Page 106 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

‘Nah,’ Noah said with a grin. ‘They’re just having fun.’

Iris gave him a bemused smile, still too out of breath from her near jog across the field to contribute much else.

‘Uncle Noah’—Cece tugged on Noah’s arm—‘can we have more quarters for the goat food?’

‘You girls wiped me out,’ he said, reaching into his pockets and coming out empty-handed.

‘Olive, ask your mom if she has any,’ Ivy whispered to Olive. Iris watched in horror as Olive’s face transformed from joy to sadness in the blink of an eye.

‘She’s not my mom,’ Olive said, and Iris’s heart splintered.

‘Oh…’ Ivy squinted up at Iris in confusion. ‘Your aunt?’

‘No. She’s just my nanny.’

Just my nanny.

‘Okay,’ Ivy continued with zero regard for how this little conversation was tearing Iris apart and really bumming out Olive. ‘Then ask your nanny if she has any quarters.’

Shit. She definitely didn’t have quarters. Who carried around pockets full of quarters?! Did moms do that?

‘Sorry, kid. I didn’t bring any.’

The disappointment written across Olive’s face cut Iris to the core. This was exactly what she was afraid of. This little girl wanted somuchfrom her and she was bound to disappoint her.

‘I’ve got some more!’ Hazel said, shaking her small purse until quarters rained down and the girls shrieked with joy. Thank God.

Iris blew out a sigh of relief. ‘Thanks, Hazel.’

‘No problem. We made the mistake of taking them to the zoo without quarters once and it was a complete nightmare.’

Noah slung his arm over Hazel’s shoulder. ‘I do appreciate you letting the girls stay over with us.’

Hazel smiled up at him. ‘Of course. They’re little nightmares but I love them.’

Noah grinned, planting a kiss on the tip of Hazel’s nose. They’d make good parents one day, Iris thought, fun and loving. Iris could picture how their house would be filled with books and dance parties and a dad that would do anything for his kids and a mom who would adore them.

Could Iris build something like that with Archer and Olive?

‘Did you know they have bunnies here?’ Cece said to Olive as the baby goats licked the last of the food from their sticky palms.

‘I know!’ She turned to Iris, the earlier infraction of not having quarters already forgotten. ‘Iris, can we go see the bunnies?’

‘Let’s go!’ Cece said, pulling Olive along with Ivy right on their heels, not waiting for a response from any of the adults.

Noah laughed. ‘Well, I guess we better follow.’

‘I don’t think we have a choice,’ Iris said, tracking Olive through the crowd of kids. The girls made it to the bunny hutch and Kira was stationed out front.

‘Hey, ladies.’

‘Hi Kira, can I hold a bunny? I’ll be so careful,’ Olive said.

Kira laughed. ‘Wow, coming in hot this morning, huh, Miss Olive?’

‘Very hot. To hold a bunny. Please.’

Kira laughed again. ‘You got it kid. But you have to sit down and be very quiet so we don’t scare them, okay?’