AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Auntie!”
A teenager came running out of one of the bedrooms and practically launched herself into the air. Krissy caught her and hugged her tight, both of them talking at once. But, as the two embraced, the girl shot me a daring look. I got the immediate impression she was challenging me to do something, and I couldn’t help but like her immediately.
Erin quickly returned with the baby boy on her hip, and her husband followed from the kitchen. Krissy quickly introduced me to Stephan Neilson, and I shook his hand.
“Pleasure,” Neils said. “I’ve heard a lot about you already. Third hand, anyway.”
I chuckled. “Hopefully, nothing important was lost in translation. You and I both know how that goes.”
“We do,” he said with a smile, though I could tell there was something forcefully polite about the look he gave me, and I had no doubt in my mind he was busy sizing me up.
I just hoped I passed his test.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Krissy
“I still can’t believe you had that built and didn’t even tell me you were doing it,” I said to Erin as I joined her by the pool.
Shortly after arriving that afternoon, she had taken Gavin and me out back, showing us that Neils had purchased the condo next door, converting it into both a gym and office space, as well as a guest suite.
After dinner, we all spent some time swimming and hanging out by the community pool at the complex. Then, later in the night, Erin put Libby and Connor to bed, then Gavin went to bed where we were staying in the second condo.
Neils was in the house with the kids, so Erin had the freedom to sit by the pool for a while. She told me to come find her if I wasn’t too tired, and I was eager to take her up on that offer. Even with our lives taking shape and slowly going into a new stage, that didn’t change the fact she was my best friend or that I wanted to just sit and talk to her when I had the chance.
“It came as a surprise to me, too,” Erin said. “And once it was bought, the design team came in and just went right to it. I think they had the whole thing remodeled in less than two months. I don’t know. It seemed like as soon as they had started it, it was done.”
“But why did you go through all that work?” I asked. “I was so excited with the prospect of it earlier, don’t get me wrong, but why did you put so much into it.”
“Well, with Connor coming along, we had to have room for another little one. Libby isn’t getting any younger, and Connor is growing like a weed, if you ask me. I didn’t want her to feel cramped in her space, and Neils thought it would be best to give him a room of his own from the beginning. That sort of ruined having any sort of guest space for us.”
“That makes sense,” I replied. “You were set up for just you two and Libby, and you wanted to have room for a guest.”
“Exactly, and an office, too, for that matter. So, it was obvious we were going to have the whole family in this condo, so why not make the guest suite next door with the office and the gym? There was enough space in there and room on top of it. Neils really wanted Libby to learn an instrument, and it worked out having that whole living room space in there to put the piano.”
“I saw that piano in there!” I beamed. “I wasn’t sure if it was for you or if you were doing it for Lib or even Neils.”
“Not Neils,” Erin said with a laugh. “He loves piano, but I don’t think he has the patience to learn himself. And also, the guest space in there is great for giving privacy to any of the guests who stay with us. Like my dad. He comes around a lot more now that Connor is here, but I don’t know if he’s entirely sold on everything with us, even now.”
“That’s probably smart. Even if he has come around to the relationship and everything, I’m sure it’s a little awkward to have your best friend and your daughter going to bed in the same room.”
“Connor helped a lot with the relationship getting fixed,” Erin explained. “But I just didn’t feel right. I don’t know if Dad was going to say anything about it or not, I just felt like it was nicer for me to put him out there than have him watching us together.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“But anyway, that’s all yesterday’s news. Tell me what’s been going on with you. You said you got a job in addition to your music gigs?”
“I did,” I beamed. “And I start Tuesday. It was going to be Monday, but since we’re getting back Sunday night, I wanted to have Monday to get rested up and ready to head to work bright and early. You know how the baristas do it.”
“I’m just glad that you’re going to be making coffee,” Erin laughed. “You know I love a good cup of coffee, and now you can teach me your ways. I want to know how to make one of those glorious lattes, but I can’t ever get the espresso machine to behave.”
“I know there’s a knack to it, and you have to get used to your personal machine, but of course, I’m going to teach you how. And with how close we are to each other now, it’s not like you have to wait months for me to come down and see you again.”
“Or for me to come up and see you,” Erin laughed. “It worked out so nice the other day when I was able to do that.”
“I bet. I’m sure it makes it easier since you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to fit everyone into the car and drag them all with you,” I said.
“Or where we’re going to put them,” Erin nodded. “I saw your bungalow. It’s cute, but it’s not really cut out for a family of four to come stay with you for very long.”
