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“This may have started as an agreement between me and Molly, but that’s no longer the case. And regardless of whether Thomas was or wasn’t a decent man, I want to raise a family in the home where my mother grew up, in the town where our parents fell in love, and where I’ve fallen in love, too.”
“You should’ve followed the rules, then,” Sam pipes up.
I step into the space directly across the table from Patricia, forcing her to look at me. “You said you wanted to be sure this marriage was authentic, and I’ve come to reassure you that it is. I’ve risked my brothers’ wrath, my job, and my sanity for this woman, and I will marry her. Whether that happens here is up to you, but it was Thomas’s advice that if I found someone even half as incredible as my mom, to hold on to her, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
She purses her lips, and I hold my breath as I wait for her to respond.
“That is quite the gesture, Mr. Kendrick, but Mr. Radley is unfortunately correct…”
“Patricia, wait,” Reginald says, attempting to reason with her on my behalf. “I’m sure there’s something we can do.”
She holds up a single finger, silencing the room. “Then again, you two did complete everything that was required of you.”
“What?” Sam fumes.
The corner of her red lips twitch. “It was my stipulation for the relationship to be genuine, and clearly, that is the case.”
“Why do you even care?” he asks.
“Because I’m the manager of this estate, and that’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” she asserts firmly. Her gaze shifts back to me, piercingly earnest. “I knew your mother and Thomas quite intimately. Witnessing their rift, born of years of bitterness, was agonizing. But to have known your grandfather as well as I did, and to watch him lose sight of what truly mattered, was heartbreaking. I had to be sure their home would be taken care of.”
The frown pulling my brows softens. All this time I thought she might have been against me, when really, she was testing me. She was pushing my boundaries to make sure I had what it takes to take on this enormous commitment.
And damn if I don’t respect her for it.
“This manor belongs to me,” Sam rages, slamming a fist down on the table. “It’s rightfully mine, and you will give it to me!”
Thinking of Thomas’s regrets, I offer him one last opportunity to bridge the gap and start over. “Don’t let there be bad blood in the family, Sam. I’ll open these doors to you. You and your future family will be well taken care of.”
“Fuck you.” His cold gaze holds mine, and before he storms out of the house, he spits at my feet.
Once the front door slams, Danika groans, “My god, I thought he’d never leave!”
I smirk at her before glancing back at Patricia. “Thank you.”
Rising from her seat, she takes a look around the room before smoothing her skirt. When she speaks, there’s a tightness to her voice I hadn’t expected from the hard-nosed woman.
“You should know that when Thomas revealed his decision to me, I told him he was making a grave mistake.” She pauses, as if not sure she should continue. “He wanted someone worthy and honorable to take ownership of this place. And I cared for Amelia, but you four? I didn’t know you. I didn’t trust you the way he inherently had.” Nodding appreciatively, she says, “I’m glad you proved me wrong, Rowan.”
* * *
She’s almost there.
Piper texts, followed by,
Don’t fuck this up.
“Noted,” I mutter and send her a thumbs up.
My pulse races as I sit in Molly’s studio at Record Revival, posing as a student needing piano lessons.
I’d been unbelievably proud when I messaged Piper my plans to still marry Molly. She informed me that she’s been working on setting up her studio to start her new gig, and together, we concocted a perfect proposal.
I check my watch for the third time since reading Piper’s text, but the ring in my pocket and the flowers in my hand feel impossibly heavy.
What if she says no? What if, while we’ve been apart, she’s had enough time to change her mind?
My knee bounces uncharacteristically, but I couldn’t be calm and cool at this moment if my life depended on it.
