“I’ll take it. Thanks.” His smile flashed even wider before he opened the door and stepped out of the car. Amanda rolled her eyes, following close behind him as she carried Poppy with her back into the cold night air. She could hear more dogs barking inside, but only for a second. Something or someone suddenly silenced them as she and Sam made their way to the front door. Sam opened the door for her and ushered her into the warmth of the dimly lit entryway, where they were greeted by three more dogs.

“Oh my gosh. Hello.” She gently set Poppy down and then set about petting and patting every dog she could reach.

“Here. Leave your shoes here.” He nodded toward a row of boots and sneakers by the front door. Some were close to her size but the rest of them were large enough to row a woman and at least three children to safety. His brother Jesse Pleasant was not a small man.

“Oh sure.” She abandoned the puppy parade and toed out of her Converse, setting them beside Sam’s worn boots.

“Come on this way,” he said, motioning down the hallway, where she could suddenly hear voices. The dogs pushed their way ahead, guiding them into the large open living room–kitchen area like a welcoming committee. Sam’s brother was in the kitchen, digging for something in the large pantry. Three women around her age were sitting on the massive sectional and the love seat that took up most of the living space. There was a TV that had to have been eight feet wide mounted to the wall above a Spanish tile fireplace. The opening credits of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan paused on the screen.

“Finally,” the plus-size woman on the love seat groaned as soon as she saw them. The petite woman beside her who appeared to be biracial, Black and Asian, stood, ready to make proper introductions. Another girl who could have been Sam’s twin poked her head up from the couch and offered Amanda a kind smile.

“Corie, shut up. Guys, this is my friend Amanda McQueen. This is Vega,” he said, motioning toward the biracial woman. She came over and shook Amanda’s hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“And that’s my cousin Lilah over there,” he said, motioning toward the couch.

“Hi,” Lilah said in a quiet, sweet voice as she sat up on the cushions on her knees. She was wearing a pink pajama top that said CHAMPAGNE DREAMS. Amanda had a feeling they would get along.

“The rude mufucka on over there is Corie.”

“Amanda, I’m sorry. It’s great to meet you. But you said you’d be back in five minutes,” Corie replied, fixing Sam with a sarcastic grin. Yeah, they were more like siblings than play cousins. Amanda tried her best not to laugh at their back-and-forth.