“Hmm?”
“Are you and Dad okay?”
I looked at her concerned face and paused for thought. I didn’t want to lie to her. As a duo we were not okay. Technically, however, I was going to be okay and Logan was okay. “Yes.”
Although she didn’t look completely convinced, Maia let it go and helped me put more snacks out.
Half an hour later my doorbell rang, and I blinked as a stream of attractive women of different ages moved past me into the sitting room.
Shannon grinned at me as she stood among the crowd. “So you’ve met Jo.” She gestured to Cole’s sister, and we smiled at each other. “And the first person I’m going to introduce you to is Joss.”
A woman around my height with long dark blond hair and tip-tilted eyes took a step forward from the group. She had an arresting, pretty face and a chest I was envious of. She also did not look thirty-five. I’d assumed someone had just done a really great job on her author picture, but nope, the mother of three was young and gorgeous in real life too. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Grace,” Joss said in her husky voice as she held out a hand to shake mine.
“Uh, you too.” I shook her hand. “I told you I’m a big fan, right?”
“She has all your books,” Maia piped in. “Maybe you could sign them.”
“I can do that.” Joss grinned wryly and stepped back.
“I love it.” A leggy, curvy brunette grinned. Another American, by the sound of her accent. “You’re such a rock star to book geeks.” She flushed, her unusual eyes growing round as she stepped toward me. “I didn’t mean to be insulting.” She shook my hand enthusiastically. “I’m Olivia. You can call me Liv. Fellow book geek. I work at the University of Edinburgh Library.”
I was momentarily hypnotized by her. On first glance her face seemed almost plain, but then she smiled and it transformed her. Plus, she had the most stunning hazel eyes. They were so light they were almost gold. That, combined with all her curves and the riot of dark hair tumbling around her shoulders, and I was beginning to feel plain. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“I’m Ellie, Joss’s sister-in-law.” As I shook Ellie’s hand I found myself looking up. She was just as tall as Jo, and just as pretty as the other women, but in a far more subtle, girl-next-door kind of way.
“And I’m Hannah, Ellie’s sister.” Despite the difference in eye color, I could see the similarities between them in their features. However, whereas Ellie could have been a fashion model with her tall, slender figure, Hannah was just slightly taller and had a lot more in the way of curves. She had the kind of figure women all over the world would die for.
“I’ve heard lots about you from Maia,” I said. “It’s lovely to meet you.” I gestured to the snacks. “Please help yourself. Can I get anyone a drink?”
After taking their orders, I went to the kitchen, where Maia and Shannon helped me put together the drinks. We found the women seated in the living room, laughing over something.
“What’s funny?” Shannon said as we settled in among them.
“I just got a text from Nate,” Liv said. “My husband,” she explained to me. “We left the men with the kids approximately half an hour ago and I’m already getting texts. It would seem that Belle and January are fighting over Sophia.”
“Tell Nate to tell the girls that Sophia is not a doll,” Hannah said.
“That’s exactly what I’m texting to Nate. You’d think between him, Braden, Marco, Cole, and Cam, one of them would be able to deal with an argument between two girls.”
Jo snorted. “Especially Nate.”
Liv threw her a dirty look. “Not funny.”
“What am I missing?” I said.
“Nate was a manwhore,” Hannah supplied helpfully. “Before Liv, of course.”
“I’d rather hope so,” I said, making Joss snort.
“Should we be saying the word ‘whore’ in front of Maia?” Ellie asked, her brows puckered in concern.
“Well, you’ve done it twice now, so I reckon the question is redundant.” Maia shrugged.
Shannon grinned at us all. “Did I mention I love my niece?”
We laughed, and I felt something warm bubble up inside me as I saw Maia’s eyes brighten. This was the person she was always meant to be. Being with Logan was changing her, giving her confidence to be herself. Which was proving to be a smart-arse, sarcastic, hilarious, sweet kid who had a habit of making everyone around her fall in love with her.
I watched as Maia settled in with us, not caring she was a fifteen-year-old among women whose ages ranged from twenty-six to thirty-six. She was comfortable and happy listening to the ladies joke about their jobs and their husbands and kids, and I understood why. These women were more than friends. They were all a family. And their warmth drew people like Maia and me in. We were helpless before it. The very definition of a moth to the flame.