Constance poked him between the ribs before stepping back, the other three following her lead. “Still full of charm, I see.”
“And you’re still a pain in my side.” He dramatically rubbed where she’d poked him.
She shook her head and grinned.
“Do you need any help with dinner?” Aliyah asked.
“I’ve got the grill going out on the deck.”
“I’ll go check it.” She walked past him into the house.
Trinity held up a bag he hadn’t noticed before. “And I’ll go put some decorations up because I’m going to assume you didn’t think of that detail.”
At Levi’s guilty look, she laughed.
“Don’t worry about it. I got you covered.” She patted his arm as she strode past him.
Nova and Constance stared up at him, strange expressions on their faces.
“What?” he asked.
Nova narrowed her eyes. “Something’s different about you.”
“Yeah. What’s going on?” Constance took a step closer, peering at him like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
Levi wasn’t sure what to say to that. Thankfully, Trinity saved him by exclaiming loudly, “You got kittens?!”
Nova blinked. “Since when did you become a pet guy?” But curiosity of little balls of fluff overrode whatever interrogation had been about to commence as she darted inside.
Constance pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t think you’re off the hook. Something’s different, and as your big sister, I want to know what it is.”
Levi ignored her and followed her into the house.
Trinity stepped out of the laundry room with Dumpurrdore snuggled up in her arms. “Look how adorable he is.” She tore her gaze away from the kitten and gazed at Levi with eyes so round a Disney princess would be jealous. “When did you get kittens? And where’s their mama? They look too young to be away from her.”
Nova popped out of the room with Harry Pawter smooshed to her cheek. “They’re so cute.”
“Someone dumped them outside the garage a few days ago,” Levi explained.
“And you’ve been taking care of them?” Constance asked incredulously. His sisters shared a look.
“We can take them back with us if you need us to,” Trinity offered.
“Why would I want you to do that?” Levi shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and snatchingthe kittens away from them. Those were his cats. His and Hayley’s.
Nova stared at him, mouth slightly agape as if she couldn’t believe she’d heard him ask that question. “Because three kittens make a lot of noise meowing at all hours of the day and night. Not to mention the smell of them and their litter box. And you’re ... you.”
Levi bit his tongue. Could he really blame his sisters for thinking he couldn’t handle the kittens? Or even want to? He’d been complaining about his Mom’s Pomeranians all his life. Yappy little devils.
“Yes, I’m me. Your powers of observation are astounding,” he told Nova with the blandness of dry toast. He met each of his sisters’ gazes in turn. “No consorting and conjuring up plans to smuggle my cats out of here, you hear me? A rescue mission is not needed. Not for them, and not for me.”
Aliyah scrunched her face. “So, you’re telling me you’re a cat dad now? I’m having a hard time processing this new information.”
Wordlessly, Levi took the kittens from his sisters and cradled all three of them along the bed of his forearm, stroking the fur between their ears.
Nova blinked. “I’m not sure I would’ve believed it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes. Our brother is evolving, guys.”
Levi brushed past the quartet to return the kittens to their blanket nest. “And yet somehow you’re still as dramatic as ever.”
