Lily leads the way, and my phone dings with an incoming email. I shouldn’t look at it, but when the name in the sender box saysLevi Montgomery, my priorities shift. It’s the first email from my boss in days, and I refuse to miss it.
"Poppy, no!" Magnolia shouts. "Aunt Sadie!" My gaze lands on Magnolia, her eyes wide with urgency, her hand dangling…empty. I turn my head, scanning the sidewalk for Poppy as my heart lurches into my throat. At the edge of the sidewalk, her bouncing blonde curls come into view between a truck and a car, and I dart after her.
"Stay put. Do not move a muscle!" I shout at the other two, who stand stock-still on the sidewalk.
Leaping across and slipping between the vehicles, I chase Poppy. A metallic purple balloon floats in front of her, drifting down the street with the breeze. I’m within five or six feet of her—out of breath from a lack of consistent exercise routine and the extra twenty-five pounds strapped to my chest—but she picks up her pace. For a girl with legs only a foot long, she’s shockingly fast.
The balloon drifts further, rising in the air with each sweep of the wind. A motorcycle barrels toward Poppy, and I do what anyone would—I scream. "Poppy!"
Tires screech, and I squeeze my eyes shut tight, like I’m the one bracing for impact. The thrumming of the engine creates a steady cadence in my ears, but there’s no crunch or crash.Snapping out of my hesitation, I open my eyes at the same time a familiar voice rings out.
"I got her, Sadie. She’s all good."
Max.
My heart rate slows slightly, and my feet move. Max is carrying my niece and the stupid balloon that caused this mess toward the sidewalk. His muscular body shifts effortlessly with each step. When I reach them, I look to my other nieces and motion for them to join us—it’s only twenty feet, but it feels like I'm watching them walk a mile.
"Oh my God, thank you." I glare at Poppy, but she curls her sweet little face into Max’s neck, nuzzling the collar of his grey t-shirt.Traitor."Poppy Ann. You scared me."
She looks up at me, tears glistening as they streak down her face. "I sowy, Aunt Adie." Reaching a hand out, I rub her back lightly before leaning entirely too close to Max to press a kiss to her forehead. His linen scent surrounds me—it’s delightfully infuriating.
"Let’s just get to the car and go home. Can we do that?" My tone is softer, knowing she’s probably just as freaked out as I am. She’s practically a baby still. I should have known better than to take my eyes off her for even a second.
Max nods, then motions with his arm for me to lead the way. Poppy’s still snug against him, clutching his bicep with one hand and the balloon with the other.
Our group walks in silence, making it to the van in a matter of minutes. I unlock it, and the sliding door opens for the girls to pile in. Lily hops in first, helping Magnolia get into her seat. Carefully, so I don’t knock Marigold into anything, I lean in and secure Mag’s five-point harness the way Mal demonstrated. Lily buckles her own seat belt across her booster, leaving only two.
Max places Poppy into her seat, carefully holding the balloon string between his teeth while he works the buckle closed andtightens it. He hands her the balloon, tucking it inside so it doesn’t blow away. "You'd better be a good girl for your aunt, Pop."
Poppy’s cheeks turn pink, and her eyes sparkle. I get it—that charming little smirk he’s giving her is deadly. I’m glad it’s not trained on me, because while I haven’t been looking at him in that way, adrenalineiscoursing through me, making it hard to think straight. Max, with a small child in his arms, does weird things to my hormones—it would to anyone.
Taking a step back from the van, I reach behind my head to undo the carrier like Mal showed me. It should be simple, but these things always look easier than they are. My fingers can’t seem to grab the buckle, despite having done the same thing earlier when I changed her.
"Do you need help?" Max steps around me, standing at my back.
"Yes, please." I release a shaky breath. "I buckled it myself, so I don’t know why I can’t reach it now."
His hands gently move my hair over my shoulder, and his fingertips dance lightly across the back of my neck as he works to unfasten it. Goosebumps pebble on my skin from the contact, but in a matter of seconds the carrier loosens, and nothing but the sticky summer breeze replaces his hands.
I work quickly, softly setting Marigold in her car seat and buckling it tight. She sleeps through the entire transfer, small puffs of air blowing from her pouty lips. There’s a second where her mouth moves in a sucking motion, so I quickly tuck her pacifier in and close the door quietly.
When I turn to round the car, Max is still waiting on the sidewalk.
"Thank you for saving me today."
"You mean Poppy?" He smirks.
I roll my lips in. "No, I mean me. My sister would have killed me if something had happened to her, and I would’ve deserved it for not paying close enough attention."
Max steps closer, his feet inches from mine. "Don’t mention it." His jaw tightens slightly. "You can’t be perfect all the time."
I roll my eyes. "I can try to be."
He shrugs. "Sure, I guess. But that’s going to make for a pretty big letdown one day."
"I’ll survive." I turn, taking one step toward the front of the vehicle when Max grabs my arm.
Whipping my head back, I realize just how close we are, and my breath stutters. "What—"
