Sarah tossed a handful of gummy bears into her mouth. “We let her play poker after she promised not to bite any of us, and not only didn’t she bite, she was annoyingly good.”
Lucas bounced Storm on his long legs. “You’re still the best, babe.”
“Well, obvs.”
A girl with short black hair grabbed a handful of tortilla chips before reclining against the great bear of a man. “If your baby girl’s anything like you, her head probably won’t fit through your birth canal.”
Sarah flipped her off.
Why are you sitting a mile away?
I glanced over my shoulder at Liam and brought the beer to my lips.Because I’m not your girlfriend and sitting any closer would give that impression.Wordlessly, I turned back toward the others. “So, who’s who?”
After the six shifters I wasn’t familiar with introduced themselves, Cole’s girlfriend Haley, pointed between Liam and me. “When and how did this happen?”
I looked over at Liam again, waiting to see what he’d say. When he didn’t offer an explanation, I yanked up some courage and quipped, “He was bored; I was bored. We decided to be bored together.”
Lucas grinned. “Shit, it’s like our story, babe.”
“It’s nothing like our story, honey.” Sarah patted his knee. “You were whipped; I held the whip.” She tipped her head back for a kiss, which he delivered.
Laughter rolled over the room and did away with most of my awkwardness. What did away with the rest of it was when Liam snared my waist and dragged me backward, parking me against his body.
“Isn’t that better?” he murmured into my ear.
Yes and no. Like I’d told Ness, I wasn’t into games, and pretending I was his girlfriend felt like one.
“How are you feeling?” I nodded toward the window overlooking the front lawn blemished with David’s ashes.
“Like a giant splinter has been removed from my side.”
“You know, babe,” Lucas drawled, “I’m feeling mighty bored. Want to go be bored together?”
Sarah guffawed and sprang off the rug surprisingly lithely.
“Just do it against the far wall of the bedroom this time.” Haley tracked them with her blue gaze. “I thought you were going to go straight through and land on us last time.”
Lucas swung Storm into Ness’s already opened arms. As she propped him on her lap, August dug into his pocket and produced a little wooden palm tree keychain, which he twirled in front of Storm’s mesmerized gaze.
“Hey, Ness?” Liam scooted forward. “Keep him for a bit?”
“My godson and I haven’t had a proper playdate in over a month.” She ran her finger down the slope of Storm’s nose. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep him for more thana bit. How does overnight sound?” Liam must’ve asked her if she was sure, because she smiled and said, “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay, but no playing with August’s sanding machines this time.”
She scoffed. “Storm wore a helmetandgoggles.”
“What about my collection of chainsaws, Kolane?” August asked. “Can I introduce your son to those?”
Liam grunted as he scooted forward, pressing me upright with a palm on the small of my back. “Let’s avoid all contact with sharp-toothed objects and people. At least, until his first shift.”
I put my beer bottle down, stroked Storm’s silky curls, and walked past Ness and August and the two other shifters sprawled beside them, Liam radiating heat along my taut spine.
Your place?
I nodded as I made my way to the front door. When Liam drew it open, letting in a blast of frigid air, Storm began to wail. August seized him under the armpits and raised him like an airplane, adding sound effects to enhance the experience.
This morning, when I’d woken up surrounded by my parents, brothers, and best friend, I’d felt a twinge of pity for Liam and his son, but as my gaze cycled around the room, I realized he did have a family. Had they always been this tightknit or had Tamara’s death woven deeper, indelible bonds?
