AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I winked at her. “Of course. You can’t go down with a loss on your record.”
“It’s time for you to get ready for bed, missy,” Mom said.
“Good night, Mac.”
“Night, Delaney,” I said before I left their suite and headed upstairs to clean the mess I’d made. That little girl was slowly raveling her way around my heart.
To take my mind off it, I wondered if Mom would consider baking for the B&B. It would give her something to do with her free time. She could socialize with the guests and stay active. She’d even have time to travel with Dad like she wanted. It was an idea I should probably discuss with Natalie first. I didn’t know what her plans were for operating the B&B. It might be good for both of them.
CHAPTER5
NATALIE
Ihadn’t been out with friends in forever. I was so preoccupied with Delaney in South Carolina that I hadn’t made many friends outside of playdates. Nerves fluttered in my belly as I pulled up to the lodge. I hadn’t been here since I was a kid. We loved to play hide-and-seek in the lodge, and we begged her parents to let us sleep in one of the guest rooms. When they allowed it, it was the ultimate sleepover.
My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Alice.
Alice: I’m sorry to cancel. Maggie just barfed.
Natalie: No worries. We can meet up another time. I hope Maggie feels better soon!
Alice: I feel bad because Mac asked me to keep an eye on you.
Warmth spread through my chest that Mac was worried about me.
Natalie: Tell Mac I can take care of myself.
Alice: I know, right? Have fun!
I sent a thumbs-up emoji, and I stepped out of my SUV. I’d invited Alice, hoping that she and Kylie would become friends too. I hadn’t seen Kylie since I’d been back because I’d been so busy with the renovation.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Kylie approached with her arms raised. She hugged me tightly. “I missed you so much. I never thought you’d come back.”
“It’s a little weird when my parents don’t live here anymore.” Could you still call it your hometown when your parents lived in Arizona?
“It will always be your home.”
“As kids, I felt like I spent more time here at the resort than I ever did at my parents’.”
Kylie draped her arm over my shoulder as we walked toward the entrance. “We had the best time. When you weren’t around, I had to hope my brothers would let me play with them.”
I knew that rarely worked out unless Kylie figured out where they were and snuck out. There was one occasion when she’d gotten hurt, and her parents found out about it. That put an end to her adventures with her brothers.
“Alice couldn’t make it. Maggie’s sick.”
Kylie’s expression morphed into sympathy. “Ugh. Poor thing.”
“It’s the worst when your kids are sick,” I said, suddenly feeling old compared to Kylie, who’d been living a different lifestyle than me for the past nine years. Wanting to change the subject, I asked, “Are all of your brothers still in town?”
“All but one. Killian’s still falling down mountains in search of fame.”
“You mean he’s a professional snowboarder,” her brother Xander said.
Kylie rolled her eyes before hugging him. “Whatever that even means.”
With an arm still wrapped around his sister, Xander asked, “And who is this?”
“This is my friend, Natalie Anderson. She just moved back to town with her daughter.”
