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Skye kisses Mom on the cheek. “Okay, Ma. I’ll make sure you get filled in later. You brought Jude back to Allie, Pope, and Isaac?”
She nods. “Yes, and of course, Allie practically launched herself at him.”
I can’t fight my laughter, and warmth now replaces that sense of dread that has been sitting on my chest. “If anyone can make him feel at home with us, it’ll be her.”
Mom squeezes my shoulder. “That was my thought, too. You have a wonderful daughter.”
Skye’s jaw drops. “Oh, what, and Astrid is chopped liver?”
Mom scowls as she walks over to the oven and pulls it open to check on the lasagna. She slams it closed. “No. Astrid is probably the most genuinely kind-hearted person I’ve ever met, but she’s a teenager, and she and Atlas have developed a bit of an attitude as of late.”
I chuckle and point at my younger sister. “She’s got you there. Allie’s still young enough to be sweet and innocent.”
Angelina appears at the entry to the kitchen and scans the counters. “Mom, you ready for my help?”
“Yes.” I motion toward the lettuce and other salad ingredients spread out across the cutting board to my right. “I need you to make the salad and start bringing some things to the table. Can you grab your sister and have her come help, too?”
Angie gives me a once-over, narrowing her eyes on me—probably easily seeing the signs of my recent tears. But she thankfully gives me a reprieve from the third degree. “Got it.” She leans out to peek in the living room. “Where is she?”
I force a smile that I hope Ang buys. “One of the bedrooms, with the boys.”
“All right.” Casting another questioning look at us, she disappears down the hallway to find Alessandra.
Everything’s almost ready, and dinner can’t come soon enough. All the tension in the house waiting for Luca and Byron to arrive with Jude needs to break, and the laughter and good-natured ribbing that always happens around the Hawke family table is a great way to do that.
I scan the kitchen. “Anything else we need, Mom?”
She frowns. “It sounds like we’re going to need a few extra bottles of wine.”
My bark of laughter makes her jump slightly. “That’s probably true. I’ll go grab some from the wine fridge.”
And check on the “boys,” who have been left unattended for far too long in the living room.
I make my way out of the kitchen and find Saint, Caroline, and Savage talking with Luca and Byron while Gabe and Landon bicker over a game ofScrabbleat the corner table.
Fighting a grin, I sneak up behind Landon and scan his letters, then lean in and whisper in his ear, “Ecstasy, triple word score.”
He jerks his head up toward me, his eyes wide. “Wow. How did I miss that?”
The corners of my lips curl up, remembering the shower last night, and I slide my arms around his neck and down his chest to whisper in his ear again. “I don’t know. You never seem to have any problem giving it to me.” I lean down and press a kiss to his grin. “You guys doing okay?”
He nods and glances back toward the hallway. “Yeah, I saw Ang go back there. What was she doing? Looking for Allie?”
Before I can answer, Angie reappears, her brow furrowed, and walks into the room, bee-lining toward us, but Savage turns away from his conversation with Luca and Byron and raises a hand, stopping her.
“You need something, Ang?”
Her lips twist, and she scans the room. “Has anyone seen Allie?”
My chest immediately tightens. While Allie has always been a bit reckless and precocious, she usually doesn’t disappear. She sticks to Pope like glue when she isn’t with Angie.
Savage shakes his head, looking my way. “No. Why?”
Angie shrugs. “Isaac and Pope said she went after Jude.”
Luca and Byron exchange a look that sends a shiver through me as Savage drums his finger on his knees.
Byron climbs from his seat. “We’ll help you find him.”
