AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It wasn’t her sisters—when they got back from a long wait at urgent care, they were more than thrilled at the thought of being out of the chaos of the house remodel. It would allow Ryan and his team to attack the house renovation at one time instead of in pieces too. And maybe it would all be done sooner.
The problem was her own emotions. She cared too much about what Lucas thought. She’d found herself thinking about him in the oddest moments. There was danger in that direction. Her marriage hadn’t been the happiest of years for her. Or for Eric. She needed to focus on raising Noah.
At least that was what she usually told herself. Being around Lucas all the time would be way too much distraction for her peace of mind.
But there was no stopping it now. Nearly all their personal belongings had been moved over. While she answered the police’s questions one more time, Lucas had Ryan’s workers help toss things into baskets and suitcases and haul them to his house. By dinnertime they were all in suites upstairs.
And his home was gorgeous. She’d never seen the full renovation, and the quality of every room was a marvel. Her suite was huge, and the bathroom had a big soaking tub plus a walk-in shower. The tile work was beautiful, and she suspected no one had used this bathroom since the work was done. Her feet sank into the thick oatmeal-colored carpet, and thebedding matched with its neutral colors. The windows looked out on the bay, and she paused a moment to admire the view.
She made sure Noah was sleeping in the crib in the corner, then grabbed the monitor and exited into the hall. She closed the door behind her and headed for the stairs. From the top of the staircase, she could hear her sisters chattering about the house. For the first time since they’d come, they sounded happy and excited. Maybe this could be a new beginning for them. Being in this beautifully redone historic home, maybe they finally saw Gram’s vision.
They were clustered around a baby grand piano in the music room. Isabelle’s hands rested on the keys, but she hadn’t started playing. Amelia and Emily sat on a sofa in a seating area framed by a plush rug. Gram was in a high-back chair reading a book. Behind the sofa was a wall of bookcases. Where the quarter-sawn oak floors could be seen, they gleamed with a fresh refinishing.
Carly lifted her phone and snapped a quick picture of the peaceful, happy family. It was a scene that might not come again soon.
Carly moved to the piano. “Everyone settled?”
Isabelle nodded. “Do you think Lucas would mind if I play the piano?”
“I can answer that.” Lucas’s deep voice spoke from the entrance into the room. “No one has played it since our mom died, but we’ve kept it tuned. I’d love to hear it again.”
Carly shot him a grateful smile and noticed he’d showered and changed. His dark hair still looked damp, and he wore shorts and a tee. His feet were bare, which made him somehow more approachable and appealing. Major was on his heels. Thegolden retriever sniffed the air, and she knew he scented Pepper sleeping on Isabelle’s lap.
It was going to be a full household. Did Ryan even know yet?
Isabelle’s fingers moved into position on the piano. “Any favorites?”
“Anything you’d like,” Lucas said.
That was a dangerous statement. Carly expected her sister to pound out a rock song, but instead “Brahms’ Lullaby” rippled from her fingers.
Lucas smiled and came to the piano. “My mom used to play that every night. You play beautifully. How long have you been taking lessons?”
“Since I was three. I love the piano.”
Carly watched the interaction between her little sister and Lucas. She had a lot of regret that she had missed Isabelle’s true nature in her first introduction to her. The girl had a lot of heart.
Major tensed when he spotted the cat, but Lucas set his hand on the dog’s red head. “Stay.”
“Should we keep Pepper upstairs?”
“Major will get used to him.” Lucas released the dog, and Major went to sniff at Pepper, who hissed and assumed attack-mode posture with his back up and his tail whipping. The dog yelped and slunk back against Lucas’s leg. “Pepper showed him who was boss.”
Isabelle finished the song and moved on to another classical piece. Noah made waking sounds through the monitor, and Carly turned toward the door.
Lucas stopped her. “I’ll get him. Come, Major.”
The dog gave a last soulful glance toward Pepper andfollowed Lucas. It felt wrong to Carly for someone else to answer Noah’s cry, but she forced herself to stay put.
She walked over to join the rest of the family in the seating area. “Everyone settled?”
“My room is gorgeous,” Amelia said. “The designer knew what they were doing. I hope our house turns out this beautifully.”
Emily gave an annoyed toss of her hair. “Are you saying you don’t think I’ll know how to do it this well?”
“You usually do more modern spaces,” Amelia said. “Think you can rein that in and decorate with restraint and elegance?”
Carly wanted to hold her hands over her ears and scream at them to stop. Did they have to bicker all the time? “Emily has wonderful taste. She’s trained in every style of design. We’re lucky to have her.”
