“Told you.” He shrugged. I guess I should have listened because no one seemed to mind that I was here. “Come on, I want to introduce you to three more.”
I trailed after Mateo as he headed for the living room. We didn’t make it far when three small bodies appeared in our path, wrapping their arms around Mateo’s legs. I took a step back to make room for them. They glanced over at me with uncertainty in their eyes.
Mentally, I said their names as I looked at each one of them. Kai in the middle, Wrenley on her left, and Jayden on the right.
“Guys, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.” Mateo put his hand on their heads. “This is Emmie.”
For some reason, having the kids' attention was more nerve-wracking than their parents’.
“Hi,” I greeted. “I love your matching bows,” I said to Kai and Wrenley. “And I really like your jersey,” I told Jayden.
They said nothing as they stared and silently judged. It caused sweat to pool on my back.
Kai glared up at me like she was guarding Mateo. “He’souruncle.”
“Ours,” Wrenley echoed. Jayden clung to the side of Mateo’s leg, staring at me with wide, untrusting eyes.
The way they looked at me said I was going to have to work to win them over. I really should have brought toys with me for bribery. If I wanted them to like me, I was going to have to pull out the big guns.
“He is a pretty great uncle, isn’t he?” I said. I crouched down a little so I was closer to their height, lowering my voice like I was about to share a secret. “Well…I actually heard something about Uncle Mateo.”
All three heads snapped toward me.
“What?” Jayden asked.
I leaned in slightly, purposely glancing to the side as if I didn’t want anyone to hear what I was about to say.
“I heard he gives thebestpiggyback rides. Is that true?”
Kai’s suspicious glare wavered. “He does,” she admitted quietly a moment later.
Jayden loosened his grip on Mateo’s leg and peered around at me with curiosity. “He can run really fast, too.”
“Really?” I widened my eyes like that was the most impressive thing I’d ever heard.
“Yeah,” Jayden said proudly, flashing me a smile. “He raced me last time, and I won.”
“Woah.”
“He builds the best Lego castles,” Wrenley said, stepping back but staying close to Mateo’s side.
“You’ll have to show me the castles sometime.” I peeked up at Mateo. He looked down at the kids, then back to me, amusement flickering in his eyes like he was impressed I’d managed to negotiate my way past their scrutiny.
“Do you like princesses?” Kai suddenly asked.
“I do. All my friends say I look like Merida.” I touched my braid. “But my favorite is Rapunzel. You and her have matching hair.”
That must have been the right thing to say because Kai suddenly brightened, letting go of Mateo and coming closer to me.
“I love Rupunzel.” The way she saidwuvinstead made me grin.
“I have brown hair!” Wrenley butted in, not wanting to be left out.
“You do—just like Belle.”
And just like that, the two little girls gave me wide grins, any distrust gone in a blink of an eye.
“What about me?” Jayden asked.
