Page 9

“He’s a friend I met on the plane, mama. Ollie, this is my mama, Valentina, and mama, this is Ollie from Ohio. He’s a writer.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Blake.”

She surprised me when she pulled me down into a hug. “No Mrs. nonsense, you can call me mama, too.”

The simple acceptance of me had me blinking back the tears threatening to fall. When she patted my back as she released me, she caught my gaze and waited for my agreement. I nodded.

“Thank you.”

“What about your parents back in Ohio? Do they miss you?”

My head moved back and forth, and Connor, who stood closer to me than I realized, spoke near my ear, making me shiver.

“They kicked him out when they found out he was gay.”

She tsked aloud, and I watched something flash in her dark brown eyes I didn’t recognize before she said, “You have a genuine family now. No worries.”

I turned toward the triplets and as my eyes landed on the one who I knew would be trouble without boundaries, and said, “No flirting, Landon, I’m family now.”

He rolled his eyes, but with a smirk on his lips, he huffed out, “Fine.”

A loud gasp echoed throughout the room and I turned to see a tall, svelte woman dressed in an elegant bone-white pantsuit step toward me in slim heels that made me flinch. I kept my eyes on her feet because despite having the grace I’d only seen on the runway; I worried about her ankles.

“How did you know he was Landon?” She paused, turning back to look at her brother, before she continued, “Are you Landon?”

She received an eye roll from Lyric.

“How do you walk in those shoes? I’m very concerned about you.”

Wincing at my lack of brain-to-mouth filter, wondering if I’d offended her, only to see her throw her head back and let out a howl of laughter. She wiped the moisture from her eyes before she smiled at me. “I have a ton of experience. Now you?”

“Their personalities differ from each other, and that’s how I can tell.”

At the confusion in her eyes, I explained.

“Lyric absorbs the world around him faster than I’ve ever seen, and he’s not intimidated to be the first to jump into a situation because his curiosity gets the best of him. He standswith his spine straight and he’s always gathering information from people around him. Linus, he’s the quiet one, but not shy. He’s observant and empathetic, which is why he grabbed my other arm as Lyric dragged me inside, sensing my hesitation. He tries to hide it, but his face gives away how much he cares about others’ comfort. And Landon is the epitome of cool and popular. Flirting and being friendly is in his nature.”

Everyone in the room turned and stared at the three different men while I continued to peruse the house.

“I don’t see it,” the tall woman said, but instead of continuing her study of her younger siblings, she turned to me. “I’m Emilia.”

Before I opened my mouth, a graceful woman about a foot shorter than her sister appeared in front of us and she said in an ethereal tone, “I’m Naomi, but everyone calls me Omi.”

I smiled, liking both of Connor’s sisters. “Nice to meet you both.”

The front door opened and a frantic scratching sound echoed through the house before two beautiful black labs rushed into the kitchen.

“Sorry I’m late,” a deep voice called out.

Without thinking of my environment and the strangers who’d welcomed me into their home, I sank to my knees and smiled as both dogs danced around me, giving me licks on my face as I cooed at them. Soon, I sat down and when I straightened my legs, one of them laid his head on my thigh while the other curled close to my hip, her head on my stomach. Of course, I absorbed all the love and affection from the two that I could.

“There isn’t an animal or human who can resist you,” Connor said.

“When I get a place of my own, I’m adopting as many dogs as I can. Cat’s too, and?—”

“What the fuck?”

At the kitchen entrance, I noticed a man who had similar features to Connor, but everything from his height and build, taller and muscular, was the complete opposite. His stance alone demanded attention.