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A group of women begin chanting, “Who won the bid? Who won the bid? Who won the bid?”
“Those women are Feather, Petal, Cayenne, and Clove. Together with Sage who’s getting a dressing down from Lyric.” Rowan nods toward the hallway where Lyric is gesturing with his hands at Sage who’s smiling back at him. “I refer to them as the gossip gals.”
“They prefer the term busybody,” Ashlyn tells him.
Doubts about what the hell I’m doing here creep in. Is making partner at the firm worth working in this crazy town for the next two years? What is my chance of convincing Ellery to relocate closer to Chicago with our child?
“She won’t move,” Juniper answers the question I didn’t ask. “She built the Inn on Main from the ground up. It’s her baby. You could offer her five million dollars for the place, and she’d turn you down.”
“Remember the developer?” Aspen asks. “He offered her six and she told him where he could shove his six million.”
Lilac purses her lips. “I don’t remember any developer making an offer on the inn. Is this yet another secret you and Ellery are keeping from the rest of us?”
“Yeah, big sis, what other secrets are you keeping?” Ashlyn asks.
“My wife’s a troublemaker.” Rowan smiles at her as if he’s proud of the trouble she gets herself into.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ashlyn grits her teeth. “I’m going to steal every gavel in town.”
“Will everyone be quiet for five minutes, so I can announce who won the bid,” Forest yells. Once everyone quiets down, he points his gavel at me. “Congrats!”
“The hunk won! The hunk won! The hunk won!” The gossip gals chant.
Lilac stands. “Davis Williams did not win the bid because Cole is the most handsome architect. They won because their design plan was the most ecologically sound.”
“He’s still a hunk!”
I stand, thinking I need to say something, but I don’t get a chance to speak before I’m surrounded by the West family.
Mrs. West pulls me into her arms and rocks me back and forth. “Welcome to the family. This project will give you plenty of time to win Ellery over. She’s stubborn. All my girls are,” she says with pride. “But she needs love. And you’ll do just fine.” She winks as she releases me.
Rowan claps me on the back. “Welcome to the chaos.”
Ashlyn throws herself at me, but Rowan grabs her by the collar and drags her away. “No hugging other men.”
“He’s practically family.”
He shakes his head. “Not yet he isn’t. And he’s got his work cut out for him.”
She melts into him. “Okay, Jeeves.”
“I don’t have a caveman who will keep me from hugging you.” Juniper wraps her arms around me. “I get the attraction,” she whispers as she pinches my ass.
I jump out of her arms. “Um…” I can feel my face heating up.
“Does everyone get to pinch his ass or is the privilege reserved for the West sisters?” Sage asks as she returns with Lyric.
Lyric sighs. “Unwanted pinching is assault. Don’t make me arrest you.”
Sage winks at me. “Who says it’s unwanted?”
“Um…” What do you say when a woman old enough to be your grandmother wants to pinch you? I eye the exit. I need to get out of here before the entire town decides pinching my ass is the appropriate method to congratulate me.
Lilac pushes past Sage. “Congratulations.” She holds out her hand. “I found your project inspired. I’d love to discuss it more at your convenience.”
“Later,” Aspen says. “It’s time for drinks and a celebration at the bar.”
Juniper hooks her arm through mine. “Come on. I’ll keep the other women at bay.”
“You have to go to the restroom sometime, Juniper,” Sage calls after her.
“She’s kidding, isn’t she?”
Juniper grins up at me. “We can pretend she is if it makes you feel better.”
Before I can come up with an answer to her crazy, Ashlyn sprints past with Rowan chasing her. “You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread woman!”
Winter Falls is officially freaking me out.
