That thought usually twisted my face in a scowl, but not anymore. Instead, I thought of Sterling and the sweet, tiny, fuzzy black kitten she'd fallen in love with at the shelter. I'd peeked over her shoulder to study the little ball of fluff in her arms and had fallen hard myself. How could I not? Sterling had filled out the paperwork, written a check to the shelter–refusing to let me put it on Griffen's card as he'd suggested–and we'd headed to the pet superstore to get supplies.
For some reason I didn't really understand, they wouldn't let us take the kitten with us, but it worked out for the best. By the time our new pet was ready to go, we had our rooms set up in two versions of kitty heaven. Two litter boxes, cat treats, food, toys, and all the goodies we thought a kitten had to have.
If this worked out, I might have to get another kitten. We were sharing parenting responsibilities, but the kitten and Sterling were clearly in love. Shadow liked me well enough, but she loved Sterling. And as I'd expected, the kids in the house–Scarlett's two boys, August and Thatcher, and Savannah's Nicky–were all dropping not too subtle hints about a puppy. Or another cat. Even a snake.
No one jumped on the idea of a snake, but Griffen was considering a dog. Maybe. He said once we all got used to the kitten, we could talk about adding another pet. That promise was holding the kids for now. I shook my head, still convinced we'd end up with a menagerie. I didn't think Griffen would mind.
Tapping the scrub brush dry on the side of the bucket, I set it on the tile floor and stood, my palms going immediately to my lower back. I needed a massage. Too bad I couldn't afford one. Washing my hands in the sink, I reassured myself that while I couldn't afford a spa day, I did have a nice big tub in my bathroom. A hot bath before bed would be almost as nice as a massage.
Picking up my phone absently, I thought about lunch. Did I want to waste time walking back to the Manor and cleaning up to eat in the dining room, only to get filthy again when I braved the first-floor bath to see if I could get the stains out of the sink?
My stomach growled, putting in a definite vote for lunch, waste of time be damned. Or I could sneak in the back door without cleaning up and see if I could grab a snack. I was warming up to that idea when I saw Griffen's text.
Drop by my office when you have a minute.
I texted back,Have you eaten? I was about to head over for lunch.
Want to eat in my office?
I wanted to eat lunch with Griffen, but still didn't want to waste an hour cleaning up. It wouldn't kill me to ask–he could always say no.
Could we eat on the terrace? I'm too filthy for the house and still have more cleaning to do.
I'll meet you there with food in 20m.
Loving Griffen was a surprise after so many years apart, but he made it easy. Until I came home, I hadn't realized how starved for love I was. Without Tyler between me and my siblings, I was soaking in their affection, letting them make me whole in a way I'd never been.
I wasn't alone anymore. It was still sinking in, but every time my family did something to remind me they cared, it was like I had another piece of me back where it belonged, though I'd never known how much of me I was missing.
Once, a summons to the office would have had me shaking in fear. Now I smiled to myself, looking forward to lunch with my brother, not a bit of worry to spoil my happy anticipation.
I spent another ten minutes making notes on the cottage. I'd met with Billy Bob right after breakfast and they'd left my brain spinning with ideas–what we could save, what I needed to replace, how to schedule the work. Fortunately, they hadn't blinked an eye at my taking over the project, and, unlike me, they actually knew what they were doing.
Washing my hands once more, I reminded myself to get a bottle of hand lotion and some work gloves as I strode down the gravel path winding through the sprawling green lawn on my way to the main house. I'd always loved this walk. The cottage was tucked against the woods, far enough away that the Manor didn't loom over it, and close enough to make walking back and forth convenient. From this side, the guest wing of the Manor jutted out at an angle, the windows sparkling in the sun, the granite streaked in places from the ivy Hawk had removed before it could pull the whole place down.
Passing between the pool and the gardens, I spotted Griffen on the terrace, Hope beside him, one of Savannah's food carts piled with covered dishes. They both gave me curious smiles as I approached, Hope's head tilting to the side.
"You weren't exaggerating," she said. "Did you transfer the dust from the cottage to your clothes?" Her words could have been cutting, but that wasn't Hope, and her warm, welcoming smile turned them into an affectionate tease.
Lifting my hands before me, I countered, "Maybe, but at least I washed my hands. Twice. Though after scrubbing the tile, my hands are probably the cleanest part of me."
"I bet you're hungry." Griffen slid a covered plate my way after I sat at the table in the empty chair.
"You'd be right," I agreed, my mouth watering as I pulled the cover off and set my eyes on a tall club sandwich on toasted bread. Hope put a glass in front of me, filled with freshly made lemonade. "I love you guys," I said around a bite of sandwich.
Hope sipped at her ginger ale and smiled. "Savannah and the cook did all the work." After finishing a much smaller bite of her own sandwich, she mused, "I like this cook. I hope Finn doesn't run her off."
"Agreed," Griffen said with a slight scowl.
Our brother Finn was a professional chef, though he refused to cook for the family. Unfortunately, he also had a temper and extremely high expectations of the family cook. Griffen had told him more than once that if he ran off another cook, either he could take over the job, or he could get out. Since then, Finn had kept his mouth shut.
My lunch disappeared in lightning speed. Slouching back into my chair, I sipped deeply of my lemonade and closed my eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been that hungry. I'd only grabbed a coffee for breakfast, eager to get to work, and I'd been at it all morning.
"Things going well at the cottage?" Griffen asked.
While he and Hope finished their food at a more mannerly pace, I filled them in on my progress and everything Billy Bob had suggested. When I was done, Griffen gave me a wide smile.
"We knew you'd be perfect for this. If you need help with the cleaning–"
