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"Pinata?" Gregory looked amusedly at his daughter. "Why do you want a pinata, darling?"
"Because they are pretty to look at, Dadda." Ava replied, turning to her mother. "Mommy, tell Dadda I want a pinata."
"You tell him yourself." Anika grinned.
"But Dadda only listens to you." She scowled.
Anthony snorted. "She got a point there."
Gregory raised a brow at his younger brother seated on a rocking chair, his sleeping baby in his arms. Anthony had been getting away with a lot of shit most of the time these days because he had Joe in his arms.
"Careful, Tony. Joe won't protect you for the rest of your life."
"Mommy, pinata!"
"Ooh... What are we celebrating?"
Ava's head whipped to the source of the voice and her eyes widened, a grin appearing on her face.
"Aunt Joey!" She squealed as she hopped off the coffee table and ran to her. "You woke up!"
"Yeah, true love's kiss finally did its job!" Xander intercepted before Ava could throw herself at Joanne's fragile form. He threw her in the air once before settling her in his arms and turning her so that Joanne could hug her.
Neither Joanne nor the rest of the family said anything about Xander's protectiveness and concern but even though she would never admit it openly, she could not deny to herself that this man was scoring points left and right when it came to winning her over ever since she woke up.
"Oh my marshmallow, I missed you so much!" She kissed her niece's hairline, sighing in contentment when she heard Ava's giggles. She missed this.
"I missed you more, Aunt Joey. But Uncle Xandy missed you the most!" Ava grinned as they pulled away.
"Oh did he?" Joanne's eyes fell on the tinted cheeks of her jackass husband.
"Yes, the most!" Ava threw her hands up in the air before wrapping them around Joanne's frame again. Joanne hugged her back, embracing Xander in the process. Anthony couldn't help but capture the perfect moment on his phone. And that woke Joe up, who diverted all the attention back to him with the voice of an ambulance siren.
"My baby me!" Joanne grinned as she moved on to her nephew. "I hope you got your mother's personality since you went on to become your Dad's clone in looks!"
She bounced him in her arms while she and Ava, who was still perched on Xander's arms, cooed at the baby.
"Did Mr. Ames cry buckets?" Anika asked smiling, her hand intertwined with her husband's who brought it towards his lips to place a kiss on it, making her blush.
"The love of an Uncle..." Xander sighed and booped Ava's nose. "It's something else, isn't it Ave?"
"Oh right!" Joanne laughed. "You used to be a complete as- meanie to her a few months ago, right Avie-baby?"
"But he is nice now." Ava was quick to defend her Uncle who looked at his wife with a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
Xander asked, "Just nice."
Ava gave him a look, one that looked way too much like Gregory. "Don't push it."
Joanne and Anthony burst out laughing, startling little Joe who tuned up his sirens. Gregory watched his daughter proudly while Anika gave her a chastising look.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
She's The Boss
Romance~~Book 2 and hopefully last of Married To The Mafia~~ Joanne has woken up from her coma, but she is not the same person anymore. How can she be after almost being killed by her own mother? Now it is up to her family to bring their Jo back. But Jacks...
