Peaches and Teddi were jump hugging and I slid down the banister to join them. We all crumpled on the floor as I hit them like a set of bowling pins.

The laughter stopped us in our tracks. Peaches was the craziest of us all, but it felt super right to be together again.

AUSTIN

Ruffian and I watched as the girls flopped around on the floor of the foyer by the door. Rocket, our slap happy cocker spaniel, was getting in on the action, throwing her tongue around like it was a gift.

“Wow. I can’t tell if these girls are good for each other or horrible.” Ruffian took out his phone and snapped a picture. Gaze put his arms around us both.

“Yeah, I have a feeling those screaming giggles will be with us all weekend.” He tapped our chests.

“I don’t know how I wound up with one of them in my place.” I felt myself smiling at their antics. My sister’s friends were a hoot. They were tighter than a camel’s butt in a sandstorm and had a ton of inside jokes. Whenever Teddi had a whim, Peaches and Taylor were there to see that her dreams came true.

Gaze leaned down so I could hear him. “Yeah, so I guess Teddi told Pixie that Taylor moved in? How’s that going?”

I turned to face my adopted brother and his half-brother. “She’s easy company. Way easier than living with Teddi has ever been.”

“Hey! I heard that!” Teddi and the girls had unwound their limbs from each other and she was now focused on him.

“Do you, for one second, think you're easy to live with?” I lifted an eyebrow. She would probably lie right now, but she and I knew she was a lot to deal with. In an amazing way, but still.

“Okay, fine. You got me. But that’s your burden to bear, dear brother.” She took the stairs two at a time and headed at me. I managed to swing her into a headlock and started to tickle her ribs.

“Oh no. Not fair. Not fair. You have those long spider fingers. No.” Teddi went boneless, so I was forced to carry her so as to not hurt her.

Once I had her on the ground, Rocket took it upon herself to jump in Teddi’s lap.

Mike and Ronna stood next to each other in the kitchen doorway. The house was just teeming with people.

“Do you think they have a vacancy down at the Holiday Inn?” Mike asked Ronna loudly.

“I doubt it.” She swung the hand towel over her shoulder.

“Too bad. Because I think the only sane thing to do now is abandon this house and let these kids take it over.” Mike snapped the tongs he used to flip chicken over on the grill at us.