“Thanks.” I force a smile that’s only slightly panicked. “It’s… uhh, warm.”
“Mm. Looks familiar,” she says lightly, her gaze sweeping to Logan.
Zoe snorts into the mimosa she’s now poured, not even trying to hide her amusement.
“Morning,” Logan adds smoothly, like he’s not about to be interrogated.
Eli glances up from the pan, spatula hovering midair as his face bounces between us. “Walked over together?”
“Yeah,” I say too fast. “Dusty needed a walk.”
“Uh-huh.” His tone is flat enough to make my pulse stutter.
Before either of us can elaborate, Meadow looks up, delighted. “Oh good, you’re here!”
“Hey princess,” Logan says with a smile, pulling up a chair next to her. I sit down next to him, grabbing one of the smoothies already on the table.
“I made you pancakes!” Meadow gestures to a plate of what can only be described as deformed, fried batter, sitting on a plate.
“Yeah?”
Meadow nods hard. “Uh-huh! Mama helped me make special ones. Because we was makinglove!”
Charlie chokes on her orange juice. “Oh no.”
Jake groans softly. “This is my fault.”
“You should’ve never tried to explain that term to her,” Tamara sighs, setting a fresh platter of pancakes on the table.
“What term?” Zoe perks up, far too gleeful.
Charlie shoots her a look. “Making love.”
Zoe snorts so hard her mimosa almost goes up her nose. “Brilliant.”
Meadow’s oblivious, eyes shining. “Mama says making love doesn’t mean like making cupcakes, but I didn’t get it, so Dad said there’s different kinds of love and I wanted to know themall!”
Jake’s already red in the face as every set of eyes in the room turn to him.
“I panicked, okay?!”
Meadow holds up a sticky finger for silence, her voice taking on full lecture mode. “So! There’sfamily love,like how Mama loves me and Noah and Dad.”
“But Mama loves Dad more than just family love, and that’s calledtrue love.”
“Correct.” Jake nods proudly.
“And there’sfriend love,like how Auntie Tamara loves Zo Zo even though Zo Zo said her salsa tastes like sadness.”
Zoe sputters as Tamara turns to her. “I… Ididn’t!”
“And I love Dusty even when he farts, that’sdog love.”
Dusty wags his tail like he’s been complimented.
“Then there’smarried love, because Mama said Uncle Chase wants to wife-up Auntie Zo.”
Charlie covers her face. “Please stop talking.”
