“Miles,” I whisper, “where are we?”
“This,” he says, casually, “is Burlington Hall.”
“Burlington Hall?”
“Yes. Where I grew up. Lando lives here with his girlfriend, my mother, Clementine, Hendricks, and Max, but they’re moving into the cottage next door to ours once the summer begins. Story’s moving in too.”
The place is enormous. Three generations of a family under one roof, and the house is so massive that they could probably go days without seeing one another. I mean, one end of the house to the other is the same distance as Miles’s place to the coffee shop.
My nerves spike when Miles’s car crunches the gravel, and a flurry of dogs and humans rush out. Max is in front followed byHendricks and Story, Alex and Haven, and a tall, very beautiful woman with long blond hair and the same blue eyes Miles and his siblings have.
“She’s here!”
I stare at the crowd gathering outside. “Oh my God!”
“Miles has finally brought a woman home. What a momentous occasion.”
“Even if it’s under extenuating circumstances,” Alex says.
“Jesus Christ, it’s an entire welcoming committee. I’m surprised they didn’t put out banners,” Miles grumbles.
It's Miles’s reticence at being here that makes me laugh and actually eases the tension, because I don't feel like I'm under any pressure to enjoy myself when he clearly isn’t.
“I hate them,” he adds, loud enough so only I can hear.
The Range Rover door is yanked open before I even touch the handle, and I’m pulled into one hug after another. There’s a scramble of feet and paws, dogs jumping around, until Miles finally rescues me.
“Leave her alone, for Christ's sake. I didn’t do this to Holiday or Haven?—”
“You’d already met me,” shoots back Haven.
“Seriously, Ruby,” he mutters, ignoring everyone, “say the word, and we’re leaving.”
I laugh at his surliness. “Do you need me to say a word to you?”
“Yeah.” A slow grin finally curves his mouth as we step inside. “I think I do.”
We stop in an entranceway as impressive as the outside, a space separated by four big pillars and a sweeping staircase leading upstairs. Big pale stone tiles, the same color as the stable yard, are laid on the floor, but there’s a warmth to the place that brings it alive.
“So, Ruby,” Clementine says, linking her arm through mine, “tell me about yourself.”
“Clementine.” Miles sighs. “Can you at least let us get a drink before launching into the Spanish Inquisition?”
She throws her hands up dramatically. “Jeez. Touchy much?” She leans into me, whispering loud and conspiratorially, and despite myself, I laugh. The feeling of being included is something I’ve not experienced often. “You have to understand this is exciting for us. This is the first time Miles has ever admitted to having any type of girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Miles says dryly. “She’s mywife.”
Despite the annoyance in his voice, amusement sparkles in his eyes, which brightens further when Haven appears carrying a baby with a giant pink bow on her head, smiling wide and giggling. He plants a big kiss on her cheek, making her laugh even louder.
“I’m going to fetch us drinks,” he says. “Haven, protect Ruby from the rest of them.”
I roll my eyes and focus on the baby. “Is she yours?”
“Yes. This is Everly. She’s nearly seven months.”
“She’s adorable.”
“She has her moments.” Haven laughs. “Mostly, she’s cute for Alex or the boys. For me, she turns into the devil. But when that happens, I just hand her over, and Alex deals with it.”
