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She’s not kidding either.
She’s done it before.
We’re quiet until we get back downstairs. “Don’t be mad.”
She plants her hands on her hips and glares. “Promise me you’re not going to pull away because there’s too many Kingstons.”
“I moved in next door, Mads. I accepted them when you married them. I’m pretty sure you’ve got no chance of me pulling away, now that I’m in love with one of them.”
Her face softens, and she shoves me away. “I’d hug you, but you stink.”
“Love you, sis.”
“Back at ya, you pain in my butt.”
I walk across Maddie’s lawn and stop at the mailbox before I head inside. Ashlyn’s in the kitchen, scrolling through something on her laptop. “Hurry up, Lindy,” she calls upstairs as I hand her the mail.
“I’m gonna go shower. You coming back after you drop her off?”
“I was going to stop by Ever After and do a little work there until she’s done. I’ve got a meeting with Henry Monday to go over the final details for an event on Wednesday. I want to make sure I’ve got everything I need.”
“Okay.” I grab a water bottle and lean on the counter across from her. “Does the wedding planner know what she wants to do for her own wedding?”
“Has the former bachelor decided what he wants to do about his house yet?” she teases back as she goes through the pile of mail.
“I know we talked about renting it out, but I think we should sell it. The market’s good. We’d make a profit. I don’t see the point in holding on to it.”
Ashlyn tosses a bill in her purse and looks at me. “You don’t have any sentimental attachments to the place?”
“Not really.” I shrug. “It was a good house. A safe place for me and Maddie. But she has her own house and her own family now. And so do I.”
I move onto the stool next to her, then box her in between my arms. “I know you love this house, baby. I don’t care where I live as long as it’s with you and shortcake.”
“This house is my home, Brandon. But you’re my haven. You’re my safe place. My port in the storm. You’re the person I want to share my home with. If you want to buy a different house, we can. I’m pretty sure there’s even one available on the other side of the lake.”
I grip her chin in my hand and brush my lips over hers. “Nah, baby. I’m happy here. This place is perfect.”
“Good.” She kisses me again. “Now go shower. You stink.”
“Yes ma’am.” I stand and turn to walk away as Ashlyn gasps.
Her face is white as a ghost, and her hands tremble with a legal-sized envelope in one of them and a stack of papers in the other.
“Brandon,” she barely manages to whisper as she brings her eyes to mine.
I take the papers from her hand and freeze.
My blood boils at what I’m seeing.
Sheet after sheet of pictures printed out on copy paper.
Pictures of Lindy at the skating rink.
Lindy at school.
Lindy in Cade’s gym.
Lindy in Belle’s dance studio.
