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“I could eat this every day,” Avon said, scooping up another bite of creamed tortellini.
“Yeah, it’s really good,” Grady agreed.
“Thanks. You don’t mind the spinach?”
Grady side-eyed his wife. “She’s got me eating spinach every other night at home. I had to accept it or starve.”
I laughed, remembering how much my brother had always hated spinach.
“Good for you,” I said to Avon. “Spinach is so healthy, and it has a great depth of flavor.”
“Avon, do you want to come to our sleepover tonight?” Marley asked.
“Me?” Avon smiled. “I would be delighted to come, thank you.”
Marley sent me a gap-toothed smile. “It’s in my castle.”
“Nice. We’re all queens who belong in castles anyway.”
“Uh, the castle is for reading and you’ll be sleeping on the floor,” Holt said.
Marley rolled her eyes. “There are lots of pillows in there, Daddy.”
I hid my smile. Marley had opened up to me a lot in the past month, and I wasn’t going to turn down any invitation she offered me.
“You want to watch the game tonight?” Holt asked Grady.
“Sure. I’ll have to go home to let the dog out at some point.”
My brother had come a long way in the past month, too. He initially wanted to fight Holt for being in a relationship with me, which was absurd but also classic Ryan Grady. Slowly, though, he’d lightened up after spending time with the two of us and the kids.
“Okay, it’s time for linguini with vodka sauce,” I said, standing up.
“Let me just loosen my belt first,” Grady grumbled. “I just ate an entire plate of the tortellini.”
“Which I told you not to do because there was another pasta to try,” I reminded him.
“I couldn’t help it. It was good.”
Holt helped me clear dishes and plate the linguine.
“Let me grate some parm for this real quick,” I said, walking over to the fridge.
These days, I knew this kitchen better than my own. Holt’s builder had created a perfect space for a gourmet, with top-of-the-line appliances and lots of little touches like a pot filler and a warming drawer.
“So Holt, how are you keeping from gaining a ton of weight with Shea cooking for you every day?” Avon asked. “I think I’d just give in and buy elastic waistband pants.”
He chuckled. “I had to up the distance of my morning run, but it’s so worth it.”
I brought over a block of parmesan cheese and Holt was waiting with the grater. “I’ve got the grating. You just put it on like you want it.”
I sprinkled grated cheese on each plate of pasta and Spencer delivered the plates to the table.
“This would be a good time to be a cow,” Grady told Spencer.
“So you could have milk?” Spencer asked.
“No, because they have more than one stomach.”
