“It’s doing the best that it can,” I said.
The girls kept up a steady stream of chatter as I drove them to the estate.
“What’s Hunter like?” Enola asked me quietly.
“You’ve never met him?” I glanced over at her. She shook her head.
“He’s…” I thought about it.
“He’s kind and witty and so smart. He wears very sharp suits and can run circles around anyone in the courtroom. He also knows how to ride a horse and build a barn. He’s strong and fearless and, yeah, he’s kind of a jerk, but then he’ll still have an hour-long conversation with one of the townspeople and be very polite about it. He’s generous with his money, even if it’s not necessarily for all the right reasons. He cares about you and your brothers more than anything in the world,” I said, starting to get a little choked up. “He’s a good man, and once you get to know him, you’ll love him as much as I do.”
“Are you going to get married?” Annie shrieked from behind me, making me jump.
I felt sad. “I have to take care of my own sisters.”
“You need to have a big wedding with lots of flowers,” she insisted, twisting in her seat in excitement.
I pulled up to the gate in front of the Svenssons’ house at the old Harrogate estate. I hesitated for a moment then pushed the intercom button.
The video screen flickered. There was commotion in the background, and I heard someone yelling.
“We’re not naming the alligator after you, Archer.”
The top half of a small blond head appeared on the screen, breathing heavily.
“Davy? It’s Meg.”
“Hi!” He jumped up and down then sneezed all over the camera.
Enola was horrified.
“Can you let me in, please?” I asked.
The gates opened.
“We have to live here?” Enola asked, clutching her bag.
“This is a very nice house,” I assured her.
“Are they all sick?”
“Do they have diphtheria?” Annie screeched from the back seat.
Enola took out a handkerchief and pressed it over her face. “I’m not getting sick!”
Ah, tween girls!
They trooped behind me out of the car. We climbed the wide stone steps leading up to the ornate wooden door. I rang the doorbell, and there was commotion on the other side.
The door swung open.
“What did I tell you about letting random people in?” Hunter scolded from the background as he pushed his way through the crowd of brothers who had gathered in the doorway.
“Meg.” His eyes narrowed when he saw me. “I told you…”
“Yes, I know,” I said in a rush, “but I found something of yours wandering on the side of the road.”
“Was it Isaac?” Archer called. “He’s been acting kind of off lately.”
