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“Last week went great.”
“Ha, I personally think they went easy on you.”
> “Babe, they all like me.”
“I like that cockiness, Reid. Not sure it’s warranted, but I admire it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hailey
“I demand to know every detail about the event,” Val commanded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Anything catch your eye?” Lori asked, eyes sparkling. “Do you have pics?”
“Unfortunately, I have tons. Carlo is too talented. But he did say he’s giving me a fifteen percent discount.”
Val batted her eyelashes. “Also applies to your sisters? Asking for a friend.”
“I’m sure I can use my persuasion skills and get a yes out of him. Let’s have a look.”
We all crouched on the swing Carter had set up on the porch. I was sitting in the middle, one sister on each side. I was soaking up all this sisterly love, and it was calming my inner turmoil.
I loved Val’s yard. Landon’s wife had designed it a few years ago. The jacaranda trees were especially beautiful. At the end of May, everything was already in bloom. The yard was an explosion of color. Vibrant green and light pink. Patches of yellow and violet could be seen here and there too.
I thumbed through the pics, oohing and aahing with them while we rated the outfits.
“This is great. You know what, I’m starting to get the hang of ordering everyone around,” Val said, rubbing her belly.
Right, considering Carter had ordered (ordered!!!) Lori and me to entertain Val while the rest of the group finished dinner and set the table, she was most definitely not getting the hang of it, but, umm... she had potential. She was calm, considering she’d been banned from her own kitchen.
“An appetizer for the ladies?” Reid said, coming out of the house with a tray of sandwiches.
“Oh, gimme, gimme,” I said. I was starving. “Thank you.”
“How is it going in there?” Val asked as we each took a sandwich.
“Everything under control. You ladies enjoy the sunset.” He winked before getting back inside the house.
“So, Reid doesn’t seem to be able to stay away from you too long,” Val commented.
“He doesn’t, does he?” I settled lower on the swing, smiling impishly, toeing off my shoes and gathering my knees to my chest. “Girls, I have a confession to make.”
Lori winked at me, pulling her long blonde locks into a ponytail. “We already know. You’re head over heels in love.”
I smiled even wider, nodding, looking to my right, then to my left. I was seconds away from a Connor sandwich. My sisters hugged me at the same time. I loved them. They made me feel loved and safe.
“So, if you love him so much, why did you leave him all alone in there?” Lori asked.
“On the way here, he was a bit too cocky, thinking he had everyone in his pocket. Thought he should know what he’s getting into.”
“Damn, girl.” Val giggled, pushing a few strands of hair out of my face, the way she did when I was a kid. “How is work?”
“I absolutely don’t want to talk about that tonight. Too early for a mood killer. How about we go back to looking at Carlo’s designs and decide which ones are deserving of our hard-earned money?”
Val opened her mouth, clearly about to disagree, but Lori pointed at my phone. “Val, you heard her. Eyes on the phone, sis.”
