Page 82 of Seven of Hearts

Feet thundered overhead as the collective herd of children raced across the living room.

Leah shook her head. “I have no idea how they have so much energy. I did homework with Gio and Ellie after school and then they played outside until everyone started coming over for poker. I thought for sure they would be worn out.”

“Pretty sure most of that chaos is from my wombats,” Jason McGrath said as he slipped behind the bar and grabbed a beer. “When you put all the kids together, it creates a hive mind.”

“Which is why we feed them and then send them upstairs to torture your sister for two hours,” Luca said.

“Hey, I’m counting on her babysitting services soon. Don’t burn her out.”

Luca handed me two fancy looking umbrella drinks. “Enjoy, lovebirds.”

Leah managed the plates of pizza slices while I carried our drinks to a large semicircle couch. I set them down on the coffee table, then took the plates from her and set them down so I could help her sit. She waited, pretty as a picture, while I snagged a throw pillow for her back.

“Need anything?” I asked as I balanced her plate of pizza on top of her bump. It was her favorite tray table.

“No, I’m good,” she said as she grabbed the first slice and took a happy bite. “Thank you, though.”

“All right. Move,” Kylie said as she hip-checked me out of the way and plopped down beside Leah. “You had her all week. Share.”

“If memory serves, you were always the one who had trouble sharing,” I countered, side-eyeing Kylie as I leaned in and kissed Leah.

“Remember that time you fractured your arm when I tripped you because I was mad that you scratched up my Jesse McCartney CD?” Kylie draped her arms around Leah. “She is my human Jesse McCartney CD. Let me listen to her in peace and don’t you dare scratch her, or else.”

I chuckled. “Holler if you need something, honeybee.”

Kylie shoved me away.

I found a seat with a cluster of the guys, settling in beside Will, Bryan, Isaac Lawson, and Steve Pelham—my new neighbor.

“You guys ready to move?” Steve asked as he took a pull from his beer bottle.

I nodded. “Getting there. Hopefully, we’ll have most of her stuff packed up by the time we get the keys.”

Isaac Lawson loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair. “If you need help moving, just ask.”

“Honestly, I might take y’all up on that,” I said. “Leah’s apartment is on the third floor and the elevator’s always broken. I know she’ll start carrying boxes and moving furniture if she gets antsy.”

Steve chuckled. “Just tell us the day and time.” He swung a finger around the room. “Between all of us, we can probably get it in a single trip. It’ll be an hour tops.”

“I’ll let you know,” I said. “I appreciate it. I know Leah does too.”

“You’re family,” Steve said. “Erica’s excited that y’all are moving in. There’s a short path that goes through the tree line between our houses. It’s pretty overgrown. I’m gonna work on clearing it this weekend so Leah can come over without walking the long way down the drive. I know your house needs a little work. At least it did the last time I was over there. I’ve got tools in my garage. Help yourself to whatever you need.”

“I’ll have to wait for Leah’s go-ahead for that,” I said with a laugh. “I have a feeling she’s already got colors and finishes picked out for everything. I don’t want to have to re-do it.”

“Smart man,” Isaac said.

When I was a teenager living in a tiny single-wide trailer with my five siblings, I always resented the fact that Kristin made a point to slip out every Monday night for poker.

She never talked about it much, so I always assumed that poker night was exactly what it sounded like. A little gambling. Drinks. Shooting the shit.

And to some extent, that was it; though no one ever gambled anything more than single dollar bills and quarters.

I got it now.

She didn’t go to poker to get away from us younger kids. She went to poker because she needed to.

Because Steve and Chase would come over to the trailer and help with repairs. Because Erica would watch my younger siblings while Kristin was at work. Because Hannah Jane had given Kylie an internship when she wanted to get into event planning. Because Isaac was never more than a phone call away if I needed business advice, even though he was busy being a real estate mogul.

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