Sierra’s backyard had been turned into a beautiful haven. A canopy of lights were strung between the second-floor balcony and the trees that lined the perimeter of the yard, casting a soft glow over the space. There were picnic tables and camp chairs set up in the grass and around a roaring campfire.
A blond boy who couldn’t have been more than five or six stood by the fire, glaring at it like it had offended him, while a younger girl with bright red hair held a marshmallow over the flames.
Samuel Torres, one of Danielle’s other brothers, stood with them, holding a blond girl in his arms and helping her roast her own marshmallow.
The scene was far more domestic than the birthday party at the club two years ago when I’d first kissed Danielle.
“Do you want a drink?” Danielle asked, pulling me toward the deck where coolers were lined up against the wall.
“On a scale of one to ten, what are the chances I canget through the entire night without being interrogated by your brothers?”
“Zero?”
“Lovely. In that case, I’ll definitely need that drink.”
She fished a beer out of a cooler for me and grabbed a can of seltzer for herself. “Relax, Hayden. This is my family. They just want me to be happy, and they’ll see that you make me happy.”
“Do I?”
“Is that a serious question? Of course you do.” She laced her fingers with mine and dragged me toward the campfire.
“Aunt Dani!” The redheaded girl, who had to be Sierra and Nathaniel’s daughter, shoved her marshmallow stick into the little boy’s hand and hugged Danielle’s legs.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you doing?”
“Good. We’re making s’mores.”
Danielle smiled. “You are?”
“Uh-huh. Dion’s helping me.”
The boy currently roasting her marshmallow looked over and narrowed his eyes at us. I narrowed mine right back at him.
“Hayden,” Danielle hissed.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“Donotglare at my nephew.”
Of course the kid was related to one of her brothers.
“He started it,” I muttered under my breath.
“Really, Hayden? He’s five. Please try to be the adult here.”
Trying to ignore the glaring kid, I focused on Danielle and the little girl who looked so at home in her arms.
“Nova, can you say hi to my husband?” Danielle turned so the girl could see me better. “This is Hayden.”
Nova stared at me with big green eyes, and I felt something tug in my gut. There was something about her innocence that made me want to protect her from the world.
“New uncle?” Nova asked in a whisper.
The tugging feeling increased. Oh shit. I didn’t know the first thing about kids or being someone’s uncle. It hadn’t once occurred to me that by marrying Danielle I would technically become an uncle to her brothers’ kids.
“Yep,” Danielle said. “Just like Aunt Piper.”
She nodded, then looked between Danielle and me and dropped another bomb. “You having a baby?”
