Unfortunately.
And with this slobbery reunion, I’m also betting I won’t get much work done on this short flight.
It’s not like when we were kids and she was too shy to mutter more than a few words.
She has an energy now like a live current.
Although she isn’t the loudest one in the room—my sister steals the honor any day—she’s definitely the brightest.
I hate my imagination.
Ares licks her hand with the most enthusiasm I’ve seen in years.
Overgrown traitor mole dog.
“I can’t believe you brought him along for the ride,” Hattie gushes, glancing up at me with wide eyes. “I thought for sure you’d put him down.”
“He’s perfectly healthy for being five hundred in dog years. I’m not that much of a bastard,” I throw back.
“No, I guess not.” She kisses Ares’ wrinkled forehead and I take the dress, hanging it up for her since she just got her hands dirty with the dog.
“You should go wash your hands,” I tell her.
She settles in beside him, flippantly rolling her eyes.
“Why? Not much point when I’ll just pet him again in five minutes. I’ll wash up when we get there. Before I change into the dress.” She eyes it cautiously, a spark of excitement and trepidation on her face. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“Hauling around a dog who was on Noah’s Ark? Yeah.” I scowl at his wrinkly face. “No, I can’t either.”
“Not Ares, you dork.This,I mean.” She sweeps her arm around the space. “On a private plane. Going to New York to meet your parents.”
“An unfortunate necessity. And you’ve met them before.”
“Yeah, but not like this. Not fordinner.”
“Be glad it’s just dinner. You wouldn’t want to linger a second longer.”
Hattie looks at the dress again. “This thing is worth more than all my books put together.”
I spare it a second glance.
Margot has her faults, but she knows how to pick them. It’s a pink, floral halter neck made to show an enticing amount of skin.
“Are you complaining?” I ask.
No, I still haven’t forgotten the way she reacted when I bought her the fucking bookstore.
Overkill?
Perhaps.
But she needs to get it through her head that the sums of money we’re dealing with are negligible.
With Blackthorn Holdings, I could buy every library in Maine without noticing the change in my account.
So yeah, buying her the bookstore felt like the logical conclusion. It was getting in the way and I don’t have patience for endless interruptions.
Besides, she’s always wanted to live with the pages.
