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Her sister Bell brought over a bowl of nuts, placing theina sat and rolled her eyes, sonna hear a few stories now"

As if on cue, his uncle started up loudly "Reuy next to hi "We’re on this beeeautiful beach All blue for ht? ’Cept there’s a couple over down that ith a dog Tell me why out of all of us my knucklehead nephew takes a swim and co, even Brandon couldn’t help laughing, especially when he put his finger over his lip to deood ole tiet the words out he was laughing so much "And son of a bitch if that kid is the only one who pops out of the water like this"

He deuy walked out the back door of the house, frowning and holding a very bald baby "This guy" He shook his head but smirked "Now it’s a turdaround in the water, and after all these years, it turned intoaround with turd mustache in Maui" Then he turned back to his uncle "You never even saw it!"

They were all laughing now, including the lady who kept snorting on the other side of the wheezing fat ht’ve turned into a sour ood spirit

"Hey, look who’s up?" Regina’s uy’s ar back, Brandon peered at the guy who’d walked out with the baby This was the fat ly faina’s brother-in-law because he walked over and kissed Bell before handing the baby to her Regina’s niece Mandy tugged at the guy’s pants, and he picked her up It wasn’t until Bell pointed in Brandon and Regina’s direction and said so to her husband that Brandon uy smiled then it seehed, walking over to thehter who tapped his lips with her little fingers "I’ertips "Bad daddy" He turned back to Brandon with a wide ss?"

Doing his best to hide how incredibly uncoina was already s at him quizzically "You know each other?" she asked

"Yeah" Brandon stood up, reaching to meet her brother-in-law’s already outstretched hand "That would be ht?"

"Well, I’ll be da "You and Gina? Holy shit what a small world" His expression went a bit serious, but there was no hiding the continued s all the way froh school "She’s ina laughed "I’m older than you, Romero"

"Yeah, but much smaller" He winked

Just then Mandy squealed loudly and nearly ju her hands over his shoulder "S and S!" she screeched, squir for Romero to put her down

All three of theirls in frilly dresses, who looked to be a few years older than Mandy, walked into the backyard froer boy’s hand Roround, and she ran to theirls Mandy now hugged were identical

"Oh ina asked

"Yep," Ro back at theina gasped "Jesus, the last ti to make sense of what this all ood friends with Sofie’s brothers growing up didn’t mean he kept in touch with them still Most people lost touch with their childhood friends He stared at the two little girls, pretending to be as interested as Regina and trying to keep his cool This was not so bad, he tried convincing himself It could be worse

"Yeah, well, that little dude with thehed "As in Tasmanian Devil He’s nonstop trouble And now he has two of them little devils," Romero shook his head "Alex has his hands full leister until Brandon’s eyesbehind the a baby carrier in his left hand and a tray of so as ever

Brandon watched, frozen to that spot as the petite blond woina’s and carrying a baby bag asked Alex to take the baby inside Bell walked over to greet theina and Ros and their kids, Ro even louder, the kids laughing and squealing, chasing each other around his and Ro to a screeching halt