CHAPTER 61
“They’re here!” Elias called, pushing open the screen door.
Hearing his words, Chloe hurried to the kitchen with Zoe in her mouth and wiggled her way outside, bumping the door out of his hand and making it bang against the house.
“Nat, you really need to fix the door,” Piper called as she dried her hands on a dish towel. Remy and John were just climbing out of her car when an entire caravan pulled in after them. A collection of small people emerged shyly from the three out-of-state vehicles, and Chloe—who was absolutely beside herself—hurried over to welcome them, wiggling all around them and proudly showing off Zoe. “Hi, Aunt Piper,” Elliot said, giving his great-aunt a hug at the very same time he put his hand on Chloe’s head. “Did Chloe get a new Zoe?!”
“She did,” Piper said, laughing, “and I can’t believe you remember that, Elliot.”
“I remember,” he said, holding Chloe’s head in his hands, “because last year, you wouldn’t let her bring her old Zoe inside.”
“That was because she smelled.”
“I know,” Elliot said, laughing. “But now you have a new Zoe, don’t you, girl?”
Chloe wiggled around him and then hurried off to say hello to Parker and Hunter and Maya and Mason and Cayden . . . and give a sniff to Logan’s trailing blanket.
Nat and Piper and Elias shook hands and gave hugs to all the cousins and aunts and uncles. There were oohs and aahs over the new baby and exclamations concerning growth spurts. Sam looked up at Elias as they shook hands. “You definitely didn’t get your height from the Quinn side of the family,” he said, laughing.
Elias laughed. “You might be surprised. I have to show you a picture I just found.”
Moments later, Birdie and David pulled in, and as soon as Chloe saw Bailey, she dropped Zoe like last week’s news and hurried over to say hello. Seven-year-old Elliot watched the two dogs greeting each other, nose to nose, tails wagging, and then he picked up Zoe and brought her into the house so the stuffed dog wouldn’t accidentally get left out in the rain again.
Everyone else gathered around David and Birdie, giving more hugs and asking David how he was feeling. “Oh, I’m just a little tired,” he answered, smiling, “but, really, much better.”
Finally, Sailor pulled in with her passenger and waved, and Nat turned to Piper. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Josiah—the Realtor who found the cottage for her,” Piper said. “They went out a few times, but she said she decided she wasn’t ready to jump into another relationship.” She paused. “I wonder what changed.”
Sailor lifted the cooler out of the back of her car and Josiah immediately stepped forward to take it from her. Sailor hesitated, shaking her head, but he insisted and then Sailor looked up and saw everyone watching them. “Hi!” she called, relinquishing the cooler and waving. She reached back into the car, piled the three six-packs of Naughty Nurse on top of the cooler, grabbed the two bottles of wine, and walked over with Josiah. “Everyone, this is Josiah,” she said. “And, Josiah”—she motioned with her hand—“this is everyone!” She quickly went around the circle, introducing each family member while giving them each a hug, and Josiah set down the cooler and shook hands.
When she was finished, he smiled. “I hope you’re all planning to wear name tags!”
David laughed. “I heartily agree!”
Nat reached for the six-packs while Elias picked up the cooler. “Okay to put these on ice?” Nat asked and Josiah nodded.
Elias turned to Sailor. “Cooler in the kitchen?”
She nodded and then looked at Piper. “Unless we’re having snacks out here?”
“We have everything set up on the porch,” Piper said. “We were going to set the tables up in the yard but we didn’t know if it might rain again, so we decided the porch was a better option. . . and easier on our old legs.”
John turned to Remy. “Do you want me to get the cake?”
“Oh yes!” she said, suddenly remembering. “And the ice cream—which is probably melting!”
“I’m sure the ice cream’s fine,” he reassured. “It’s in a cooler, too.”
“Oh, good! Otherwise we’d have soup.”
Birdie motioned for Hunter and Parker to follow her and then noticed Maya hugging her father’s leg and beckoned her to come, too. Moments later, the two older girls, grinning from ear to ear, carried the salad bowls past everyone, and Maya followed, carrying a paper bag with dog treats in it. Bailey and Chloe sniffed the air and followed the girls inside—from where all the yummy smells were coming!
“I guess they know where to go,” David said, laughing. “Shall we follow?”
They started to walk toward the house, but when they heard more cars turning into the driveway, they stopped and Sailor smiled in surprise—it was Merry and Sawyer, and their family, and in the second car were Thatcher and Elle!
“I thought you were going to Maine!” she cried.
“We wouldn’t miss the Quinn family picnic, Mom,” Merry said, climbing out to give her a long hug. “Especially this year.”
“Hi, Mom,” Thatcher said, hugging her, too.
“Hi, Grandma,” Lily and Frances called, running around the car and jumping into her arms.