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She sent me an appreciative smile and slid onto a barstool, sipping her coffee. Pierce stormed through the door less than a minute later, and the madness began. He went straight to Darby, dragging her into my office, and Maya bounced in, waving at me and sidling up to Ashlyn to show her something on her phone like they were long-lost friends.
I loved my niece, but at that moment, I fiercely loved my niece for acting like it was normal to walk in and find Ashlyn.
Any awkwardness of my parents meeting her was lost when Cole ran into the house demanding we turn on ESPN. He gave a half-hug to Ashlyn and passed with Runner at his feet.
Ashlyn’s eyebrows shot up when her eyes came to mine, and she burst into laughter. Mom and Dad followed him in, and when I questioned my mom on the impromptu lunch, she shoved a casserole dish at me. Dad unloaded a few bags before they both went to introduce themselves.
I waited, ready to break in if needed, but Ashlyn showed no signs of discomfort. By the time Pierce and Darby returned, Mom and Dad were discussing the renovation casually.
The rest of the day has gone as smoothly. Now I stare at her. Like this morning, she looks natural in my place. I love my family, but I want them gone. I bring my attention back to the yard and start the process.
“Darby needs a daughter.” Pierce is the easiest target to ruse.
His head swings to me, and his eyes narrow. “I’ll work on that in March.”
“Just saying, Darby mentioned missing romance earlier. You may need to step up your game.” I’m a dick. Using Darby’s words against Pierce is like fueling an already burning inferno. “Isn’t the honeymoon period supposed to last at least a year?”
“You’re an ass, and I know what you’re doing.”
“Trying to switch our focus to you? Yeah, I know, too.” Dad catches on, zeroing in on me. “But why don’t we talk about how you’ve hidden this for so long?”
An uneasy feeling stirs in my gut, but I keep a straight face. “She’s only been here a few weeks.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“Who’s lying?”
“You know, when Pierce told me you decided to take on this project, something seemed off. It didn’t take long for the office rumblings to kick-in, and word has it she’s high-maintenance. That isn’t your style. But seeing the way you look at her, it all makes sense now.”
“Not sure what you’re getting at. What makes sense?”
“You boys think your mom has all the instincts, but I’m an observant old man. All those years, it was obvious why Pierce didn’t find a woman and settle down, but we couldn’t figure out why you didn’t. Meet someone, date, get married, have kids.”
“Because Pierce was the best form of birth control there was.”
“Kiss my ass,” Pierce mumbles under his breath.
“Maybe that’s true, but you two didn’t fool us with your frequent weekend trips out of town. They drove your mother crazy. Before Darby came back and they worked out their problems, we held on to hope that you’d be the one with a normal relationship.”
“Did I miss the memo that today is insult Pierce day?” Pierce throws a finger my way. “Don’t forget who had your back this morning.”
“It’s not an insult if it’s the truth. After the issues with Connie, we knew you’d be a lifetime bachelor. Thank God, Darby came home. But Miller is a different story.” Dad slices his eyes back to me. “All these years, you’ve openly avoided relationships. That drove your mom even crazier. Charleston is filled with tons of beautiful, successful, and single women. Yet, you never once took interest. Suddenly, that woman blows into town and things change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled you’ve found someone, and hopefully, she’ll be the one to settle you down. But something in my gut tells me there’s more to this story.”
“What can I say? She’s special.”
“Just a few hours with her and I already know that. My question is, when did you figure it out?”
The weight of their stares burns into my skin. I glance through the house and find Ashlyn with her head thrown back as she shakes with laughter. My chest tightens at the sight, seeing her happy, and knowing those walls she’s put around herself are nowhere to be found.
“I knew it the night I met her, in April.”
“What the hell?” It takes a lot to shock Pierce, but it seems like I’ve succeeded. “April?” he repeats.
There’s no way I’m telling them the whole story because it’s none of their business and would embarrass Ashlyn. But I highlight some details, hoping they’ll drop it.
“The week I was in Chicago meeting Todd. He had an emergency on one of his projects and had to fly out early, leaving me with time on my hands. I met her at a bar. She was coming from a business dinner, and we struck up a conversation. I bought her a few drinks and enjoyed the time until she had to take a call.” I cross my arms and lower my voice. “And before either of you ask, she left so fast I didn’t get her name.”
