She actually grimaces, and I know that she knows how the town feels about me. Great.
Astrid leans around me. “Hi, Nora.”
“Hi, Astrid.”
Astrid doesn’t even blink at Nora’s overalls or the mud streaks. No one in the coffee shop did either. I wonder how often Nora walks around messy and tousled.
“Come on in.” Astrid takes my hand and tugs me further into her office toward the little sitting area across from her desk. She sinks down onto the couch and kicks her heels off, tucking one foot under her butt.
Nora takes a seat in one of the bright yellow chairs that sit perpendicular to the sofa. Her overalls nearly disappear against the upholstery.
I blink as the full picture hits me.
Astrid’s white pantsuit, silky and no doubt expensive, makes thepurplevelvet couch even more striking. Because it’sreallypurple.
I look around the office, taking in more details.
“How long have you been here again?”
“A couple of weeks.” Astrid drapes her arms along the curved back of the purple velvet settee. Which stands out even more on top of the furry green rug at her feet. “Do you like it?”
The rest of the office is white with shiny gold accents on the wall sconces, knobs on the cupboards and desk drawers, and upholstery embellishments.
“It looks like Mardi Gras threw up in here,” I tell her, sinking into the other armchair across the coffee table from Nora.
It’s surprisingly comfortable. Or maybe not that surprising. My sister has great taste, and it’s clear she spared no expense here, despite the color palette.
Astrid nods happily. “These are the colors of the Revelers,” she says, running her hands along the back of the couch lovingly. “I love it. And Declan would hate it. Everything in his penthouse is gray or black.”
I think about the last time I saw my sister.
It was also in an office.
Declan’s.
“Come with me to Louisiana.”
I turned quickly as my sister strode into Declan’s office.
“Are you going on vacation?”
She stopped in front of Declan’s desk and propped her hip against it. “I’m moving there.”
I turned to face her more fully. “Excuse me?”
“I bought a hockey team. I could use an All-Star Center. You’re a huge name in hockey. And if Declan doesn’t see it, I’m happy to capitalize on his loss.”
I gaped at her. “What do you mean you bought a hockey team? In Louisiana?” I looked at Declan.
He looked… amused. He sat back in his chair and linked his hands, resting them on his stomach.
“You did it,” he said to Astrid. He didn’t seem shocked.
She finally looked at her husband and lifted her chin. “Yes. I told you I would.”
“You seriously bought the Jazz?” I asked.
I didn’t know what exactly was going on between my sister and her husband, except that Declan’s grandfather arranged their marriage with our grandfather. And that they seem to have a lot in common. They’re both stupidly good-looking, incredibly successful at whatever they do, and frustratingly stubborn. They also seem unable to stand one another.
