the moment they’d brought Peanut home from the hospital, Jimmy wanted to be fully involved. He took his big brother role very seriously. At first, he wasn’t as excited about changing diapers, but he insisted on doing it anyway.

Jimmy had come so far since the night of the break-in at the clinic.

Even though Helen was only seven and a half months old, Jimmy was already extremely protective of her.

As Ben leaned back onto the counter, he watched a look of horror appear on Jimmy’s face as he saw what Holly was still holding in her hand.

“Mom, why do you have a spatula?” Jimmy’s huge eyes widened as he turned to Ben. “Dad, is she cooking again? Please tell me she’s not trying to cook. I thought we talked about this? Grandpa Henry was here and everything.”

Ben pointed to the scorch marks on the wall with a smirk. “I think she wants to go for round two.”

Holly gasped. “Both of you can kiss my butt!” She glared at her betraying family before she plucked the baby from Jimmy’s hands. “At least I have you, Peanut. You wouldn’t make fun of your Momma, would you?”

Although the moment Holly had Helen positioned in her arms, the baby looked over her shoulder and right to her father. Instantly, Helen’s eyes sparkled as she reached out her little arms trying to get Ben’s attention.

“Not you too!” Holly’s lips thinned as the little girl made a cooing noise to Ben making her desire clear.

Damn, I love my family. Ben pushed himself off the counter before gently grabbing Helen from his wife’s arms. “She’s a smart girl, Grace. What do you expect?”

“All of you are jerks.” Holly stomped over to the fridge to grab a bottle of milk she’d placed there earlier in the morning. “I get zero respect here.”

To no one’s surprise, the moment the fridge door cracked open, Waffles, Ripley, and Twitch all came running into the kitchen.

“Oh, come on!”

Waffles, ever the one in charge of their gang, took a small step in front of the others. He then pushed himself onto his back legs, making him look like a meerkat, a trick Holly taught him years ago. Ripley instantly followed suit, with Twitch trying his best to do the same all while his little head bobbed from side-to-side.

“Are you freaking kidding me? When I open the fridge that does not mean you automatically get something.” Holly narrowed her eyes at Waffles who dangled his tongue out of the right side of his mouth.

“No, it’s much worse.” Jimmy ran over to Waffles scratching him behind the ears. “Mom’s trying to cook. Again.”

Within seconds, all three animals dropped to the floor and quickly hightailed it over to Ben’s legs to hide behind him. Holly’s eyes immediately followed the traitors as she glared daggers at their four-legged fur babies. “How could you?”

Waffles, the jerk himself, trotted in front of Ben before he plopped his happy Corgi butt on the floor giving Holly a side-eye to end all side-eyes.

“Put that attitude away, Waffles, or you’ll never get another treat again.”

Great, now there is gonna be another standoff.

Ben put twenty bucks on Waffles in this sparring match. He’d been on the other end of Waffles’ judgmental looks too many times and already knew how this was going to end.

On second thought, maybe he should make that forty bucks instead?

A smug expression appeared on Waffles’ face as his eyes moved to Jimmy who already had his hand in the treat jar.

Immediately, Holly spun toward her son. “Don’t you dare, mister.”

Jimmy ignored her with a shrug as he quickly tossed each dog a treat before giving a small cat treat to Twitch. When he looked back at his mom, the corners of his mouth turned into a smile. “What? They all did a trick. You always say we should reward good behavior.”

This kid is good! It was like he was made for our family. Who knew messing with Holly would end up being a family tradition? I can’t wait to tell Henry about this.

Holly’s brows shot to the ceiling in shock at Jimmy’s audacity. “And you