“It’s fine,” he mutters.
“I missed them, too, you know? Your family is one of my favorite things about you.”
“You have questionable taste,” he laughs out and goes to close the bedroom door, but Skye is right behind him. “Huh.”
“What?” I glance down at her.
“When Claud is around, Skye is usually attached to her.”
My hand runs the length of her back. “I told you she knows her mom is here now.”
Nate leans down and kisses one of my dimples, and then we quickly change. I check the weather and see it’s still warm out.
“Do you think we’ll be out long? Should I bring something warmer?”
He takes in my wide-legged jeans and light sweater, then looks out the window toward the driveway and nods. “They have the tops down. You’ll be cold even with the heat blasting.”
“Oh, fun.” I grab a jacket and bounce down the stairs, excited. Crouching, I give Skye a million kisses as I say goodbye, then head outside.
“Aunt Maddie, you’re with us in the fun car!” Claud is beaming, and I’m hit with a quick flashback of my best friend.
Camila was hanging out the window at the airport, picking up Nate, Leo, and me when we landed one summer.
She was so excited because she’d just gotten her license.
As someone who grew up in New York City, she never needed it before and thought she was hot shit. Little did she know Javier was going to kill her when she got home for taking his car without asking.
But it was still worth the fun.
Her hair was in pigtails, just like Claud’s, and her smile matched hers, too. I’ve noticed that as Claudina has grown, her voice is even sounding more like Camila’s.
Juliette waves me over. “You can sit in the front with me. Let the boys sit in the back.”
“Yesss. Uncle sandwich.”
“Did you say knuckle sandwich?” Leo narrows his eyes playfully, making a fist.
“Uncle Leoooo.” Claud laughs. “I said uncle.”
“Wooo.” He blows out a breath. “I didn’t want to have to beat anyone up.”
My neck arches to look at him, and I grin. He’s a good uncle.
They all are.
Camila would be proud of how Claud is being raised.
Nate locks up, then jumps in on the other side of Claud’s booster seat and gives her a big wet kiss on the cheek.
We’re driving the vintage Land Rover Defender, and like a Jeep Wrangler, the sides are off.
Harrison is driving his two-seater Bugatti convertible, slowly reversing to park next to us. Seb is riding shotgun.
“Jules, drive slow with the sides off.”
She glares. “H, will you calm down?” She revs her engine again, then his eyes widen when we fly down the driveway.
Nate barks out a laugh. “He’s going to shi—poop his pants.”
