"Eff off, dude. Shut up," Jayden spat and Baylor glared.

"I can still kill you," she warned and Jace laughed.

"When you guys have kids, though," Lucy said then to Jayden, and Benji didn't miss the way Baylor's eyes widened. What the hell was that about? "Will the baby call you Daddy or Uncle?"

That had the whole table losing their shit. Well, everyone except for Baylor and Jayden. "I hate you," Jayden declared before glaring at his mother. "Really, Mom? Had to marry my wife's dad?"

"You mean your stepdad," she teased, and again, everyone lost it laughing.

When Lucy stopped laughing, though, Benji looked over at her as Angie yelled, "Grandpa!"

He looked back to see Angie pop up and run around the table to a tall, dark-haired man who looked a whole lot like Lucy's brothers. When he picked Angie up, kissing her hard on the cheek, the whole table was full of tension.

Lucy's dad.

"Hey, love bug, how ya doing? Merry Christmas. Did you open your presents yet? You like what I got you?"

Angie shook her head. "Not yet. We had Christmas at Grandma's this morning, and Santa brought me a bike! We are opening the rest of our presents at home after dinner. And we're gonna have another cake for Benji's birthday. I love cake! Grandma got married to River today! Isn't she so pretty?"

Lucy's father looked up and smiled. "Way prettier than she was on our wedding day. Congratulations, Autumn, River."

"Thank you, Mark," Autumn said tightly.

"Well, just wanted to wish you guys a merry Christmas. Ellen and I were having dinner when I heard you guys. Always the loudest, ya know," he laughed but no one laughed with him. Benji looked around and almost no one was even looking at him. Only Lucy, Autumn, and River were.

As his laughter died down, Angie asked, "Have you met Benji, Grandpa? He's Mommy's boyfriend."

"I have not," he said and Benji handed Ashlyn over to Jace before standing up. Benji didn't miss Mark's eyes intently following the path of his newest granddaughter. Meeting Mark midway, he shook his hand.

"Benji Paxton, nice to meet you."

Mark held his gaze, the same green eyes as Lucy. "You too. Mark Sinclair. Heard a lot about you."

"Probably bad, I assume?" Benji asked and Mark laughed.

"Yeah, but Lucy redeems you. Hope what she says is true," he said, almost like a warning, and Benji nodded.

"I think so," he said as Angie came over to him, taking his hand.

"He's my favorite."

"Hey!" all three boys sang out, and she grinned back at them.

"Shh, you guys are my first favorites," she said in a mock whisper but Benji just grinned, his feelings not hurt.

"Well, it was great to meet you, but I've got to get back to my wife."

"You too," Benji said as he made his way back around the table.

"Again, merry Christmas and congratulations."

Autumn said thanks, but the boys said nothing while Lucy said, "Merry Christmas."

He sent one last grin and walked away. While Benji knew the dude was bad news and had done some wrong, he kind of felt bad for him. The boys, though, they cared not one bit before looking over at Lucy.

"You're talking to him?" Jude accused.

"He bought something for Angie?" Jayden asked.

"I have to, he's helping me with Angie," she snapped back and Jayden looked down, shaking his head.

"Be careful," Jace warned and she glared.

"I am," she shot back as Autumn snapped her fingers at them.

"He is not ruining my dinner. You four let go of that, and you enjoy our family time, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all agreed, but even Benji knew the mood of dinner had changed. As they cut into Audrey's delicious cake, it livened up a little bit but not much, especially when the topic of Rick came up.

"Has you know who called yet?" Jayden asked, and Lucy shook her head while Benji's blood boiled.

"Nope."

"You should fight for full custody," Jude said. "He doesn't deserve her."

Benji looked over at Angie. She was sitting in River's lap, playing on his phone with him as Lucy said, "You think I don't know that? She needs a father in her life."

"Yeah, a good one," Jude said. He pointed to Benji. "Marry that guy. I've only been around him the last two days, and I've seen him do better for Angie than Rick ever has."

Lucy set him with a look. "I hear you, but don't employ Benji to step up. It's not his job."

Before Benji could argue that, say that he wouldn't mind, and it would be his life's greatest pleasure to be a father to Angie, Jace said, "Can't we just hire someone to get rid of him? Or can we not now that it's been brought up? Shit, I should have just hired someone."

"Or can we pay Benji to beat him up? He's a big dude," Jude added and Benji smiled.

"It won't do anything. He's an idiot. We just have to deal with him," he said as the waiter came up. "Can I get the check?"

"Benjamin! No! We're paying," Autumn said, but Benji waved her off.

"Our gift to you," he said, bringing Lucy into his side.

"But it's your birthday." Autumn frowned as Benji smiled at the stack of presents the Sinclairs had brought for him.

"But I want to do this for you," he said, sending her a pleading look, and thankfully, she agreed, shaking her head.

"Fine, fine," she said, waving him off. "But we are taking you to dinner one night this week."

"Done," he agreed, holding his card up, but the waitress shook her head.

"Actually, Mark Sinclair paid for dinner and told me to tell you guys merry Christmas and congratulations."

The table went quiet as Benji smiled. "Well, thank you, then."

"Absolutely. Can I get anyone anything else?"

Everyone declined as Autumn cleared her throat. "Well, that was nice of him."

No one really agreed as Lucy leaned on her forearms. "Yeah, it was, Mom."

"Lucy, really?" Jace said and she shrugged.

"He is honestly going above and beyond for Angie. Really. Maybe he's trying to mend fences."

But the boys didn't look convinced. Jayden announced, "Well, if he gets that guy gone, then maybe I'll consider thinking that. But until then, he's dead to me."

"Me too," Jace and Jude said. Benji looked to Lucy, her face full of apprehension. He knew the upcoming court date wasn't for another three weeks, but it was weighing heavily on her. He wished he could alleviate some of the burden, but she wasn't like that. She only leaned when she needed to, and so far, she was good.

But when she wasn't, he'd be there, and he'd bear the burden of all of it as long as Lucy would let him.

"My mom thought you were going to propose to me."

Wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist as Angie played with the new indoor hockey set Benji had gotten her, he kissed her shoulder. "Did you want that?"

She shook her head. "God, no, we aren't ready."

"No?"

"No, crazy. Jeez," she said, gawking at him. "Plus, I love my new bracelet and earrings. I've never had diamonds before, I didn't even have an engagement ring."

He made a face. "No?"

"Nope, we were poor," she said with a grin. "Plus, I never needed it. Angie was my main concern, or maybe I knew that Rick wouldn't last. I don't know," she laughed, leaning her head against his as she drank in the stunning set he had gotten her. When he saw it, he knew she'd love it, and while she thought it was too early for them to be engaged, it hadn't stopped him from picking out a ring for her.

Not that anyone knew that.

He hadn't bought it, but he found the one he wanted for her. It would fit her hand perfectly, a simple three carat diamond in a platinum band. He knew she'd love it, but he'd wait until he knew she wouldn't say no.

Kissing her jaw, he said, "Well, I'm getting you a ring."

"Later."

"Later? Like, how later?"

"Why do you need times for everything?"

He grinned. "So I can do it before then," he said with a wink and she laughed.

"I don't know, a year?"

He made a face. "No."

"No? You can't just say no."

"A year is too long."

"You are crazy. It's been little over two months, Benji. That's like ten weeks," she stressed and he shrugged.

"When you know, you know."

She made a face. "So you'd marry me tomorrow?"

"Hell, I'd marry you right now. I mean, it would be an excellent bonus birthday present..." he said and she made another face.

"You're insane."

He grinned as she cuddled into him. "But I'll admit, it's sorta cute."

"And hot, right? You want to bang me?"

She sputtered with laughter. "I always want to do that."

Smiling against her hair, he kissed her head as he held her. He wasn't playing. He'd marry her that second; all she had to do was say yes. Until then, though, he'd hold her, he'd love her, and life would be good. As they watched Angie bat the ball with her stick into the wall, he held her tightly. She whispered, "Benji?"

"Yeah, baby."

"I'm worried about court with Rick."

"Don't, it's three weeks away."

"What if, by some crazy chance, he gets her?"

"Then we will fight for her back, but I highly doubt that I will happen."

"It scares me," she whispered and he nodded, kissing her head.

"Don't be, I got you."

She let out a long breath, fisting his shirt as she looked up at him, her chin touching his. "Sometimes, it's hard to find words to tell you how much you mean to me. Most of the time, I don't say anything at all because I don't share the way you like to," she said and he smiled, getting lost in her eyes. "But I hope you know that having you and Angie is what I live for."

His lips curved even more as he dropped his mouth to hers. "I know exactly how you feel."

Her eyes shone with love as she cupped his face. "Merry Christmas, Benji."

"Merry Christmas, my love," he said before pressing his lips to hers.

"Benji! Come on, let's play! You said you'd be my goalie," Angie whined and then she stomped her foot. "Ugh! All you do is kiss."

Grinning against each other's lips, they pulled apart as his heart burst in his chest. "I'm being beckoned."