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She’d been just about to usher them out the door when the doorbell rang. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her he was ten minutes early.
Dammit.
Her two worlds were about to collide—precisely what she’d been trying to avoid.
“I’ll get it!” Asher cried and ran toward the door.
“Stop!” Chloe demanded and marched toward him already only a few feet from the entry. “What have I told you about answering the door?”
Her grandson looked at the ground and mumbled, “It’s a grownup’s job.”
“And are you a grownup?”
“No.”
“No,” Chloe agreed. In one hand, she held his while she opened the door with the other.
“Aiden! Hi! Nice to see you again, and… who’s this?”
Dakota heard him say, “These are my daughters, Brianna and Kailey.”
He brought his girls?
Why would he do that—especially without telling her first?
“Hi, I’m Chloe—Dakota’s daughter. And this guy,” she put her hands on Asher’s shoulders, “is my son, Asher.”
Kailey smiled and waved at the little guy staring at her. “Hi, Asher.”
“Please, come in,” Chloe said, stepping aside. Ash hid behind her legs, studying the newcomers.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kailey said as she stepped through the door, followed by Brianna, then Aiden.
“Nice meeting you. Is Barney here?” Brianna asked as she looked around.
“How do you know Barney?” Asher demanded.
“We met him on a hike last summer.”
Her answer appeased him, and he replied, “Oh. Barney’s staying at my house.”
Aiden saw Dakota and broke out into a wide grin.
He approached her, and with a fake, backwoodsy Southern drawl, used a line from the movie. “What kind of name is Ed for a pretty thing like you?”
He looked great—his hair was sticking up everywhere, she could only imagine how much product he had to have used. And his outfit was spot on.
She couldn’t help but return his grin as she barked Holly Hunter’s line, “Short for Edwina. Turn to the right.”
They both burst out laughing as their offspring looked on, confused. Which only made the moment more special, like they were sharing a secret.
Asher was still staring at Kailey and finally said, “I know you. You helped me pick out my costume.”
Kailey gave him a sweet smile. “Good to see you again, Asher! Did you end up going with the Spiderman one?”
He nodded enthusiastically. There had been no changing his mind after the pretty blonde girl had told him she thought Spiderman was the perfect costume choice.
Aiden moved closer to Dakota to murmur in her ear, “I hope you don’t mind I brought the girls before dropping them off. They wanted to see us dressed up together.”
