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ON SUNDAY, HANNAH fought down the urge to vomit as Blake cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. The smell of meat was turning her stomach horribly, but the last thing she wanted to do was explain to her boyfriend and a house full of his friends why she had a sour stomach.
Charge sat next to his master, staring at him hopefully, and Hannah shook her head as Blake tossed him a piece of hot dog. Charge’s enthusiastic chomping just made the nausea worse.
“Han, baby, you okay? You look a little green.” Blake put his arm around her and bent to look into her eyes. “Maybe you should go sit down.”
“Thanks, I think I will.”
He kissed her forehead lovingly, and Hannah went into the house. In the living room, Dani’s son, Noah, was giggling as Milo chased the plastic ball he kept throwing across the room, while Violet and Dani looked on.
The scene made Hannah’s chest tighten. She could easily imagine a black-haired, green-eyed little boy doing the same thing, one who looked a
lot like Blake.
“He’s a cute little booger, huh?”
Hannah jumped at Bryce’s question. “Crap, I didn’t hear you come in.”
The back door slid open, and Violet’s teenaged brother, Casey, went to the fridge, his red head ducking inside. “Blake sent me in to find the cheese. I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“You’re always interrupting, you little brat!” Bryce grabbed Casey in a headlock when he came back out and gave him a noogie, as if he was her kid brother.
“Bryce, you’re going to mess up the do.” He pulled away and smoothed it down dramatically.
“Oh, you trying to impress someone?”
Casey reached out and took Bryce’s hand, dropping to one knee. “Bryce, you know you’re the only girl for me.”
Bryce rolled her eyes at Hannah, who smothered a grin.
“Yeah, see you in eight years, kid.”
Casey jumped to his feet, looking appalled. “But I’ll be eighteen in four.”
“Keyword being teen. Now get out of here before I tell your sister.”
“Tell his sister what?” Violet hollered from the other room.
“Nothing, sis!” Casey covered his heart with the package of sliced cheese. “I’ll be thinking of you, my darling.”
“Jesus.” But Hannah saw the amusement in her eyes and the twitch at the curve of Bryce’s lips.
When Casey closed the door behind him, Hannah couldn’t stop smiling.
“I have to say, I’ve got friends, but you guys are on a whole nother level,” Hannah said.
“How do you mean?” Bryce went into the fridge for a beer. “You want one?”
“No, thanks. I mean that my best friend Nicki and I are close the way all of you are, but our extended group are more like acquaintances. With you guys, it feels like I’m at a family barbeque, rather than just a bunch of friends hanging out.”
Bryce nodded, seeming to understand where she was coming from. “Yeah, that’s true. When Eve and Martinez first started dating, the guys would hang out three or four times a week at Mick’s, and she didn’t get it. They already spent all day together, what the hell could they talk about for another four hours, right? But I think it’s more that they all went through shit and bonded over it. Things like that fuse, and you don’t get between it. Of course, now that Sparks and Best are taken, the hangouts have become more family friendly, but yeah, if you’re welcomed into this group, you’re pretty damn lucky. These guys would put their lives on the line for people they love.”
Hannah flinched. For people they love.
The sliding glass door opened, and Best stuck his head in. “Dani, I got Noah’s hot dog.”
Noah came running into the kitchen as fast as his two-year-old legs would carry him, Milo running beside him, and Best grabbed him, swinging Noah up into his arms.
“Are you hungry, dude?”
