“Sure he does,” Katie said. “How could he not?”
“And you’re not the slightest bit biased, right?”
“Not at all,” Julia said. “You’ve always been the smoke show of the Lawry sisters.”
Cindy tossed a pillow at her. “Shut up! I am not.”
“Uh, yes, you are,” Katie said. “I’d kill for your boobs and ass, and your face is a showstopper.”
“You need to stop this right now. You guys are gorgeous.”
“We’re okay,” Julia said. “You’re stunning, and since Jace has eyes, he sees it, too.”
Cindy covered her ears. “I can’t hear any more of this. Don’t you guys know I wanted to be you two when I grew up?”
“You grew up to be your own wonderful self, and we couldn’t be prouder of you,” Julia said.
“Couldn’t have done it without you guys and Owen running interference for me and the boys.” After they were of age, the three eldest Lawry siblings had moved along with the rest of the family to stay close for their younger siblings, who had still been stuck living with “the general,” as they called the man who’d raised them—that was when they weren’t calling him an asshole. It had driven the general crazy that Owen, Katie and Julia had moved wherever they went to help care for their younger siblings.
Cindy couldn’t fathom what her life would’ve been like without them there to provide the only respite she and their three younger brothers had gotten, except their summers on Gansett Island. “I wonder sometimes… Who was there for you guys and Owen? We had you three. Who did you have?”
“Each other,” Julia said. “And Gram and Pop.”
“We got through it, and you did, too,” Katie said. “Now we can have and do whatever we want. If you want this man to be your roommate and your friend, then I think you should try it. Ask him if you can have a month probationary period to make sure you’re compatible roommates and go from there.”
“I like that idea,” Julia said. “I can live with that.”
Cindy rolled her eyes at her sister. “As long as you’re comfortable.”
“You’re our baby sister,” Julia said. “There’s no way you’re doing anything we’re not comfortable with.”
“I’m twenty-eight,” Cindy reminded her.
“So what?” Julia asked.
“That means I’m a fully grown adult.”
“Again, I say, so what?”
“You can’t treat me like a baby forever,” Cindy said.
“Sure we can. You’ll always be our baby sister, Cin. There’s no escaping that.”
“I wouldn’t want to escape it, but I need you guys to support me in this. I honestly feel that he’s a good guy who’s made some big mistakes and is trying to start over. I want to give him a chance.”
“Then you should,” Katie said, “as long as you’re willing to do what’s best for yourself if it doesn’t work out.”
“I promise I will.”
“Good,” Katie said. “We want you to be safe and happy. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for you.”
“I’m happy to be here, where I can call my big sisters to come over any time I want to. I can see my big brother and my other brothers and my mom and get to know my wonderful new stepfather. I can’t recall a time I’ve ever been happier.”
“I know,” Julia said on a long exhale. “Same for me. Remember how much we loved being here as kids? It’s like a million times better now.”
“Especially since you met Deacon, right?” Katie asked with a smirk.
“That’s a big part of it,” Julia said, “but it’s being here with you guys, with Mom, Gram, Pop, Owen, Laura, their kids, all of it. It’s like we’re having the childhood we never got to have or something. I know that sounds weird, but…”
“I get it,” Katie said, “and I agree. I feel like a little kid again whenever I’m with you all, except I’m a happy little kid this time.”
“Yes,” Cindy said, smiling. “That’s it exactly.”
“We deserve this,” Julia declared. “We deserve every freaking good thing there is to be had in life.”
The three of them touched their glasses in solidarity.
“I’ll drink to that,” Cindy said.