Page 64 of Lucky Mother Pucker

Her smile turns warm. “You made my whole day. Thank you.”

We move to the couch, where Wally is still lying down. I slide him over so there’s room for everyone to sit.

I can’t believe how kind and welcoming they are. Especially to Wally. Seeing them dote on him makes me warm and fuzzy all over.

“Your dog is the cutest,” Anna says, scratching him behind his ears.

“I hope it’s okay that we came over to play with him,” Briar says. “When the guys told us that you moved in and you had a dog, we got so excited.”

“It’s more than okay,” I say, chuckling at the sleepy, happy look on Wally’s face as he cuddles between all of us. “He loves the attention. He’s in heaven.”

“So how are things going for you?” Poppy asks.

“Yeah, do you like living with a bunch of guys?” Anna asks. “Sorry if my brother is annoying. He can be kind of loud and obnoxious.”

“No, he’s great. They’re all great. Honestly, this is so kind of them to let me stay with them while I look for a new place.”

“Well, I mean, it’s the least Leo could do,” Anna says, her expression turning sad. “He told us about how he got you fired from that coffee shop.”

Poppy and Briar nod along.

“We’re really sorry to hear about your housing situation,” Poppy says gently.

“Oh, thank you.” I suddenly feel self-conscious. I brace myself for pitying looks and comments, but all I see is warmth and sympathy.

“If there’s anything you need, just let us know,” Anna says.

“Yeah, if you ever get sick of being around all this testosterone, just say the word. We’d love to take you out on a girls’ night,” Briar says.

That warm feeling burrows deeper in my chest. “That’s so nice of you. I’d love that.”

Briar gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “I lived here too a couple months ago, until I got my own place. Blake’s been my best friend since high school, so he let me stay in his room while I looked for a place of my own. They all made me feel so at home.”

Anna elbows her gently and flashes her a knowing look. “Blake especially made you feel at home, right?”

Briar rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.

Anna turns to me. “Blake and Briar had crushes on each other since forever. But living together finally made them admit their feelings.”

“That’s really sweet.”

Anna quirks an eyebrow at me. “Do you and Leo have a thing for each other?”

Poppy gently smacks her shoulder. “Anna, don’t pry.”

“Sorry. I’m nosy,” Anna says.

I chuckle, even though I’m flustered by her question. “Leo and I are just friends.”

It’s the truth…even though I can’t deny that I find him attractive…

I push aside the thought. “So the three of you have been friends for a while then?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Briar shakes her head. “I met Anna and Poppy when I transferred to Hollis last semester.”

“Anna and I have been friends since we were kids,” Poppy says.

I’m impressed at how tight-knit the three of them seem after only knowing Briar for a handful of months. A longing feeling hits my chest. I hope I get to be friends with them too.