Page 160 of Play Along

“Coming,” she says. “Kennedy! Hi! So glad you came.”

“Really?” Isaiah holds his hands out. “My own family and no one is going to say hi to me?”

“No,” Kai quickly answers.

“Honestly, I see you plenty,” Miller says over her shoulder as she follows Kai and Max to the stairs. “I’m much more excited to see my friend.”

Two more people come in from the backyard. Rio, and a man, who if I didn’t already know was Ryan Shay, it’d be fairly obvious by the similarities he shares with his twin sister.

But it’s impossible to not know who Ryan Shay is, especially in Chicago.

“Hey, Kennedy. Good to see you again, I guess.” Rio’s voice holds no inflection.

Zanders bursts a laugh from the kitchen.

“Get it together, Rio!” Indy calls.

“So glad you could be here,” he corrects before shooting Indy a deadpanned glare.

“What’s that about?” I ask.

“Guy’s a little sensitive about being the only one of us who isn’t paired off these days.” Ryan holds his hand out to me. “Hey, I’m Ryan.”

“Kennedy.”

“I’ve heard that name so many fucking times,” Ryan laughs to himself.

“For fuck’s sake,” Isaiah mutters under his breath.

Ryan pats him on the back before adding another dirty tray onto the sink. Judging by the toppings that Zanders is slicing, it’s burger night here at the Shay house.

“You need help with the grill?” Isaiah asks.

“I can help!” Indy calls out.

“Not you,” Ryan quickly disagrees. “Stay inside, Blue. Kick your feet up and don’t do anything.”

She rolls her eyes.

“I got you,” Isaiah says before turning to me, hand snaked around my hip. “Are you good?”

As I nod, he leans down to kiss my temple before following Ryan outside, Zanders and Rio following not far behind.

I make my way to Indy in the living room, taking one of the comfy-looking chairs across from her just as Stevie and Miller come back downstairs to join us. Stevie takes the spot next to her sister-in-law and my sister-in-law takes the chair next to me.

“You look great, Kennedy. I love that jacket.”

“So do you, Stevie. Good to see you again.”

Honestly, all the girls look great, in styles that are unique to them.

Stevie in a pair of loose jeans, flannel tied around her waist.

Indy in a lavender sundress and high-top Converse.

Miller in her signature overalls, sunglasses slipped on top of her head, and bare feet.

“So, Ryan is a little—”

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