He got her what she needed as well as another big bowl. He grabbed the bag of chips that was also on the island, opened them and dumped them in.

“This place is da bomb-diggity-bomb-bomb,” Addie stated, and he looked to her to see that Brooks was motoring around the floor of Johnny’s space and she was at the island. “But not to cast aspersions on your manhood, how do you not only have the most kickass furniture I’ve ever seen but also,” she pointed to the large white chip bowl with its uneven top edges, “kickass stoneware?”

“The furniture, me. The other shit, Margot showed one day and declared the plastic stuff I bought at Walmart when I moved out of my dad’s place at nineteen had to go, and I had no choice since she’d already made it gone and this shit was in its place.”

Addie took a chip, shoved it in her mouth, and while chewing looked at Izzy. “I already dig this chick.”

Izzy threw him a look and he caught it grinning.

“You want a drink?” Johnny asked Addie.

“Is it su casa, mi casa?” she asked back.

“Today it is,” he answered.

“Then I’ll get my own,” she replied, moving to the fridge.

“Iz, babe?” he asked.

“I’ll grab something when I’m done with this,” she said, scooping out avocado into the bowl.

Johnny decided to let Izzy do her thing, Addie do hers, and he moved across the room, out the back door and located the dogs.

They were soaked and chasing each other around the huge grassy patch outside the mill.

He left them to it, found when he came back inside that Brooks had followed him to the door and bent to scoop him up.

Then he collapsed on the floor with Brooks squealing out giggles. He put the kid on his chest, tickling him and Brooks screeched more, arching and squirming and crawling all over Johnny.

“This sucks. He’s yours and I totally wanna bang him,” Addie stated loudly.

Johnny smiled at her son.

“There is the small fact you’re married,” Izzy put in.

“Huh,” Addie grumbled.

Johnny twisted his neck to look at Iz to find her looking at him.

She gave him a scrunched nose.

With no words, that scrunched nose shared the reason for Addie being there had yet to be revealed.

He smiled again, this time reassuringly.

The front door flew open.

His gaze went there and he saw Margot swan in, Dave at her back carrying a pie.

She stopped, did a sweep of the place with her eyes, it halted on Izzy in his kitchen and her expression shifted straight to sheer bliss.

“Eliza!” she cried. “My darling girl! Could you be more adorable in that dress?”

As Johnny rolled up to his feet holding Brooks to him, Margot swept in, latched onto Izzy and hugged her like she was her favorite daughter who’d married a Russian who’d whisked her off to the cold of Siberia and she hadn’t seen her in a decade.

“Totally . . . dig . . . this chick,” Addie murmured.

Johnny moved their way as Margot let go of Izzy, assessed Addie, and Dave moved into Iz and gave her a hug, muttering, “Great to see you again, child.”

“You too, Dave,” she said back.

“You must be the sister,” Margot decreed.

“That I am,” Addie replied. “And you must be the awesome Margot.”

Margot arched a brow. “Awesome?”

“Izzy thinks your da bomb.”

“Did she use that vernacular?”

“No, she said, ‘I can’t wait for you to meet Margot. She’s class on a stick.’”

Margot’s face grew smug and she aimed a look Izzy’s way, murmuring demurely, “Darlin’.”

Izzy was blushing.

Johnny waded in.

“Let’s finish this up. Dave, this is Addie, Izzy’s sister. And guys, this is Brooks.” He lifted the baby a couple of inches. “Addie’s boy.”

“Oh . . . my . . . word! Look at that handsome child!” Margot lifted both hands his way. “Give him to me immediately, Johnathon.”

Johnny gave him to her and then turned to Dave. “I’m gonna drag the deck furniture and camp chairs down by the creek. Izzy’s making her guac, and you can thank me for the ingredients and worship at the chip bowl as gratitude to her. The dogs are a mess. They’ve been in the creek, so I gotta hose ’em down. I’ll grill later.”

“Works for me, son. Help you with the chairs and the dogs.”

“Thanks, Dave,” he replied and turned to Izzy. “Be back, baby.”

She was mushing guac. “All right, honey.”

“Who’s handsome? Who’s sweet? Who’s a precious boy?” Margot cooed, swaying Brooks side to side.

Brooks slapped her face and giggled.

“Who’s a naughty little monster?” Margot asked through a huge smile, capturing his hand and pretending to bite it.

Brooks arched and squealed and then patted her lips when she stopped pretending to bite him.

“Just to say, classy babe,” Addie put in quietly. “We try not to let him slap.”

Margot turned her eyes to Addie, and when she did Johnny knew Izzy’s sister had her approval.

“All right, darlin’,” she whispered.

Margot grinned.

Addie smiled back.

Izzy squeezed lime into the guacamole.

And Johnny and Dave moved to lug furniture down by the creek.

He was at the grill at the end of the deck and the women were in the chairs, with Izzy lying on the same blanket she’d had at the festival that she’d told him was still in her car, so he’d got it and spread it out.

She was again in her glasses and hat and she again looked cute, ridiculous, and with company, entirely too fuckable.

The chip bowl was empty, so was the guac bowl, both now in the sink.

Margot still had Brooks. Then again, except to allow him to motor around the grass for a while, Margot hadn’t let go of Brooks.

The dogs were spent. Dempsey flat out on his side by Izzy, Swirl down on his belly at Margot’s feet, but Ranger was curled at the foot of the grill with Johnny.

Dave was walking up the outside steps that led to the balcony.

“Need help?” he asked when he hit the deck.

“It’s good. Later, you can help me carry everything down when this gets close.” He indicated the grill with his head.

“Will do,” Dave replied and got up close.

His attention was not on Johnny or the grill.

It was on the women in the grass.

“She’s a great gal,” Dave murmured, referring, Johnny knew, to Izzy.

“Yup,” Johnny agreed.

Dave finally looked to him. “You seem . . . good.”

“You tasted her guac. You’ve seen her dress. Her sister is hilarious. And you and Margot are here. What’s not to be good about?”

“You know . . . you know with this one . . .” Dave didn’t finish.

Johnny felt the back of his neck start to itch.

“Dave—”

“She’s a fighter, I can see it. I can see it ’cause she’s had so much to fight all her life, it’s marked her. She can’t hide it. Don’t make her fight anything more, son.”

Johnny fought back getting pissed. “You know I wouldn’t take it there if I didn’t intend to be right there with her.”

“Your old man got his hands on a couple of good ones—” Dave began.

“I’m not Dad,” Johnny returned.