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“I did, thanks.”

“Ellie didn’t wake you up snoring, did she?” It was clear by the mischievous grin on her face that Isla loved teasing her daughter.

“Mom,” Ellie dramatically groaned as she turned in her seat to Sadie. “It’s because ofhergenetically deviated septum that I snore.”

“So does Blake,” Alexis added with a smirk.

“And Mason,” Isla laughed. “And Brayden.”

“Everleigh is the only one who escaped it.”

“That’s because she’s your mama made over.” Isla sat a large plate of pancakes in front of Sadie. “Do you want whipped cream and syrup?”

“Yes, please.” Sadie heard her stomach growling again as she picked up a nearby fork. Alexis sat a bowl ofhomemadewhipped cream in front of her and Sadie was sure she’d died and gone to heaven. She took a large spoonful of it and plopped it onto her pancake before taking a large bite. “Oh my god. That’s amazing. Who made this?”

Alexis dramatically raised her hand as she laughed. “That would bemoi.”

“It’samazing.”

“Thank you. I think I’ve perfected the recipe over the years.”

“I will watch your kids every day if it means you’d fix me this for breakfast,” Sadie chuckled as she added more whipped cream onto her pancake. It wasn’t until she was almost finished with her plate that she suddenly realized thatmaybestuffing her face wasn’t the best thing to do in front of Ellie.

But the best thing?

Ellie wasn’t paying attention to how she ate. She got up and helped Isla and Alexis clean up while Sadie ate in peace. It was then Sadie realized the magic of the Mackenzies. At their house, everyone was free to be themselves with no judgment. They teased each other, yes, but it was obvious it was only out of a deep love for each other.

Sadie loved her mom and Charlie, she truly did. But it had been mostly the three of them for the last few years. Her dad had no interest in her, but Sadie had decided to work that out in therapy when she was older instead of confronting it now. And with no siblings and no cousins, Sadie had been used to growing up alone.

Sure, Chase was Charlie’s cousin and was around often. But it wasn’t the same. They hadn’t grown up together like Ellie and her siblings and cousins. She longed to one day have a big family like the Mackenzies.

“Hey,” Ellie walked over to her and leaned onto the counter, “I’m gonna go change into my bathing suit then go lay out by the pool. You in?”

“Yeah, as long as bylay out by the poolyou meanlay under an umbrellabecause I burn easily.”

Across the counter, Alexis reached out and high-fived her. “Same, sister. Same. The Mackenzies tan like goddesses, but the sisters-in-law? Nope. Not at all.”

“Happy to be fitting in then.”

Oh, my god. Did you really just say that???

Oh, my god. You did.

Look at their amused faces.

Shit.

Ellie winked at Sadie. “I’ll meet you outside in a few.”

She watched as Ellie walked up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway. When she turned her attention back to Isla and Alexis, they were exchanging glances that seemed to convey an entire conversation Sadie couldn’t understand. She took her plate over to the sink with the other dishes before heading outside to the pool to wait for Ellie.

Chapter 25

Ellie

For the past two days, all Ellie had been thinking about was being alone with Sadie. Not in a sexual way; they soweren’tthere yet. But Ellie wanted to talk to her about what they were doing. Because they’d definitely taken the exit from friends to something more relatively fast and Ellie wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

Ellie was pretty sure they were though.