Page 196 of Little Sunshine

It’d been casual and intimate and so breathtakingly perfect.

A dream.

Which was why my answer was nothing but the truth. “I’m good.” I wasn’t a natural hostess, but I could bullshit with the best of them, so that was what I did. “Did everyone get enough to eat? There’s lots of cake.”

“Speaking of…” Maggie skewered me with a look and lowered her voice. “Do you have any dirt on Freddy?”

The hairs on the back of my neck rose. As did my protective instincts.

Ash just dealt with a rat in his professional life.

He doesn’t need one in his own family.

Before I could figure out how to answer, she continued talking. “Or maybe a bribe idea? I’m open to either. I just need him to fork over that cake recipe for my restaurant.”

My shoulders loosened. “I don’t think you’ll have any luck. He’s pretty, uh, particular about his methods.”

“All good chefs are. But I still want those recipes. I’ve never had a strawberry cake that tasted so fresh. And the cream cheese frosting?—”

“Oh my God,” Emily cried, “stop talking about food. I already ate too much. I might pass out on the pool table.”

“My, how things change,” Violet said. “Instead of sleeping it off from the tequila bar, it’s a taco bar taking you down.”

“I haven’t passed out from tequila in forever.”

“It was when we were all here last year.”

“Which was forever ago. Exactly what I said.”

I did my best to follow along with their easy banter and mild bullying. I could’ve listened for hours, but their conversation was cut short when there was a loud clatter, and a sharp cry pierced the air.

Maggie, Emily, and Andrea shared a look before hightailing it toward the chaos.

“Not mine yet,” Violet said since her only kid was sleeping on her chest. Her hazel eyes scanned me. “Seriously, though, you doing okay? Everyone blowing in at once is like throwing you in the deep end of our insane family pool.”

I laughed because she wasn’t wrong. “It’s been fun.”

“Fun. Chaos. Potato, po-tah-to.” She smiled. “I’m glad we didn’t scare you away. Even if he’s annoying, it’s nice seeing my brother so happy about something other than work. And I like having you here.” Her smile turned mischievous. “And not just because I need someone to hold Charlie while I run to the bathroom. Although…”

Before I even knew what was happening, Violet transferred her baby into my arms.

Her tiny human baby.

Her vulnerable baby.

“Just support her neck,” she muttered, adjusting my hold before stepping back. “There. Perfect. Be right back.”

And then she left.

My panicked gaze lifted from the sleeping baby to search for Ash. When I spotted him, he was already on his way across the tent toward me.

Oh no.

I’m doing something wrong.

But when he reached me, it wasn’t to rescue the baby from my incompetence. It was to shoot a dimpled grin down at me.

That alone was enough to make my brain turn to goo, but he wasn’t done. His already deep voice was laced with huskiness. “Like seeing you with a baby, sunshine.”

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