Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“You got Chassie to thinking. She found out that same night your mum died not long ago. And here you are, calling ‘tallyho’ erroneously and peeling out of the front drive.”
“Erroneously?”
“It’s a call to the hounds on a hunt, or if you see a fox. Not what you shout before taking a day trip.”
“Oh.”
“Bloody hell, Vivi,” he bit out. “Stick with me here. My sister just had a goddamn meltdown.”
“No, Battle, your sister just asserted her power.”
His body jolted.
“That”—I pointed in the direction of the plum parlor—“took some serious ovaries. Calling Hamish? Going head-to-head with Tempie, of all people? Hell, I like to think I’m no pushover, but she scares the bejesus out of me.”
His head cocked to the side. “She does?”
I flipped out my hands. “Not really, but yes. She’s the coolest bitch on the planet, and I’ve seen her make mincemeat of Chelsea. I never want that aimed at me.”
“She adores you.”
I sighed. “I know, honey. Just…forget it. It’s a woman thing. Like tampons and periods and never talking to a friend again if they let you chat up a hot guy with lipstick on your teeth.”
He assumed a baffled look that was outrageously adorable.
I put my hands on his chest and leaned into him. “What I’m saying is, what just happened is good. Very good. Cleansing. For Chassie, and since she decided to pack a punch at her impromptu coming-out party, hopefully for Tempie.”
Slowly, his gaze moved to the door.
I put a hand to his cheek to bring him back to me.
“To put a fine point on what we talked about earlier, one of the myriad reasons I’m falling in love with you,” I began, “is how much you love them. I grew up surrounded by love, but I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
His hands came to my hips, his face got soft and gentle and warm and oh-so-very beautiful, and he whispered, “Darling.”
I loved his reaction to my admission, but I couldn’t let up on him.
This was too important.
“But right now, your challenge is going to be letting them sort themselves out,” I informed him. “However this is going to go down from here has to be about Tempie and Chassie and Prue. Chassie’s ready to figure it out, and she has to have the space to let that happen. Tempie is going to have to stop hiding from what she feels for Hamish and take that risk or lose him. And Prue is going to be a huge star one day, and you all are going to have to learn to deal with her outshining you. None of that is going to be in your control, baby. You’re just going to have to let them roll the dice and see.”
For a second, I thought he’d retort.
After that second, his arms curved around me, so mine did the same to him, and I put my cheek on his chest.
“I know it’s going to be hard,” I said gently.
“It’ll probably kill me,” he admitted.
Totally wished I had a big brother.
I tipped my head back. “In the end, they’re going to be happy. They’re going to be all they should be. And you’ll have given them the foundation to be that and the freedom to be all of it. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Vivi.” He went in for a lip touch. “All good.”
He moved to let go of me, muttering something about drinks.
But I didn’t let him go until I could see from his face he was dealing.
Only then did I let him go.
Battle went to make us more drinks.
After a spell, the girls came back with the news that the door to the plum parlor was open, no one in it, so they crept up to Tempie’s bedroom, and definitely someone was in there.
“I’ve told Cook we’re ready when she is, and to leave something warming in case they want a tray,” Prue declared.
Chassie still had red eyes, but she was veritably preening.
Oh yeah.
She done good.
We went into the dining room when Scotty came to share dinner was ready.
And when Battle and I went up to bed in his room, there was a tray on the floor outside the door of Tempie’s room with spent plates, and a cork, but no bottle of wine or glasses.
As we kept walking, I shot Battle’s stony-face-shit-my-sister-is-in-that-room-fucking-her-hot-Scottish-guy expression a smug smile and asked, “See?”
He tucked me tight to his side and kissed my head as he kept us walking.
And he took me to his room, so he could fuck his hot American girl.
I was almost asleep, worn out by my hot English guy and draped over his chest, when he said, “So…falling in love with me?”
I stiffened.
He rolled on top of me.
“I’m thinking Sophronia,” he stated.
I forced my lips to say, “What?”
“That’s for a girl. Noble, Archer or Journey if it’s a boy. Maybe Endeavor.”