Page 180 of Snap Shot

His mom blinks. “Daisy. I'm Daisy.” She takes my extended hand and doesn't let go. “Sorry…you look…have we met before?”

“I was thinking the same,” his sister adds with a curious smile. “Huh.”

“Oh,uh, I don't think so.” I turn my head to Landon, silently asking for help with widened eyes.

“Jesus,” he mutters under his breath and rubs a hand over his eyes. “Where are your manners, guys? What happened to 'Hi, how are ya?' or 'Merry Christmas?'”

The eldest of the women places a fist on a hip and cups her cheek, tilting her head at me. “Hmm. They're right. Something very familiar.”

“Not you, too, Babi.” One of Landon's arms drapes over his grandmother's shoulders. “You're supposed to be the normal one.”

She grabs my other hand between both of hers. “Never mind. I'm Jana. Welcome!” The same mild smile as Delaney's creases around her mouth. “You must be hungry after that drive. Come, lásko. I made sweets.”

Landon pouts. “I thoughtIwas your lásko.”

“I can have more than one lásko. Don't be a whiner.” Babi beckons us, shuffling toward the kitchen and complimenting my gray peacoat before Daisy puts it away for me.

Landon sloughs off his coat, too. I fix the hem of my sweater where it bunches at my hips, losing my focus on the task from him folding his sleeves up over his forearms. Drool.

“Where's everyone? I was hoping to surprise the kids.”

“Seth and the dads took them to check out the new routes. They'll be back in a sec,” Delaney explains. She knocks the back of Landon's head with an open palm while he's chewing on the last of his pastry, causing him to choke. “And that's for sneezing onto my pillow and turning off the light while I was getting ready this morning.”

He pokes his middle finger into her eye, still coughing.

“Oww!”

“Will you two behave?” Babi scolds. “If not for us, then for our guest, at least. Or you could make yourself useful and help me prep this bramborový salát.”

His sister sticks her tongue out at Landon and joins her mom at the sink to peel potatoes.

“No svícková?” Landon asks.

“Tomorrow. Traditional Christmas dinner tonight.”

Amidst my large, graceless bite of a buttery apricot kolach, the front door slams open. Two sets of footsteps pound across the floor, shedding miniature snowsuits as they barrel toward us.

“Uncle Landy!”

Landon turns from the island and raises an eyebrow. “Do I know you?”

“It's us! Sadie and Gunnar.” The girl takes off her knit hat, her blonde hair sticking up with static. She does the same with her brother, revealing another head of mussy blond hair. “See?”

“No way!” He gasps, bending over with his hands on his knees to get to their eye level. “The Sadie and Gunnar I know are still babies.”

“I not a baby!” his nephew protests.

“Not a baby, eh?” Landon palms the entirety of Gunnar's head as tiny fists fail to meet his thigh. He scoops up the little guy and throws him over his shoulder with a roar. Sadie jumps and tugs at his pant leg, screaming to be lifted. He gives in, tossing her up with one hand, then pelts them with noisy, growled-out kisses as they squeal and giggle, wrapping their tiny arms around their uncle's neck. “You're still babies to me.”

Ow, my ovaries. They're exploding.

“Who's that?” His niece points in my direction.

Landon's smile brightens. “That's Indi. Wanna tell her your names?”

Gunnar curls up into a ball against Landon's chest, going shy.

“My real name's Sarah, but mynicknameis Sadie.” She places a hand on her brother's back. “And this is my baby brother Gunnar.”

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