Brody pressed closer to the glass, as if trying to catch a glimpse of a fictional creature between the trees. “It’s so cool. Does that whole lake belong to you, too?”
I chuckled, knowing which lake he was talking about without even having to look. “Yep, that one and a few more like it on the property. Although Jamie likes to think of that one ashisinstead ofours.”
We drove a little farther and rounded a curve in the road. A sleek, modern home came into view, all glass and clean lines, perched like it belonged in a magazine spread. Brody’s jaw dropped. “What about that one?”
“That one’s mine,” I admitted, catching Maisie turning sharply toward it in the passenger seat. “Technically. I don’t stay there very often.”
Brody leaned forward between the seats, his eyes huge. “It’s yours, but you don’t live there?”
“Not really,” I explained, smiling as I glanced at him in the rearview. “I used to, but these days, I mostly crash at my place in the city. This house just exists at the moment. Traffic, you know?”
He looked like he was trying to process someone telling him they sometimes forgot they owned a rollercoaster. My gaze slid to Maisie, curiosity about her reaction sliding through me. She didn’t say anything at first, just sat there in a pretty, floral-patterned dress and a light jacket, with her spine ramrod straight and her eyes wide.
I caught the flicker in them, though. To me, it looked like part disbelief, part wariness, and part something else entirely, and I grinned. This was exactly why I’d been looking forward to theweekend so much—to see her again, to be near her, and to be able to gauge her reactions to things.
As we passed the sleek lines of my house, I leaned closer to her and muttered low enough that Brody wouldn’t overhear me. “I’ll show it to you soon. Just in case we ever feel like we need more space.”
Her gaze flicked toward me and she blinked rapidly, like she was startled. We hadn’t talked about living arrangements again, but I already knew how that was going to go. She was set on her little home, which meant if this marriage was going to work, I would be the one moving in.
Fine by me.
We rounded the last turn and the Westwood mansion came into view, sprawling and intimidating even to me—and I’d grown up there. The car crunched over the gravel, and before I could even cut the engine, Maisie’s hand touched my arm.
“Callum.” Her voice was tight and quiet, so soft that I could barely hear her, but I saw the shimmer of nerves in her eyes. “I haven’t talked to Brody yet.”
I exhaled, relieved that was all it was about, and nodded. “It’s fine. Don’t stress. My dad’s good at keeping secrets. I doubt even my mom knows for sure just yet.”
She pressed her lips together and sat back just as Brody bounced in his seat, already eager to leap out and explore. “This place is so cool. Did you really live here?”
I laughed. “I did, buddy. Wait until you see the backyard. There’s enough space for several football teams to kick a ball around.”
Brimming with excitement, he opened his door and we followed. The front doors opened before we’d even knocked. My family had always been like that, loud and present. Garvey appeared first, naturally, and I spoke to Maisie and Brody under my breath.
“That’s our butler. Garvey. He’s been with us forever. He’s super judgmental and uptight. It’s best to just ignore the disapproving looks you’ll get from him.”
Maisie’s footsteps faltered but only for a beat. My mom came gliding out of the house then, practically flying down the steps like the most graceful rocket that had ever been shot. “Maisie! Welcome, darling. We’re so happy you could join us.”
She pulled a very surprised Maisie into her arms, brushing a kiss to each of her cheeks before she let go and turned, a huge smile on her lips. “You must be Brody. It’s wonderful to meet you, honey. Tell me, are you allergic to ice cream?”
“No,” he said softly, glancing at Maisie, then at me, and then his gaze darted back to my mom and he grinned, like our lack of admonishment meant he could eat only ice cream for the rest of his life if he wanted to. “I’m not allergic at all. Have you got any?”
“Well, young man.” CC slung her arm around his shoulders and started leading him to the stairs. “I don’t just haveany. As it happens, I have a secret stash of the best ice cream in the world. I’m willing to share, but only if it’s okay with your momandyou eat all your vegetables at dinner.”
He groaned. “I knew there would be a catch.”
Maisie glanced at me, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. I held my arm out to her and she took it. “He’ll be okay with her, right?” she asked.
“Well, all four of us Westwood boys are still standing, but it’s been a while since we were seven. She might need guidance on appropriate ice cream serving portions, but he should be alright otherwise.”
Jameson and Sadie said hello to Brody at the top of the steps when he and Mom reached them. Then Harrison appeared with Laney in tow. That meant only Sterling and Dad were waiting inside instead of coming out to greet us.
I introduced everyone, ignoring the way my brothers were grinning like they knew this was more than just an arrangement for me. Of course, Jameson knew she and I had a history because I’d told him, and from the looks on Harrison and Sterling’s faces, the asshole had blabbed about everything.
We walked into the dining room. Dad gave Maisie a quick, polite onceover and gave her hand a gentle shake. “Welcome to the Estate, my dear. Just let Garvey know what you’d like to drink and he’ll have it brought to you.”
She was a block of tension by my side, but she managed to smile at him as she withdrew her hand. “Thank you, sir. Thank you also for having us over.”
Mom ushered Brody into a seat at the head of the table opposite Dad, lowering herself into the chair next to his. Dinner was a blur of noise, conversations from all around the table overlapping with the clatter of plates and cutlery in the background.
