“Thanks, Paige, you’re the best,” Amelia said softly. “I’ll see you next Friday.”

The phone clicked into silence before Paige could think of a way to beg out of the party. She turned back to her project, but the house seemed unusually quiet. Growing up as an only child, she should have been used to be being alone. But she’d craved a big boisterous family with lots of sisters and brothers. In retrospect, maybe her need for a family was the reason she’d become so attached to Eric and his son.

But the silence hung in the air, echoing off the walls. Eerie, cold, almost smothering her with the emptiness.

Stop it. You have to get used to it.

Determined to forget Amelia’s wedding, she flipped on the radio and decided to make a batch of brownies. Comfort food always spurred her creativity. She threw the brownie ingredients into a bowl, stirred the thick rich batter and popped the mixture into a pan.

A loud howling sound caught her attention and her gaze strayed to the Blalock house next door. She’d still forgotten to tell Zeke about the neighborhood watch. She’d take them brownies and tell Zeke about the meeting. After all, a welcoming basket of food was only neighborly, and she didn’t want anyone to accuse her of lacking in Southern hospitality.

“DADDY, THAT’S GROSS.” Summer covered her eyes with her hands and peeked through the finger holes as the fourth kitten popped out. Buffy, following her normal motherly instincts, licked the kitten clean.

“They look like skinny rats,” August said, watching the other three kittens burrow underneath Buffy.

“Yeah, they do.” Zeke hoped this kitten was the last. The girls refused to go to bed until all the kittens had been born. But Buffy started panting again, signifying the onset of another birth.

Henrietta sniffed her way in and dropped into the corner, her tongue lolling out as she joined the scene. The doorbell rang and August and Summer both sprang up from their perch on the floor by the tub.

Zeke rose, but August pointed her finger at him. “No, Daddy, you watch Buffy. We’ll get it.” August and her sister scrambled through the door at the same time. Zeke heard their feet padding on the hardwood floor in the foyer as the doorbell rang for the second time.

“Paige!” both girls chimed.

“Hi, girls.”

A second of elation gathered inside Zeke at Paige’s soft musical drawl, but his smile instantly faded when he realized the house was a mess. Boxes cluttered the den, laundry littered the sofa, blankets and kittens filled his bathtub, and pizza sauce spotted his shirt where Henrietta had licked him. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t have to worry about Paige being attracted to him. She’d never be able to wade through the tornado-strewn house to find him.

“Daddy, Paige brought a treat,” August yelled.

Summer raced into the bathroom. “Daddy, look!”

Buffy’s panting quickened and she dropped another kitten just as Paige and Summer stepped into the doorway.

“We’re having kittens,” August announced proudly.

Paige’s expression turned wary. “I hope I didn’t come at a bad time. I brought over some—”

“Brownies! Yum!” Both girls reached for the basket and Henrietta lunged against Paige, almost knocking her over.

Zeke grabbed Henrietta while Paige held the brownies in the air. “Get down,” Zeke yelled.

Henrietta chowed down on the chocolate chunks that spilled from the basket. Paige’s rich laughter rang through the crowded bathroom, joined first by August’s, then Summer’s.

Zeke lost himself in the moment. It was the first time Summer had laughed in ages. She’d taken the divorce harder than August, having bad dreams and moping around. “Thanks, Paige, those look great,” he said, reaching for a brownie.

“Sure.” Paige leaned over and peeked inside the tub. “The kittens are precious. How many so far?”

Summer held up five fingers.

“The spotted one’s called Callie,” August said.

“And the white one is Cotton.”

Paige nodded. “Do you think she’s finished?”

Zeke shrugged. “Probably.” His pulse hammered as Paige knelt, her bare thigh brushing against his. She reached a finger inside to pet the baby calico’s fur.

“They’re beautiful,” Paige said softly.

The girls gobbled a brownie, dropping chocolate flakes all over the floor. Henrietta quickly lapped up the crumbs.