Page 46 of Hideaway Reunion

She loved him. And she kissed him as if she never planned to stop. Fine by him.

She was actually in love with him. Him.

It was nothing short of a miracle. A dream he’d had for so long. Last night had been incredible and he’d known it would be okay. That there was a real chance to have everything he wanted.

But the reality of hearing her say it… That was intense. It fired him up and leveled him at the same time. He was hungry. Thrilled. Desperate to sweep her away for some kind of newly-in-love honeymoon kind of deal. Did people do that? He didn’t care. The two of them could start a new trend.

Except she’d never leave the Hideaway right now. She’d never let her sisters deal with all this turmoil alone. She’d see that as being too much like her dad. So Brayden needed to get himself under control before⁠—

The sound of chainsaws revving up nearby pulled him back from the brink. Followed by the sound of his phone ringing in the other room. He’d left Connor hanging when he’d noticed Roni’s distress.

Connor. His research assistant had been talking rapid-fire about accretion and naturally-occurring boundary shifts. “I should get that,” he said.

“Get what?”

Her lashes fluttered open, her blue eyes wide and dazzled. He could definitely spend the rest of his life with her looking at him like that. “My phone.” He stroked her cheek. “They’ve started next door too.”

“How can you know that?” Before he could answer, the chainsaws started chewing through that tough old oak limb. “Oh.” She bobbed her chin. “You’re right. We need to go help out after they spent the morning helping us.”

Suddenly, he felt a little uneasy. “And your sisters?” Would they give her grief about finding the two of them in a liplock? He’d assumed they’d be okay if he and Roni became involved as a couple, but he could’ve misread the whole situation.

Her eyes flashed with amusement. “They should help too.” She scooted around him and opened the bathroom door. “Coast is clear.”

He laughed. “Fine.” They would all find a way to be okay with it until they could talk it out. “Connor had some interesting details to share.”

“I heard a little.” She smoothed lip balm over lips that were full and rosy from their kissing. “He was showing you a bunch of pictures.”

“That’s right.” Brayden picked up his phone and his tablet, following her out to the kitchen. But just as he was about to dial, he heard her groan.

“Coast isn’t clear?” he guessed.

“No.” She shook her head. “They look mad.” She turned to look at him as he walked up behind her. “I really thought they’d be happy for me. Us,” she amended with a warm smile that made him want to kiss her and not stop. He managed to control himself.

“We are happy for you,” Celeste snapped. “And Brayden, of course.”

He was pretty sure hearts were dancing in Natalie’s eyes, but Celeste seemed truly upset. “You owe us an explanation,” she said. “And an apology.”

“And a legal dictionary,” Natalie added under her breath. “For that last message.”

He closed the door to the suite as Roni bravely moved into the tension swirling through the kitchen. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you been crying?” Natalie asked, all sympathy.

“Nat, I swear.” Celeste rolled her eyes. “I’m furious, Roni. With you.” She glared at her youngest sister. “I thought we both were.”

“Well, I was,” Natalie said. “Am. But look at them. They’re so happy.”

“You’re laying it on a little thick, Nat,” Roni observed. “What did I do now?” She distanced herself, a reaction he’d seen her pull countless times in various situations. But he wouldn’t let her face anything alone. He shadowed her now and would continue to do so.

Celeste held out her phone. “We got Dad’s email. How could you go to him again when we expressly asked you not to?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Roni said. “Because he might have the answers we need?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. Tried and failed to gather her composure. “He bought the place. Originally,” she shouted. “For all his failings, he does love us.”

“Not enough to stay,” Nat mused.

“Whatever.” Roni struggled through another calming breath. “If he sent an email to all of us, it must mean something.” She fished her phone from her back pocket and opened her app.

Brayden read the message over her shoulder. David Hargrave had replied to Roni, copying both Celeste and Natalie on the email at their Hideaway business addresses. A little cold, but a reply nonetheless.