Christa’s head pops back out of the doorway. “Oh, by the way, Jasper gave me his keys in case we need to pop out for something.” She waves them in the air. “Now please tell me there’s still room in that hot tub.”
I shake my head. “That depends. What’s actually in those bags?”
She grins. “You’ll see,” she whispers mysteriously before sliding into the water and taking a seat next to me.
Whatever she’s got planned, I have a feeling this day is about to get even more ridiculous.
15
Quack and Other Treatments
Theo
It’s just after fourwhen I finally pull up outside Jasper’s place. The café had quietened down enough that I could leave my head waiter in charge, and I’d made good time getting to Little Hadlow. Still, the whole drive, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I owed Ivy and Christa big time for stepping in.
I kill the engine and step out, stretching my legs as I take in the absurdity of my brother’s house. It doesn’t matter how many times I see it—this place still looks like the kind where they interview some rich artist who moved to the country to ‘find inspiration’ and now exclusively drinks herbal tea from handmade pottery.
I unlock the front door with my key—my brothers and I have always had keys to each other’s places, it just makes life easier with everyone chipping in looking after Lu.
Stepping inside, I immediately hear laughter coming from the garden. I follow the sound, stepping onto the patio—only to stop dead in my tracks.
I blink.
I actually blink, just to make sure I’m seeing this right.
Ivy, Christa, and Lucy are sprawled out on a massive outdoor sofa, all three in bathrobes, all three with towels wrapped around their heads, and all three with what looks like a thick layer of moisturiser smeared across their faces.
Oh, and cucumber slices. On their eyes.
My lips twitch. “Do I even want to ask what’s happening here?”
Ivy lifts a cucumber slice and peeks at me. “Spa day.”
Before I can respond, Lucy casually grabs one of her cucumber slices, pops it into her mouth, and starts chewing.
Christa loses it. She howls with laughter, clutching her stomach. “She keeps eating them!” she wheezes. “We put them on her eyes, and two seconds later—gone!”
Lucy, completely unbothered, licks a bit of the mask off her fingers. “It’s yummy!”
I cross my arms, fighting back a grin. “Wait—what is on your faces?” I ask concerned.
Lucy sits up, her other cucumber slice sliding off. “It’s quack!”
Ivy snorts. “It’s quark, Lu.”
“That’s what I said,” she replies, looking up at her. “Quack.”
Something warm spreads through me, the way it always does when Lucy is unintentionally hilarious.
I glance at Ivy, who’s watching Lucy with that soft, affectionate look she gets when she thinks no one is noticing.And damn, if that doesn’t make something else tug at my chest.
I clear my throat. “So you’re telling me you’re all sitting here, covered in cheese?”
“It’s not cheese,” Ivy says, wiping a little off her cheek. “It’s quark with honey and lemon juice. It’s actually good for your skin.”
Christa nods sagely. “It’s very European.”
I shake my head, exhaling through a laugh. “Of course it is.”
