in front of the cottage as Starr answered. “Of course. Life is so busy, I never take enough.”
“Don’t worry, she’ll take fifty,” Daphne said. “And if you ask nicely, she’ll make you a memory board or a scrapbook, too.”
“Starr doesn’t have to ask. I make them for everyone. I’ll make you one,” Chloe offered.
“Thank you. I’d love that.” Starr crouched beside Gracie and said, “Do you want to show our new friends your hula dance?”
Gracie nodded, a bright smile forming on her tiny lips. She wiggled her hips, and they all cheered and clapped as Gabe, Madigan, and an exotic-looking brunette Chloe assumed was Marly joined them on the porch.
“I wish I had that little one’s moves, and wow, Chloe, look at you!” Gabe exclaimed. “If I could fit my tatas into coconuts and my derriere into a grass skirt, I’d wear them every day.” She took off her bright yellow floppy rain hat, and her wild red curls tumbled down her back.
“If I were as voluptuous as you, I’d flaunt it all over creation.” Madigan gave Gabe a quick hug and said, “But don’t you dare wear a coconut bra around my grandfather. You’d give him a heart attack.”
“You can have Gabe’s body if I get her hair,” the olive-skinned, almond-eyed brunette who’d arrived with them said. “I know everyone except you two.” She pointed at Chloe and Daphne and said, “You must be the founders of our book club, Chloe and Daphne. I’m Marly Bowers, FlippinPages on the forum. I love the site, by the way, and thanks for letting me tag along tonight. I’m excited to meet you in person.”
“We’re excited, too. I’m Chloe, ChapterChick on the site. And this is Daphne, my partner in book-club crime. How do you know Mads?”
“I met her through a mutual friend, Jace Stone, who’s now married to another book club member, Madigan’s cousin Dixie.”
“We know her,” Chloe said.
“I love her,” Marly said. “I met Jace at Bikes on the Beach years before he and Dixie became an item, after I lost my brother to a motorcycle accident.”
“I’m sorry about your brother,” Chloe and Daphne said at once.
“Thank you. It was his first time on a motorcycle, and like a lot of young guys, he thought he was indestructible and rode without a helmet,” Marly explained. “It was horrible. I lost my best friend, and I miss him every day. But we’re not going down that road tonight. Anyway, when I met Jace, I had just started the Head Safe helmet program to try to keep other families from having to face the same thing we did. Jace helped me get started and introduced me to the Dark Knights. That’s how I met Mads, and through them I met Gabe, Starr, and Steph.”
Madigan put her arm around Marly and said, “And now she’s stuck with us.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Marly said.
“Neither would we,” Steph said.
Gracie banged on the screen door, and Starr swooped her into her arms. “No, no, baby. Don’t hit the screen.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m the worst hostess tonight, keeping you on the porch,” Chloe exclaimed. “Come inside.”
Chloe followed them in, and there was a round of oohs and ahhs over the decorations as they took off their rain jackets and hung them in the closet. Chloe was glad everyone had dressed for the occasion in cute Hawaiian-print sundresses and tops.
“This is going to be so fun,” Steph said as she walked into the living room. “You really went all out, Chloe. I love the decorations.”
“It looks like a certain little lady loves the decorations, too,” Daphne said as Starr chased after Gracie, who was making a beeline for the card table’s grass skirt.
“Careful, Gracie,” Starr said gently. “No pulling on the grass.”
Gracie blinked up at her and said, “No gass.”
“That’s right, sweetie.” Starr ran a hand down her daughter’s back and said to the others, “Thanks for letting me bring my baby girl. If she gets into too much trouble or gets whiney, I’ll take off so she doesn’t ruin everyone’s night.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve got lots of helping hands tonight,” Daphne said.
Chloe pointed to the basket of toys and said, “I bought a few provisions, just in case.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I brought her toys in my bag,” Starr said. “But thank you. That was really nice of you.”
Chloe got the kebabs out of the oven and they chatted as she transferred them to a platter. “I set up the dining room