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“I wanted to wait for Bran and Keller to return,” she says.
“It’s okay. I’ll make sure they get fed. It’s been an eventful day. Go on home, and I’ll have Keller call you with an update as soon as they arrive,” Willa tells her.
“All right. I’ll see you two in the morning.”
She finally relents and takes Uncle Bob’s hand. He tugs her to her feet and leads her to the door.
Willa looks at me. “Want a glass of wine?”
“I’d love one,” I admit.
“I’ll be right back.” She hops to her feet and disappears into the kitchen.
I pull my legs up and tuck them under me before tugging the fuzzy blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping it around me.
My attention is lost in the snap and crackle of the flames licking at the logs in the giant fireplace when she returns with a glass in each hand.
“I hope you like Pinot Noir,” she says as she hands one over to me.
“If it comes from a grape, I like it,” I quip.
She settles back in beside me. “Keller texted. They just finished up and are on their way now.”
“Any word on the damage?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “He didn’t say.”
I groan. “Ugh, I still can’t believe I threw a lamp through a window. Keller’s friend must think I’m a psycho.”
She laughs. “It makes for a great story—that’s for sure.”
The front door opens and closes, and in walks Keller.
“Oh, wow. That doesn’t look good,” Willa assesses as we catch sight of the man following behind him.
He has a black patch covering the white cotton gauze and medical tape over his right eye. An ace bandage wraps his wrist, and the small bruise that was forming on his jaw is now a large deep purple that’s crawled up to just under his injured eye.
I stand abruptly and make my way over to him, raising my hand to lightly graze his swollen cheek.
He reaches up with his good hand to clasp mine.
“Hannah, this is my partner, Brannigan Prince. Bran, this is my cousin, Hannah Whitmar,” Keller introduces.
Prince?
The name sure suits him. He looks like Prince Charming from my favorite fairy tale, Cinderella.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he says.
“I’m sure you’d prefer to not have met me,” I reply.
He smiles and then winces. “I might wish it were under different circumstances,” he agrees.
“I’m so sorry. I was startled when I saw a man looking through the window while I stood there, naked, and I just didn’t think.”
“You were naked?” he asks.
“Yeah, I had just gotten out of the bath,” I say.
