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“He used to sleep with it over his head, with a finger in the binding,” Brody said with a smug look on his face.
“Aw cute,” Birdie said. “Do you still have it?”
“Have what?” Sawyer was looking at the groom, who’d just arrived with his brother and another guy they’d met briefly at the rehearsal dinner.
“Your blankie.”
“No.” But he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“What did you call that, bud?” Dan asked him.
“This conversation is done,” Sawyer said.
“He couldn’t say truck for a while,” Robyn said, clearly not worried her eldest was uncomfortable.
“Mom,” Sawyer cautioned her.
“So, he would swear every time he said the word.”
“That’s right, he named it fruckee,” Brody said, snapping his fingers.
“We went with that because the other word wasn’t suitable for when we were out in public,” Robyn Duke said.
“Yeah, F-U-C-K has a way of upsetting people,” Dan said, spelling it.
Birdie was giggling now. They were fun this family, and it may only be for a few days, but she was going to enjoy spending time with them.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying my humiliation,” he growled into her ear.
“What was your blanket called, Birdie?” Robyn asked, and suddenly she wished she hadn’t told them she’d had one.
“Ah, well, I can’t remember.”
“Yes you can,” Sawyer said. “Spill.”
“Dribble Berry Huffin Puff.”
The laughter was instant and loud from all the Dukes. Brody was howling so hard soon he was crying. Sawyer was snorting softly beside her.
“What? It’s a cool name!”
“Describe this blanket,” Sawyer said. “I bet it wasn’t as cool as mine.”
“You know who my parents are, right? It was made from patches of clothes my family grew out of. Mom said it was more special that way.”
“That is so awesome,” Zoe said. “Clearly our mother didn’t love you enough, Sawyer, to put that much effort into your fruckee.”
“Clearly,” Robyn Duke said.
Around her, the Duke family debated the fact their mother had not loved them enough to make them blankets from family clothing. Robyn was laughing, as clearly that wasn’t true and her children were her world.
“Did you get teased much in school?” Sawyer asked her.
“Because I was one of those crazy McAllisters?”
“You said that, not me.”
Birdie shrugged. “Sometimes, but my siblings were pretty protective.” She looked at him. He was close. If she reached out, Birdie could easily trail a finger down his cheek. “I never noticed your eyes before.”
