I chose a card. Half my enjoyment from the simple game was watching Violet trying to control her poker face. I knew when I was picking the old maid or not by the way her eyes lightened or her mouth twisted, fighting a smile.

I wasn’t a big believer in letting kids win—lord knew Mama never had. She’d been brutal to play cards with. But uncles were supposed to spoil their nieces and I’d done a shit job of it. When choosing between the last two of her cards, I deliberately chose the one that made her smile impossible to hide.

“Oh, no.” I feigned disappointment. “I lost!”

She dissolved into giggles.

I grinned and shuffled the cards. “Play again?”

“What’s the party like in here?” Kate leaned against the doorframe, her warm gaze taking in the cards.

“I’m getting my butt kicked. Wanna play?”

Kate’s gaze landed on Violet. “I don’t know. I’ve heard what a card shark she is.”

Violet scooted over, sending more of her books and dolls onto the floor. “We can play with three people.”

Kate glanced down the hall. Thumps resonated from the living room. Shouts of Why’d you do that? mixed with accusations of cheating from Caleb and Corbin. Jason’s boom cut through the noise. “Shut the hell up. The neighbors are gonna call the police.”

Kate lifted a brow and eyed us. “I think cards is a safe choice.”

“Are you guys staying overnight too?” Violet asked as I was dealing cards.

Kate smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed. “No. Jason and Sophie get the bedroom. You and the boys get to camp out in the living room.”

If there was a living room left after tonight.

“Can I go home with you guys?”

I paused mid deal and caught Kate’s gaze. She lifted her brows to ask if it was okay with me.

I’d imagined taking Kate home and keeping her up until dawn doing wicked things I wouldn’t feel right doing with a seven-year-old overnight guest.

Violet intently watched us silently communicate.

Kate wasn’t answering, leaving it up to me. Which meant she didn’t mind, but she worried I would.

We’d never had a kid stay overnight. None of my brothers had kids yet and Kate had rarely hosted her family for the holidays. From the ruckus, I could understand why. I couldn’t imagine that in our quiet house.

A sense of loss tugged at my chest. Caleb and Corbin arguing was nothing like what Beck and I could do. Or Beck and Xander. Dawson and any of us. Sometimes all of us, and we hadn’t needed to be fighting to be that loud.

The silence was as obvious as the lack of photos of Kate and me living our life.

“We’ll have to ask your parents,” I finally said.