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“Who’s who?” Brooke asked, s at the four-year-old triplets They were absolutely precious girls Arabella’s worthless ex-husband had no idea what gifts he’d tossed away like yesterday’s garbage She wondered how her cousin had e and now a foster daughter Arabella was a kind a gentle soul to put up with their cantankerous old grandfather, a saint with the strength of a lion She was beautiful, too, with dark, silky hair and brown eyes, though she probably didn’t realize it
“Everyone asks that,” Arabella said with a chuckle “Jessie is at the end Jamie’s the one with the teddy bear on her lap and Julie has the dirty face Girls, say hello to Brooke”
Three of the cutest faces, too sirinned up at her with their daddy’s smile and Arabella’s brown eyes “Hi You like tea?”
The speaker, if Brooke reirls are having a great tea party Got any cookies to go with your delicious drink?”
“Uh-huh We’ll share” Jessie carefully placed a vanilla wafer on a tiny plastic saucer adorned in pink princess print and offered it to Brooke “Mom says we have to”
Brooke laughed “Thank you, I think You have lovely manners”
Arabella rolled her eyes “We’re working on those” She indicated the sofa “Sit down, Brooke I’ood?”
Brooke nodded, accepting the tea cup and saucer the triplets provided “Well, let’s just say I’m here for the year if I can hold out”
Arabella folded one leg beneath her to sit in the chair next to her triplets “Have you talked to any of the others since the funeral?”
“Zach and Vivienne Zach is trying to work things out with his job Vivienne is still iffy I’ for her reaction to the “tea,” Brooke sipped “Yum Which of you made this?”
All three giggled Dark curls bounced around their cherub faces “It’s water tea”
“The best kind” She nipped the edge of her cookie and, to please her hostesses, lances