With another cookie in my possession, I pointed it in her direction before taking a hearty bite. “Nope. I was always away at dance camp when he came by, remember? And then he moved to California or something like that. It’s why Andrew travels out there so much.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right. I always forget you never actually met him, but you’ve seen pictures of him at college with Andrew. And when he had his kids."
“Autumn, any pictures I remember seeing of Andrew’s friends in college were not stored in my long-term memory. And if I saw any pictures of this guy with his wife and kids, I really don’t recall. Hate to disappoint you. I’ve been so busy trying to finish this degree that I’ve mentally been in my own world the last five years.”
Autumn narrowed her eyes at me as if trying to determine whether I was lying or not and then shrugged.
“Anyway, he’s super nice and very, very private. He paid for the entire B & B while he’s here with his family.”
“Oh, why so secret?” I asked, mimicking Heath Ledger’s Joker.
“He, uh, came into a lot of money recently and doesn’t like others snooping around.”
“Oh, rich daddy. What does he do?” Swiveling away from the counter, I made my way over to the cabinet beside the fridge, grabbed a glass, then poured myself a glass of milk from the jug in the refrigerator.
“Robots or something. I have no idea. Andrew could go on about it for hours. I usually get bored after the first sentence. But anyway, all you have to do is clean the rooms he’s using, make sure there’s some sort of food available during the day, and cook the nightly meals as they need. Pretty much, just be at his beck and call.”
“What about the wife?” I asked, curious. Autumn had yet to mention any of the other family members.
“No wife. Andrew said she was a witch, if you know what I mean. It’s just him and a couple of kids.” As I sneered, Autumn added, “Everything will be fine. Andrew has assured me the kids are well-behaved. If you have trouble, you know you can call Rory. She’s out of school for the summer, and she’s great with kids.”
Since Rory was a first-grade teacher, she was the most patient of all us sisters when dealing with children.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Andrew texted they were finishing up lunch, so they should be here in about an hour. Thank you again, Alex. I know Randy wasn’t too thrilled when you requested three weeks off of work.”
“It’s no problem. I had the time. Enjoy your honeymoon. I can’t believe you guys decided to go to Iceland instead of some idealistic beach.”
“No better way to spend a honeymoon than keeping each other warm,” Autumn replied with a cheeky grin.
We chatted for a little while longer before Mom arrived to take Autumn and Colton to the airport.
The house was pretty tidy from the cleaner Autumn hired to come in once a week to get in all the nooks and crannies. I opted to grab my bag from my truck and claim the bedroom on the second floor, the farthest away from the rest of the guestrooms. Autumn designed this for those who wanted more privacy from other guests.
I unpacked what I brought, knowing I could head back to my apartment in town whenever I needed to restock. With time to kill, I laid back on the white down comforter and scrolled through my phone, searching for my favorite video clips—military family reunions. They always left me a teary mess, but I couldn’t stop watching them.
I was thankfully saved from my sobfest when the doorbell rang.
Jumping from the bed, I dashed down the hall just as my feet planted on the floor.
“Showtime.”
Chapter Two – Nathaniel (Nate)
“Daddy, that was so much fun!” Molly shouted from her car seat behind me as I pulled our SUV out of the parking spot I managed to snag on the street earlier. Eloise continued to sit quietly next to her sister, letting her twin carry the conversation.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the market, Molly. We can try to do that again while we’re here.”
“Yes!” she cried out enthusiastically.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and found her with her fist jutted up in the air like the ending ofThe Breakfast Club.
“Eloise, did you have a good time?” I prompted.
In her soft-spoken voice, she replied, “Yes, Daddy. Thank you for my book.”
Glancing at her using the mirror, I watched as her tiny fingers gripped the edges of the hardback princess book she clutched to her chest. “You’re welcome. Now, is everyone excited about lunch with Uncle Andrew?”
