A few minutes later, I hear a bubbly, "Hey, Mama!"
There's a quick pause where I imagine her mom is questioning the hour.
"Everything is fine, but today is a busy day, and I thought we could catch up early since I didn't have time to call last night."
Pause.
"Yes, I meant to call, but something came up."
I chuckle. Yeah, something definitely came up.
"I texted that I was having a surprise lunch with Darby and her family."
Quiet.
"It went wonderful. They are great people. I actually have a lot of news. Is Dad around? You both probably should hear this at the same time."
Pause.
"No, I can't FaceTime. I'm getting ready for a meeting. This morning, I'm meeting my project manager…"
She goes on to explain what's happening with her version, keeping the focus on the progress of the house and the changes in scheduling. When she gets to the part of having to leave, her words get jumbled.
"… I think you guys should come to visit this weekend to see the house and meet my possible roommate for the next few weeks."
As if she senses my movement toward her, she swings open the door and throws her arm out with a scowl. "No, that will NOT be necessary!" Red splotches creep up her neck.
"Dad, no. I don't know what Mom told you, but we went looking at landscaping for ideas. I sent her the damn pictures."
He must cut her off because she drops her chin, shaking her head. "No—"
"Absolutely not—"
"That will not—"
"Mom, can you pop in here?"
"Yes, I know how good looking he is, but you cannot jump to conclusions."
Her head snaps up, her green eyes bulging. "What do you mean you already called them? No, no, no…"
I can barely make out a few things from her father, and then she looks at her screen. "They're gone. My dad hung up on me."
I'm on the move, sliding in behind her and folding my arms around her waist.
"He's bringing his backhoe, and my brothers."
"I need to meet them, too."
"I knew you'd set off alarms with Mom. Without my calling, they were already planning to come this weekend. She was so excited, she insisted Austin and Andrew clear their weekend and come along. Dad wants them here for a different reason."
"I'll get rooms at Brasher for them."
"This is serious, Miller. They are descending to Charleston in a pack. The three Rhodes men have an agenda."
"Your dad has a backhoe?"
She flings her head to the side to face me. "Of course he does, he owns a pool company. Austin helps run the business. He's offered to clear out the backyard, but that's irrelevant. Did you hear me? An agenda?"
"I have an agenda, too, so I respect that."
"Miller—"
"Princess, it doesn't bother me that I'll get to meet all of your family this weekend. I like the idea."
"Sure you do! You instigated this. I could have let them think I was living in a hotel or Airbnb, and we could have finessed this. Now, you're going into a hostile situation."
I raise my eyebrows and try to hide my amusement. "Hostile?"
"He's bringing the backhoe to bury your body!"
At this, I can't hold back, laughing loudly.
"What about this is funny? Why are you constantly laughing at me?"
"Because you're hilarious when you're hysterical. I think we've found one of those missing pieces you're searching for."
She spasms, her eyes filling with wonder. Realization settles over her and she melts into me, winding her fingers with mine. "Never in my life have I been considered funny, much less hilarious."
"Makes me happy to be the one to share it with you."
"You're not worried at all about my dad, are you?"
"No, and you can let him know he doesn't have to haul his equipment. I'll have one here."
She scans my face before doubling over and bursting into giggles. Just like last night, with her body vibrating against mine, I go hard as steel.
The next twelve hours until I can get her under me again are going to suck.
•—•—•—•—•
I curl in behind her, laying an arm across her chest and kissing the back of her head. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
"Owww, please be gentle," she whines.
"You sore?"
"Everywhere."
"You should have taken me up on my offer for a hot bath at my place."
She flinches, hissing lightly as she rolls into me. "Why aren't you at your place?"
"Because you're here."
"I figured you'd go home."
"Not without you."
"You missed the game?"
"I streamed the first half on my phone."
Her sleepy eyes go soft, and she gives me her version of sweet before she nuzzles into my neck. "I'm glad you stayed."
Her words score through me as I lightly run my hand up and down her back. Yesterday's events roll through my head. As expected, the office was full when we arrived, everyone eager to see the woman who landed Miller Kendrick. I was right. After Saturday night when mom got wind of Ashlyn, she wasted no time fueling the office gossip. My last-minute request to meet with Andi spread like wildfire. I suspect that was my dad's big mouth. So, it was no surprise that Mom showed up with bags of pastries as if it was a typical Monday morning ritual.
What should have been a quick meeting turned into a revolving door of people 'stopping in' my office with bogus excuses. I finally had to lock my door to cover the basics of Andi's involvement without interruptions. I thought the attention would push Ashlyn, but she took it all in stride, even suggesting a tour of the building so everyone could get their fill of 'the woman who caught the playboy's eye'. I let it go until we walked into the breakroom full of people enjoying Mom's treats. Right there, I tugged Ashlyn to me and kissed her with the audience, whispering the word 'playboy' against her lips before pulling away to let her know how I felt about her description.
Surprisingly, she didn't flinch, even though she pinched
