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Will ruffles his daughter’s hair, which is the same dark blonde color as her mother’s, and just as wavy. In fact, she’s a miniature version of Skye. “Of course. I’m sure they’d both love one.”
I take a bite of my cookie, but it breaks in half, one half falling to the floor. “Well, crap.”
Penny gasps as she points an accusing finger in my direction.
“Oops, my apologies,” I say quickly, realizing my error. “What I meant to say was, ‘Oh, dear. Look what I’ve done.’”
Penny wags her index finger at me. “Mommy says we’re not allowed to say bad words.”
I chuckle. “My apologies, little miss.”
Will’s struggling not to laugh.
“Daddy got in trouble yesterday for saying thepword.”
My brows shoot up.The p word?Surely she doesn’t mean the firstpword that came to my mind. Baffled, I look to Will. “Excuse me?”
Penny cups her hands around her mouth and whispers loudly, “You know,poop. He said Nicky pooped in his nappy.”
Will practically chokes on his laughter. “Please, sweetheart, let’s not bring that up again, shall we? We don’t want to upset Mummy.”
“No,” Penny says, shaking her head adamantly. “She doesn’t like it when someone says a bad word.”
I wink at Will. “Don’t worry, we’ll watch our P’s and Q’s around you.”
When Penny carries a little plate of cookies into the lounge, Will and I follow in time to catch the tail end of Kennedy’s question to Skye.
“—can’t I stay in the main house with you guys? I could be a lot of help to you.”
Skye gives her a consoling smile. “Will and I are up and down all hours of the night with the baby. We thought you’d both be more comfortable having your own private space. It’ll be nice and quiet for you.”
Kennedy frowns. “It’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”
“Mommy, do you want a cookie? Aunt Kennedy?” Penny holds out the plate, and the ladies each take one.
“Don’t be silly, Kennedy,” Skye says. “Besides, your bedroom has the best view of the lake.”
Kennedy looks to me, defeat clearly visible in her eyes. “All right,” she says with a resigned sigh.
Will takes a bite of a cookie. “Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all,” Skye says quickly. “We were just discussing the sleeping arrangements.”
“Speaking of the arrangements,” Will says. “Penny, darling, why don’t we show your auntie and uncle where they’ll be staying? I’m sure once they see it, they’ll be thrilled with their accommodations.”
Clearly excited by the prospect of showing us around, Penny grabs Kennedy’s hand and practically hauls her to her feet. “Come on, Aunt Kennedy! Let’s go see the cottage. I made you a welcome sign and put it on the fridge.”
Kennedy pastes a smile on her face. “Wonderful.”
Will pats me on the back. “Shall we go?”
Will opens a sliding glass door at the rear of the house, and we step outside onto a covered deck designed for entertaining. There’s an outdoor barbecue and a wooden table that seats six, as well as a pair of porch swings that face the lake. Wide wooden steps lead down to a stone path that passes through a flower garden, past a white picket gate, and then down a gently sloping lawn.
A small, yet charming white cottage sits halfway between the main house and the lake.
I’m going to be occupying the same space as Kennedy for the better part of a weekend. We’ll be sharing a bathroom and a kitchen. I smile to myself because I see potential here. Lots of potential.
I just hope she does, too.
