Page 18 of Unbroken

She bounced around my legs, and Piper kneeled to give her the attention she was craving. Sadie immediately flopped onto her back, pawing at the air with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

“I’m going to set this down,” I said. Too wrapped up in the ball of fluff, Piper didn’t seem to care.

I turned the corner into the kitchen and the first person to greet me was Hazel, who had one hand on her swollen stomach. She fist pumped into the air with the other.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said quickly, taking the dip and chips from my hands and kissing my cheek.

“Excuse her,” Luke said, apologizing for his pregnant wife, who set the dish on the counter and shoveled a huge chip with plenty of dip into her mouth at record speed. “She’s been talking about that dip since Thanksgiving.”

I shrugged and set the casserole dish on the counter so I could shake his hand. “Anything for the pregnant woman.”

“And that’s why you’re my favorite,” Hazel mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Amanda was the next to say hi, kissing my opposite cheek and wishing me a happy new year. Reed waved from his spot on the other side of the kitchen where he was standing in front of the sink and elbow-deep in soapy water.

Rounding the island, I pulled open the fridge and retrieved one of the specialty beers I always teased Reed for keeping stocked. I turned back to the kitchen as Josh pushed through the back door with Zach, his six-year-old son in his arms. My mom was following right behind them.

“Hey, babe,” Josh called, and both Amanda and Reed looked up. I couldn’t help but laugh because it happened a lot. With three of them in the relationship, they all ended up answering.

“Do we have Band-Aids?”

Reed responded immediately. “There should be some in our bathroom,” he said, shutting off the water and wiping his hands quickly.

Amanda slid a light wood bowl across the white countertop and dumped the bag of chips Hazel was still eating into it. She walked around the island and met Reed, Josh, and Zach near the back door. Zach reached out for Reed, and Josh passed him off.

Amanda and Reed were as good as stepparents to Zach, although none of them were married. That didn’t matter to them. They cared about him like he was their own.

“What happened?” Amanda asked as the four of them headed toward their bedroom on the other side of the house.

“James and Ivy aren’t here yet?” I asked.

Luke leaned over Hazel and kissed her softly on the neck. He grabbed a chip and tossed it in his mouth as they both gave me a look.

“They’ve already made bets on how late they’ll be,” Hazel announced.

“Young love,” my mom crooned, closing the back door and walking into the kitchen. “It’s so sweet.”

“And very inconvenient,” Luke muttered. “He can’t leave her alone long enough for them to be on time to anything.”

Piper walked into the kitchen with Sadie following behind. She stopped to say her hellos to Hazel and Luke, and then my mom, who smiled and gave her an awkward hug.

I gave my mom a look over Piper’s shoulder. I don’t knowwhat it was, but it was taking her longer than usual to warm up to Piper. If she didn’t get it together, Piper was bound to notice soon.

“So, Piper,” Hazel began. “How late do you think Ivy and James are going to be?”

Piper laughed and tossed her jacket on the rack next to the back door. “Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. But I can’t imagine how Ivy’s okay with that,” she said. “She’s pretty anal about not being late.”

Hazel pursed her lips and laughed to herself. “I think she’s getting something out of it. Something she enjoysmorethan not being late.”

The two of them continued laughing together as Luke jumped in and stirred whatever dish Amanda had left on the stove.

Amanda, Josh, and Reed joined us back in the kitchen, and Zach sprinted back outside, yelling “Hi, Uncle Dev!” as he went. Sadie chased after him and found a ball in the yard that she scooped in her mouth and tossed up into the air.

“You can’t blame him, though,” my mom said, continuing the conversation about James and Ivy. “He spent how long? Over a decade pining for her? He’s gotta make up for lost time.”

“Mom,” I chastised while everyone else murmured their agreement.

She just smiled and patted me on the arm as she reached for the fridge. Piper stood next to me and leaned into my side, holding a glass of wine Hazel had poured for her. I tossed my arm over her shoulder.

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