Page 106 of The Last Thing
Where I’m expecting her to stick her tongue out at me, she wrings her hands together and glances at the clock.
Oh, I get it.
Crossing the distance between us, I stop in front of her. “Is my hellion nervous?”
She meets my gaze, vulnerability shimmering in her eyes. “I want them all to like you and welcome you.”
“I can handle whatever they throw at me.”
“I know, but I’ve never brought anyone around before. I need them to understand how much you mean to me.” She grabs my hand. “Because I?—”
“Are we going?” Sophia asks, dancing into the room.
I hang my head. How is it that kids can ruin a moment so effectively? Because I swear Hallie was just about to say a certain L-word. Maybe not. Maybe I’m reading into it. But there’s no way I’m going to find out with Sophia still standing here.
Sophia frowns. “Daddy, put a shirt on.”
I hold my hands up. “Sorry. Sorry. I’m going.”
Satisfied with that, Sophia leaves the room, and I lean in and kiss Hallie’s cheek. “Don’t worry. They’re going to love us.”
She smiles faintly, but she’s obviously still nervous. While I don’t want her to be, I also love how much this means to her. How much our little family means to her.
Hallie’s handis wrapped tightly around mine as she swings open the front door to Kennedy and Devon’s home.
Kennedy—who I recognize from the pictures in Hallie’s apartment—appears in the entryway before we’ve shut the door.
“Hi! You must be the newest members of this crazy clan. I’m Kennedy?—”
“Hallie’s super cousin.”
“That’s right,” Kennedy laughs. “And you must be Sophia.”
Sophia’s face brightens even more. “That’s me.”
“It’s so good to meet you. We need more Baker girls around here.”
Soph scrunches up her nose. “But that’s not my last name.”
“You’re an honorary Baker girl.”
“Okay, I love that.” She gives Kennedy a big hug, then Frannie, Mark, and a guy I’m assuming is Devon appear.
“Hi, Frannie. Hi, Mark,” Sophia says.
“Hey, want to come with us?” Frannie asks. “There’s some yummy food and drinks in the kitchen.”
Sophia looks up at me. “Can I?”
“Go ahead.”
She walks off with Frannie and Mark, and Kennedy and Devon focus on me.
“So, you’re the one who knocked up my sweet, innocent baby cousin.”
“Here we go,” Hallie mutters under her breath.
“If you think she’s innocent, then this is all a sham and you’re not really related.”
