It’s not about Max. And it’s not Sienna either. Though arguably no more welcome a call.
“Hendricks. Just calling to remind you about the meeting tonight.”
Mrs. Winston. One of the senior residents of Valentine Nook, owner of Churchill the ever-escaping goat, and one of the village busybodies. She’s loud enough that both my brothers can hear her speaking, and they stop messing around to stare at me with a grin.They know a call from Mrs. Winston always involves something we’d rather not do.
Granted, I’m not the most organized, but I would have remembered a meeting in the diary if I had one. Especially because I rarely make evening plans as ascertained when Miles asked me to go to London.
“Hello to you too, Mrs. Winston. I’m afraid I have to ask you to jog my memory?—”
“The Valentine Fair. You’re chairing the committee.”
Alex snorts loudly, and Miles is grinning so wide I kick him, only he moves out of the way before I make contact.
Valentine Nook hosts festivals throughout the year. They’re good for business, tourism, and funding the upkeep of the village. My father started them, and they’re a tradition Lando kept on when he took over. For some reason, Lando likes for one member of the Burlington family to lead each committee. There’s enough for us to take in turns, and I’d completely forgotten (or perhaps blocked out) that my turn was coming up.
The Valentine Fair is the biggest of the year—love on steroids—and now I’m leading the charge. Because I don’t date, Valentine’s Day normally passes me by relatively unnoticed, but now the thought of being surrounded by saccharinely happy people for the next month is enough to give me hives.
I should never have picked up the phone.
Taking it away from my ear, I hiss to Miles and Alex, “I’ll pay either of you two to do it instead.”
They’re too busy smirking at each other to answer, and Mrs. Winston is still squawking down the phone.
“Hendricks . . . you there?”
“Yes, sorry, Mrs. Winston.”
She takes it as confirmation that I hadn’t forgotten. “Wonderful. See you in the village hall at eight o’clock sharp.” And promptly hangs up before I can reply, or objectortell her I can’t make it.
Fuck’s sake.
I turn to my identical twin, who already knows what I’m about to ask.
“No—”
“Milo, please?—”
“No—”
“I can’t face the Valentine committee. No one will know the difference.”
“I love you, Hen, but no. I did it last year, and that was bad enough. They spent an entire month trying to convince me to settle down with one of their daughters. I don’t know why Lando insists we do the fair committees, especially when he hates them. Besides, I’m going to London. I have a date with the pretty server.”
“You’re still going? Even though I can’t?”
“Yup.”
“Al?”
“No way, I’m running the summer.”
“I’ll swap my next two with you.”
But Alex shakes his head, so I try Miles again. “You still haven’t paid me back for the time I had to take Olivia Kenwood out because you double booked yourself.”
“That was ten years ago, and I think I have. Not to mention you had sex with her?—”
“Yeah, but she thought I was you! She kept moaningyourname.”
