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Logan found himself the focus of a pair of bright blue eyes. A little girl with blonde hair stared at him inquisitively from Carter’s lap. Her eyes rounded when Blue and Pepper entered the kitchen.
“Doggies!” she squealed.
Carter held on to her as she made to bolt from his knee. “Remember what we said, Maisie. You need to be gentle so you don’t scare them.”
Maisie bit her lip and nodded. Carter carefully put her on the floor.
Logan squatted between the dogs and placed his hands on their necks to keep them still.
“Come say hello to Blue and Pepper, Maisie,” he said with a smile.
Maisie headed over, her eyes sparkling. Pepper wagged her tail as the little girl softly stroked her head and back. Blue sniffed Maisie’s hand hesitantly. He started licking her fingers with slobbery enthusiasm, his tail beating so fast it blurred.
Maisie giggled and squirmed. “That tickles!”
“Who wants to tell her Blue is probably after the hot dog he can taste on her fingers,” Hunter whispered.
Theo hushed him.
Maisie looked at Logan. “Are you Uncle Miles’s friend?” she asked with the innocent curiosity of a four-year old.
“I am,” Logan replied lightly.
Hunter smirked. “He’s hisspecial—Ouch!”
Nathan had jabbed an elbow in his ribs.
Miles narrowed his eyes at Hunter.
“You should buy that muzzle,” James told Theo.
Maisie’s gaze swung to Miles and back. “I’m gonna marry Uncle Miles when I’m all grown up.”
Logan tried hard not to laugh at Miles’s mortified face. He arched an eyebrow at the little girl. “You are?”
Maisie bobbed her head. “Ah-huh.”
Roman grinned and tipped his beer bottle at Logan. “Looks like you have competition.”
Izzy came into the kitchen just as Wyatt took home-made pizzas out of the oven. Her shoulders tightened a little when she saw Miles and Logan seated at the table.
“Hey,” she murmured, pasting a smile across her face.
Logan noted the way she carefully avoided his gaze.
Maisie sneaked food to the two dogs under the table throughout dinner and giggled every time they licked her fingers. Though the conversation flowed easily, Logan was conscious Izzy avoided talking to him directly.
Miles and the others didn’t seem to notice.
Elijah bowed out of playing poker and headed into the den with Maisie and the dogs. Miles and Izzy joined them a short while later.
Logan ended up winning the game.
It took him a moment to realize the other men were staring at him with bemused expressions as he gathered his cards. “What?”
“James normally beats us at poker,” Drake said.
“Although it’s often a close call between him and Tristan,” Alex remarked.
