Penny shakes her hand, her head still hanging forward. Unlike Tally, she’s got much darker hair that’s thick with blunt bangs across her forehead and braided to the side. She’s much curvier than her sister, too; more in line with their mother’s shape. True to her name, Penny’s eyes are copper and she’s got a spattering of freckles that cover her cheeks.
“Give me a minute. I thought Mom would be here tohandle this, but when she walked into the bookstore just now, I knew this was going to end badly. Which is why I ran here straightaway.”
“You ran here from the bookstore?” Tally’s voice is filled with shock.
Penny raises her head, “No. From the driveway. But that’s as much running as I’ve done lately, so just—” She pauses and breathes deep. “This is Jesse Walker. Walker, this is Tallulah Darling, my sister.”
I nod. Already figured that out.
“You’re Walker?” She’s heard about me already. I can’t imagine any of it would have been good: talks in grunts, never smiles, refuses to make small talk, doesn’t date. That’s a quick list that I came up with on the fly; I’m sure people in town would find plenty more to add.
I grunt in agreement.
“Why is he here, and why did everyone in town tell me to say hello to him?” she asks Penny.
My scowl deepens. This fucking town.
“He’s helping Mom with the farm.”That’s one way to put it.“And he’s living here.”
Warily, Tally’s gaze falls back to me again.
“With Mom? Are you, like, dating her?” Her palms cover her flushed cheeks and then she peeks between them. “Oh God, Mom is having an affair with a hot farmhand. This is what happens, isn’t it? Younger guys find out about poor widows and hit on them and then suddenly we’re having to call this guy ‘Daddy’ and he brings his brothers around and they’re groping us under the Thanksgiving table while telling us we’re not really related.”
“What the fuck?” Penny growls, taking the words rightfrom my mouth. “No. What sort of afterschool specials have you been watching on the ski slopes? Dad hired him last year to help with the soil. He was living in one of the cottages, but after Dad died—” Penny’s voice goes soft, and suddenly I feel like I’m interrupting a family moment. I shouldn’t be here. Though I can’t exactly leave considering I’m still naked.
“After Dad died what?” Irritation coats Tally’s tone.
“I moved in here.” There, I said it. Kept it simple, and now they can go. “Now if you don’t mind—” I nod toward the door.
Tally doesn’t head that way, though. Instead, she steps closer to me, and the smell of something sweet has me almost leaning in. Fuck, she smells good. “Moved in here? As in into my bedroom or with my mother?”
“As in into this house. Gail—” The damn scent of her is fucking with my head. I can’t put together a proper sentence. And those eyes. Fuck, I could get lost in them. I shake my head and blow out a breath. “Your mothermoved into the cottage I was staying in.”
“Why?” she practically yells. “Can one of you just tell me what’s going on?!”
Penny presses closer to Tally, placing a hand on her back. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll fill you in.”
Tally nods, and they both look toward the bed.
No. Fuck no.I’ll be stuck in here all day.
“Could you have this conversation downstairs?” I ask.
Both women whip their heads in my direction, and finally it dawns on them that I’m naked. And still dripping wet.
My sister, Billie, had called just as I was getting out of the shower, and I never let her go to voicemail. Tally had barged in while I was on the phone with her and my nephew, Quinn,who was telling me about the hockey league in Hope Harbor run by the former NHL player Eli Davis. It’s the first time Quinn’s shown any excitement about moving here.
But now, with Tally back, there probably won’t be a job for Billie. Which means there’s no chance she’ll move to the farm. Before, I was able to pitch it as her getting me out of a jam. My sister is incapable of saying no when someone needs help. Now, however, she’ll see my plan as charity. I’m proud of how she’s raising my nephew on her own, but I want to help. It’s what family does. She won’t accept that, though. Instead, she works herself to exhaustion providing for her and Quinn. And they both suffer.
Anger courses through me.No.Tally needs to go. The Darlings and I had an agreement, and I, for one, intend to hold their family to that promise. Whether they like it or not.
CHAPTER 3
Tally
“Oh, you’re naked.” My sister blinks at Walker as if seeing him for the first time. Then her gaze sweeps to me. “Why is he naked?”
I hold up my hands. “Don’t look at me! You guys are the ones who’ve been hiding everything. Maybe you’re the one having a secret relationship with the hot cowboy.”
