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I take the freshly washed strawberries from the bowl and start to slice them. “We’re going over to Maverick’s. It’ll be nice to see him again and I need to talk to Tatum about wedding stuff.”
My mother stills and then exhales slowly. “Honey, there’s something you should –”
“Good morning.” Parker greets my mom as he walks into the room and whatever she was going to say goes right out the window.
She gives him a warm smile. “Hi darling. How did you sleep?”
He places a kiss on my cheek before taking a seat. “Like a baby. Your home has a cozy feel to it. It’s very welcoming.”
“You know, I’ve always said the same thing. It’s the reason I chose this house in the first place.”
“Speaking of houses,” I interrupt. “We have a meeting with the realtor scheduled for Wednesday.”
“You could always just live here.” My mom suggests.
I sputter on my hot coffee. “Yeah, no. I actually like you and if I live here for too long, it could damage that.”
“Nonsense. You’re my baby.”
That’s exactly my point, I’m not a baby. Instead of arguing it further, I focus my attention back on my fiancé. “Anyway, please don’t forget. The only other opening she has this week is Friday.”
He nods. “Friday I have a meeting at Harvard and then we have our engagement party, so Wednesday it is.”
Shit. I almost forgot about that. Will he be there? Who am I kidding? He’s Maverick’s best frien
d. I’d be stupid to think he won’t be. Ugh, focus McKenna. “Okay. I’ll confirm with Jessica.”
Ignoring the pout on my mom’s face and making a mental note to check who Tatum has on the guest list, I go back to helping make breakfast – though I’m not so hungry anymore.
WE PULL UP TO the two-story house and I’m blown away by it’s beauty. The light gray cedar shakes mix well with the cliché white picket fence. The bay window that sits in front tells me it was designed with Maverick in mind. He’s always said how he wanted a window he could sit in and watch as the rain poured down. The fence however – that must have been all Tatum.
Before I make it out of the truck, my brother is barreling through the door and down the steps, wrapping his arms around me as soon as he’s close enough. I return the embrace and find my entire body relaxing. He’s never lacked the ability to make me feel safe, even in the most chaotic of places.
His hair is a bit darker than mine but our eyes are identical. When I was a kid, people used to say we looked so much alike. Thankfully, as we grew, our differences became more apparent. There is no better ass-backwards compliment than someone telling you that you look like your brother.
“I’ve missed you, Squid.”
Despite my initial reaction to cringe at the nickname, a part of me has missed it. It’s something he’s called me since I was a kid. I’m not even entirely sure of where it originated, but it’s one of those things that just stuck. My parents went with it for a little while but stopped when I hit puberty. Maverick, however, rarely calls me by my real name.
“I’ve missed you, too.” I turn to see Parker coming around the truck. “You remember my fiancé.”
“Of course, the dude who’s banging my baby sister, how could I forget?” Now that makes me cringe. Maverick notices the immediate tension and starts laughing hysterically. “I’m just fucking with you, man. Nice to see you again.”
“You as well.” He shakes my brother’s hand in that professional way he does.
A part of me wonders if the two of them will ever become close, but I just don’t see it happening. Parker comes from a very wealthy family in England, and with wealth comes rules. He’s grown up believing that your image is everything and every action defines you. The only time I’ve seen him let loose is when it’s just the two of us. Meanwhile, Maverick and I were taught to express ourselves and that we should enjoy life while we can. The difference in personalities works for Parker and I, but I think it’s just too much for Maverick to handle.
“Come inside.” He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door as my fiancé follows dotingly. “You’re going to love the place.”
The second we step through the door, I can tell he’s right. It’s cozy yet modern. Down the hallway, the living room has vaulted ceilings that make it feel spacious. A white brick fireplace is stands perfectly in the middle of one wall, and in the back of the room is a floor to ceiling double door; displaying the oasis looking backyard.
I follow my brother through the house and into the kitchen. My jaw drops when I take in all the sleek looking appliances and white marble countertops. There’s a smoky glass door that leads out to the patio on one side, and an entrance to the dining room on the other. The main thing that catches my attention are the rose gold knobs on all the gray cabinetry. It adds enough to the room to keep it from being bleak without looking gaudy. Whoever added those is a genius.
When we enter the living room again, I take it in from another angle and notice a staircase we must have passed on the way in. It’s discreetly hidden into one of the walls, leading up to the second floor that overlooks the large space. The child side of me wants to put a trampoline in the middle of the room and jump onto it from the balcony.
“Nothing special about the upstairs, just a few bedrooms, but yeah – this is it.”
“It’s amazing, Mav. I’m really proud of you.”
