up as best friends,” Ace explained. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We were getting ready to make sand pictures. Would you like to join us?”
“I don’t know how,” she answered hesitantly.
“That’s okay. Mine will end up looking like Shelby’s dog threw up on it,” Ali laughed.
“In that case, I’ll give it a whirl. I enjoy being creative,” she added.
“Oh, you’re going to fit in well here,” Ace shared with a smile.
Glancing up to get Osiris’ permission, Kenzie allowed the two to pull her over to a large white table set up in the backyard. Ali whispered close to her ear, “Beau, Shelby’s Daddy, is smart. He set us up out here because sand gets everywhere.”
“You’ve tried it?”
“No, but our Daddy found us in California. We practically grew up on the beach,” Ali shared as they climbed over the bench seat to sit with the others. “Sand gets everywhere. You think you’ve gotten rid of it, and there’s always more on the floor.”
Kenzie looked around all the friendly faces as they drew a design on their cardboard page. After glancing up at the deck where the Daddies sat keeping a watchful eye on the Littles, drinking bottles of beer, Kenzie asked, “Did everyone know their Daddies before they got involved?”
Head shakes and nopes answered her. “My Daddy found me during a fire. He saved me and Cupcake.”
“That’s so romantic! My Daddy was the big boss,” Shelby enthused.
“My Daddy kept the bad guys away,” Lindy added softly.
“They all rescued us in different ways,” Nicky suggested, looking around the gathering.
“That’s exactly right,” Rita agreed. “But we’re all safe here at SANCTUM. Let’s play a game so we can get acquainted. I’ll put out a topic, and you all tell me your answers. Then, it will be someone else’s turn. So… What’s your favorite green food?”
“Zucchini,” Ali answered. Everyone else answered. No one else liked zucchini. “Your turn, Kenzie.”
“How old is everyone?” she asked.
“Little age or actual age?”
“Let’s start with real age,” Kenzie suggested, settling back in her chair. She liked this group.
Chapter 19
When the welcoming party was over, Kenzie sat cuddled on Osiris’ lap as Shelby rested against Beau’s chest. The men discussed how to speed up the construction of Osiris’ house. The building manager would visit tomorrow to create a plan for the build.
“Osiris? Are you going to stay in your house until the construction is finished?”
The large man nodded slowly. “I don’t see an alternative. There’s nothing keeping me in town, but I don’t want Kenzie to live in a tent for several months,” he joked with a thread of honesty.
“I might have an alternative for you. Deke Brennan has finished his house. He’s opening a new branch in the northwest before settling here,” Jeremy shared.
“Has he found his Little?” Osiris asked.
“The last we heard, he’s found her. She’s shy, so he’s moving slowly,” Beau added.
All three men nodded in understanding. Wooing one’s Little was a Daddy’s most important task. Everyone sat quietly for a few breaths as they remembered meeting each other in the beginning. For Shelby, Jeremy, and Beau, their relationship was well established now, but for Osiris and Kenzie, they could remember their meeting clearly. Almost as if it had been just a few days ago.
Kenzie met her Daddy’s gaze. She knew he was thinking the same thing. In length of time, they hadn’t been together for long. In depth of commitment, they’d weathered the accusations of Kenzie’s ex-husband and her incarceration. She trusted him more than anyone.
“Anyway, he’s gone for several months. His house is standing empty. I have a feeling he’d be glad to have someone living there to take care of everything,” Beau shared.
“That would be ideal. I could go clear out my house and put it on the market. Kenzie and I could be here as our house is built,” Osiris said and pressed a kiss to his Little’s cheek when she looked at him in excitement.
“Do you have Deke’s number?” Osiris asked, pulling out his phone.
“We’re going to need a directory before too long so we can all stay in contact. I do have his number,” Jeremy assured him and dictated the digits for Osiris to record in his cell.
“Thanks. I’ll call him tomorrow. If it works, great. If not, we’ll make a trip up here every other week to check on the progress,” Osiris commented.
“He kenneled his dog at his headquarters’ home. I know Deke worries about him. You can’t have a mastiff in a hotel room. The maids run for