Page 21 of Smoke and Glitter

I don't move.

She gives my chest a light push and heads for the cupboard herself. "You can either help me or keep staring at me, but if you pick the second one, dinner isn't making it onto the table."

I pick the spoon back up.

"I'm helping."

"Sure you are."

She gets the bowls down while I finish the chili, and for the next half hour we manage to keep our hands mostly to ourselves.

At seven-thirty, the door opens without anybody bothering to knock.

Bex comes through first with the game under one arm and a bottle of wine in the other. I take the bottle before she drops either one.

"Thanks."

"You could knock."

"I could."

Marisol is right behind her with Lucia and enough bags for a weekend. I get one off her shoulder while Lucia goes straight past me toward the living room, already asking where her crayons are.

"Bottom shelf," I call after her.

Summer and Colt come up still talking about something that started in the car, and Dom follows them with a six-pack. He opens my refrigerator, finds room without asking and puts it inside.

"Good to see you too."

He shuts the door and looks at me. "Hey."

That's about right.

Within five minutes, whatever order Autumn and I managed to put together is gone. There are coats over chairs, Marisol's bags against the wall, Lucia on the floor with her crayons and Bex opening cabinets.

Autumn is beside me at the counter building Frito boats when Bex reaches around us for the wineglasses.

"I can get those," I tell her.

"You weren't."

"I was getting the chili."

"Excuses."

She starts pouring, and when she gets to Summer, Summer puts a hand over the top of the glass.

"None for me."

I'm reaching for bowls, and I almost miss the way Autumn stops beside me.

Almost.

She looks at Summer. "Summer?"

Summer presses her lips together, and Colt's expression gives him away before she says anything.

"November."