Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Thank you, Gran.”
“Of course, I wish I could have been there to see it. I always hoped you’d wear my veil,” she said, dabbing at her eyes. “Remember how you used to try it on when you were a girl?”
“Yes,” I said, guilt stabbing me in the gut. “I wish you could have been there too. And I wish I could have worn your veil.” I caught myself right before I said, Next time.
“Oh well. It’s not that important.” Gran sighed and tucked her handkerchief away again. “What matters is that you two found each other.”
“And we want to work together,” I said, “to save Snowberry. To restore it.”
Gran touched her chest. “Do you think you can?”
“Yes.” Devlin took his arm from my shoulders and leaned forward. “I’m in the process of securing investors now. We’ll have to close for a season, but when we reopen, it will be the place to visit.”
“Really?” Amazement on her face, Gran looked back and forth between us.
“Really.” I smiled, and without even realizing what I was doing, I put my hand on Devlin’s thigh beneath the table. “All we need is your blessing.”
“Well, of course you have my blessing.”
“In order to get the funding, we’ll also need you to give Lexi power of attorney,” said Devlin. “The sooner the better. The next step will be a deed that transfers ownership of the property to her.”
“You mean to both of you.” Gran smiled.
“Sure. To both of us.”
“I’ll speak to my lawyer right away,” said Gran. Her eyes grew shiny again. “Your grandfather would be so happy, Lexi. Your parents too.”
Devlin took my hand in his.
I felt the squeeze around my heart.
“I still can’t believe how easy that was,” I said as we drove east toward the highway that would take us to Cherry Tree Harbor. “Gran didn’t even question it!”
“Did you really think she would?”
“I wasn’t sure. I know she doesn’t want me to be lonely, but swallowing our story takes some serious suspension of disbelief.” I looked over at him behind the wheel of my car. “What about your family? Will they buy it?”
“I think so. My parents got married really quickly too.”
“This quickly?”
“Well, no,” he admitted. “The story was that on their first date, he told her he was going to marry her. Six months later, he did.”
I gasped. “Oh, that’s so romantic. I love it.”
“And my brother Austin fell for his kids’ nanny this summer. I wasn’t around, of course, but Xander told me it happened pretty fast.”
“But they’re not engaged or anything.”
“No. But I’ve seen them together, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it happened soon. They’ll be there tonight, I’m sure.”
I sifted through what I knew about his family. “None of your siblings are married, right?”
“Right. Austin is dating Veronica, the nanny. Xander had a girl with him the night I met you at the bar, and it was obvious he was into her, but he was hired to be her bodyguard, so he felt a little weird about it.”
“What?” I turned to face him in the passenger seat. “I didn’t know he was a bodyguard! I thought he was opening a bar.”
“He is. He was a Navy SEAL, and then he did private security for a few years, and this summer he moved back home to open a bar. But an old Navy buddy called in a favor—he asked Xander to provide twenty-four seven security for his sister while she took a vacation up here.”
“Why did she need that kind of security?”
“Ever hear of Pixie Hart?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s her. Except I was introduced to her as Kelly.”
“Seriously? Wow!” I laughed. “So Pixie Hart was at The Broken Spoke that night? Incognito?”
“Yes. But he took her back to Nashville last week, so I’m not sure what’s going on with them.”
“Wait a minute.” I snapped my fingers a few times. “I just saw something online today about Pixie Hart. Apparently, she was assaulted last night at some big country music awards ceremony.”
Devlin frowned. “Is she okay?”
“Yes. She was fine, just shaken up.”
“Xander must not have been there,” said Devlin. “He’d never have let that happen. I bet he was back up here already, getting ready for tonight.”
“So that’s Austin and Xander,” I said, counting off on my fingers. “You’re in the middle, right? What about your two younger siblings?”
“After me is Dash. He’s the one out in Hollywood. He’s an actor.”
“Like in the movies?”
“Television. He wants to do movies, but he got cast on this teen beach show called Malibu Splash and signed a big, long contract. So he’s been stuck playing a teenager for five years, and he claims now he’s been typecast and can’t get other roles.” Devlin snickered. “His fans are all adolescent girls and their moms. It’s hilarious.”
“I’ve seen that show,” I said. “It’s cute. And now that you told me that, I do remember a guy who looks kind of like you. He’s got those blue eyes. He plays a lifeguard, right?”