I grabbed her face and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “I love you, Hawaii.”
“I love you too, Leo,” she said. “Now let’s go before they come out here to get us.”
As we stepped through the front door, we were immediately met by a blonde couple with big smiles. They pulled Sophia into a hug together and when she stepped back, she looked at me, grinning.
“Dad, Kennedy, this is my boyfriend, Leo. He’s in love with me and he treats me great,” she said proudly.
I snorted. “I think it’s more effective if I say it myself, Hawaii.” I shook both of their hands. “Thank you for letting me stay on such short notice. And I am totally in love with her.”
Sophia shook her head as Kennedy’s eyes roamed over me with a curious look on her face. “I see how this friends-with-benefits situation got away from you, Soph,” she said.
“Thewhatsituation?” Danny asked, narrowing his eyes at his wife before glancing at me apprehensively.
“Don’t worry about it, Dad,” Sophia said, pushing past him and moving toward the kitchen to the right of the living room. “I’m starving.”
We all followed her as two blonde, shaggy-haired boys—completely identical in appearance—came sprinting down the spiral staircase in the living room.
“Sophia!” they yelled, charging toward her. They were both wearing shorts and bright blue T-shirts that made the blue of their eyes stand out. Clearly, Sophia and the boys got their eyes from her father.
She stopped walking and bent down into a squat with a huge smile on her face as they barreled into her chest. “Hi, boys.”
“You have to see our Christmas stuff!” one of them said.
“Yeah!” the other added, more subdued than the first, but still clearly excited to see his big sister. “I got a model rocket that Dad said he’d build with me on the beach.”
“That’s awesome,” Soph said, ruffling his hair before turning to the other. “What about you? What was your favorite gift?”
“The new Nintendo system!” the other boy said.
“That’s both of ours!” the first one complained.
The second boy shrugged as if this was only a minor inconvenience to him.
“Boys, why don’t you let your sister get some food?” Danny said. “She’s had a long flight.”
Sophia stood up and both boys turned to look at me.
“Is this your boyfriend?” the more boisterous one asked. “Mom said you were bringing home a boyfriend.”
I smirked at Sophia and turned to the boys. “I’m Leo and I’m happy to say that, yes, I am Sophia’s boyfriend.”
“Cool!” the boisterous twin said. “Do you really play hockey? Where did you learn to skate? Can we get your autograph?”
I laughed and looked at Sophia as I ran a hand through my hair. She hadn’t been kidding about the questions.
“You know, you’re the first person to ask me for an autograph, little man,” I said, bending down to his level. “Which one are you?”
“Isaac!” he exclaimed proudly.
“Well, Isaac, go get me something to sign.”
“See, I told you it was okay to ask,” he said to Ian as they both turned and ran back toward the stairs.
“Not to sound rude, but how the hell am I supposed to tell them apart?” I asked, looking between Kennedy and Danny.
“Ian’s the quiet one. Isaac will be the one attached to you for the rest of your stay,” Kennedy said. “And if all else fails, call them bothlittle man, unless it becomes essential to know who you’re talking to.”
“If you want to eat, you better start before they come back,” Danny said, leading us to the kitchen. Sophia hopped onto a bar stool at the counter while Danny pulled out containers of leftovers from the fridge. “What do you want?”
