She parked next to a minivan and a Cadillac SUV. Before she could open her car door, two little girls appeared. She opened the window. “Hello, ladies.”

“Hi.” The older of the two had light brown hair and Buddy’s golden eyes. “I’m Ashley Nicole Longstreet.”

“Hello, Ashley Nicole Longstreet. I’m Katherine Anna Harrington, but my friends call me Kate. Is this your sister?”

Ashley nodded. “She’s Chloe Ann Longstreet.”

“Hi, Chloe.”

Chloe buried her face in her big sister’s shirt.

Kate chuckled. “Do you guys mind if I get out of the car?”

“Ashley, Chloe, let Kate come in!” Taylor called from the front door.

Kate had the girls by the hand when she met Taylor at the door. She held a dark-haired baby on her hip and wore a fashionable black sweat suit over a hot pink T-shirt. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she hardly resembled the glamorous star she’d been the night before at the benefit.

“That’s our sister, Georgia Sue Longstreet,” Ashley said. “She’s fourteen months old.”

“I have twin cousins who are just a little bit older than Georgia,” Kate said.

“Twins?” Ashley asked with big eyes as they followed Taylor into the house.

“Yep. And I have twin baby brothers, too.”

“Two sets of twins?” Taylor asked.

“My dad and his sister, a year apart almost to the day.” Kate was pleasantly surprised to find herself in a home where children came first. Toys and dolls were strewn about, the furniture was comfortable, and pictures of the family decorated every surface.

“Sorry for the mess,” Taylor said. “I don’t clean up for guests anymore. It’s pointless.”

Kate smiled. “It feels like home to me. My dad has six kids, so his house is just like yours.” She ached when she thought of her dad and wondered if she would ever see him or his house again.

“Mom!”

Taylor turned when a boy ran into the room. He was the image of Buddy minus the goatee.

“Harry, we have company. Can you say hi to Kate?”

“Hi,” he said impatiently, turning back to his mother. “Have you seen my skateboard?”

“Not since I almost fell over it yesterday. Did you look in the garage?”

“No,” he said and was gone in a flash.

“That’s my Harrison,” Taylor said with a smile. “He’s eight, Ashley’s six, Chloe’s four, and then there’s this person.” She tickled the baby and was rewarded with a giggle.

“They’re beautiful.”

“They’re a handful.” Taylor put the baby down to play on the floor. “So have you recovered from last night?”

“It was amazing. I’m still pumped.”

“You did a terrific job. You do know it was a tryout, don’t you?” Taylor asked with amusement.

“Tryout?”

“Buddy wanted to be sure you wouldn’t freak out on the tour.”

Kate laughed. “I was freaking on the inside.”