She beamed at him when he hooked her to his side. “What’d you thinks, Motorcycle Dad? Do you thinks I’m gonna go to Russia and do all the dances in the ballet?”
“Absolutely, Little Bee,” he promised, pressing a kiss to her chubby cheek.
My head spun, my spirit abuzz as if I was tossed headfirst into the chaos of this close family.
Floundering through the fullness of it.
“Who’s that?” Gage smiled at me with a tilt of his head.
“You’re looking at one of my oldest friends, Gage. Her name is Aster.” Logan watched me with something I couldn’t decipher.
Energy lapped between us.
A tiny thread that weaved and grew.
If I wasn’t careful, it’d become more powerful than the two of us.
This pull I needed to ignore.
If I were smart, I’d run up the aisle and disappear forever because I’d bitten off more than I’d bargained for.
Logan was already too much.
Toss the rest of his family into the mix?
I gulped and tried to pin on a smile when Logan’s sweet niece piped in, “Oh, friends are the bestest and the most important in all the whole world except for the families. Is she your favorite friend, Uncle Logan?”
“She used to be. I keep wondering if there’s a chance she might be again.”
Redness flashed, climbed my chest and my cheeks.
This was bad.
So bad.
“Well, you look like a really good kind of friend to me, Miss Aster,” Gage cut in. “Like the kind you get to marry when you get older and you love forever and ever. Just like I love Juni Bee to the highest mountain and I’m gonna marry her when I get big.”
“But no kissin’. Blech.” The little girl’s nose curled in disgust.
A rustle of laughter moved through the adults.
Logan set Gage onto his feet and ruffled his hand through his hair. “Sorry to break it to you, Gage, man, but Juni here is now your cousin since her mom married your uncle Jud. You’re going to have to pick a new wife.”
“No way, nuh-uh, not a chance.” Juni furiously shook her head.
Affection wrapped me. A stunning amount of it. They were adorable. So sweet.
“These two.” Eden was suddenly in front of me, sweet amusement playing through her expression. “Aster, I’m Eden. I belong to this one.”
She sent a sultry smile toward Trent.
“That’s right, Kitten,” he grumbled.
Apparently these Lawsons had no issues staking claims.
“It’s really nice to meet you,” she said.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I floundered, trying to hold it together. “The show was beautiful. I loved every second.”