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“I’m going to miss you two when this job ends.” She jerks a thumb in the direction of the mural.
“We’ll still hang out.” Telford smiles. “We share an appreciation for nursery art and cheesy macaroni.”
“Good.” Posey looks at her paint-covered palms. “I need to clean up. Once I do that, I’ll be set to go.”
She makes her way to the doorway before disappearing down the hallway.
“I like her,” Telford tells me, even though it’s blatantly obvious.
“Me too.” I nod.
“Pretty soon, your sister and Declan will be back, and you’ll be sent back to Brooklyn.”
I laugh. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. I miss my apartment.”
I do.
It’s a quaint two-bedroom I purchased a few years ago with the proceeds of a trust my dad had set up for me before his death. He always told me that when I grew up, I should invest in real estate, so I knew the best way to honor his memory was to buy a property that I thought he’d be proud of.
I’ve worked hard to make it my own, and since the neighborhood I live in has become one of the most popular in the borough, I’m confident that one day, within the next two years, I can sell the apartment and pocket a hefty profit.
My life plan after that has always included purchasing a single-family home in Queens so I can be near my mom and Abby’s dad as they get older. When I have children, I want them to be as close to their maternal grandparents as possible.
“Your apartment is stellar.” He sighs. “I’ve been checking listings in the neighborhood to see if anything pops up.”
Surprised by that admission, I perk both of my eyebrows. “Are you saying you want to live close to me?”
He huffs out a nervous laugh. “I’m saying that I want a bigger apartment for my husband and me. Cam’s place isn’t much bigger than mine. I hope he’ll see the value in combining our resources to purchase an apartment we can grow into.”
“You and a baby can grow into,” I correct him.
His gaze wanders back to the mural. “That’s the dream, Carrie. That’s the dream.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Rook
“Carrie’s here with that guy who caught the bouquet at the wedding,” Holden says as he leads the way into the bustling diner my daughter insisted we come to for lunch.
Kirby stops mid-step to look up at me. “Is that the Carrie that Uncle Declan said is looking after Cindy? And why didn’t you catch the bouquet, Daddy? You know how much I like wedding cakes, and if someone catches a bouquet, it means they’re getting married soon.”
That’s a lot to unpack, so I handle the first question and ignore the rest for now. “Carrie is Abby’s sister.”
“What?” Her hand jumps in the air. “Auntie Abby has a sister? My mind is blown.”
She plays that out by tapping her fingers on her head before spreading them in the air.
I glance over my shoulder at my brother. “Are you to blame for that?”
Milo mimics Kirby’s head explosion mime with his hands. “Maybe.”
Shaking my head, I laugh. “Seems more like a yes than a maybe to me.”
“Hey, that looks like Posey.” Milo gestures toward where the trio is seated. “That cute thing sitting next to her is Abby’s stepsister?”
“She is cute.” Kirby giggles. “Posey is, too.”
Holden moves toward them. I wasn’t planning on seeing Carrie today, but I won’t pass on the opportunity to spend a few minutes staring at her.
