Page 43 of Cross My Heart

An emotion passed over Jameson’s face, one I couldn’t place.

Then the front door opened, and Izzy came running through. “Aunt Fiona,” she cried right before she launched herself into my body.

“Umph,” I said as my arms came around her, and I bent to breathe in her scent. “You smell like graham crackers and strawberries.”

“That’s about right,” Daphne said as she joined us in the kitchen.

“You look right here, sis,” Daphne said as she hugged me with one arm, then made the rounds with our brothers.

“Dad and Teddy are outside,” Wes offered.

Cole inclined his head. “I’ll go see if they need help.”

The exchange with Cole was more reserved than how my brothers usually were with each other. I hoped that eventually Cole would be considered one of us, and he’d be teased mercilessly.

“Did you see my dollhouse?” Izzy asked as she took my hand and dragged me into the living room.

“It’s surprising, isn’t it?” Daphne asked as she followed us. “He never let us have a dollhouse.”

“There were so many of us. I’m sure it was expensive for them to buy us toys.”

“And it was easier to tell us to play with the boys’ toys.”

I never cared about dolls, but Daphne had. She was more girl, loving to bake with our mom and play dress-up. I’d always been more serious, reading a book, or riding my bike over the farm.

“I love having you here,” Daphne said as she sat on the floor in front of the dollhouse.

I lowered myself onto the couch. “It’s good to be back.”

“I wish you could stay longer.”

I surprised myself by saying, “Me too.”

Izzy handed Daphne a doll. “You be the mom.”

Daphne smiled. “I can handle that,” and then she asked me, “Have you decided what you want to do?”

I thought about Marley’s offer and Aiden’s promise to be there for me. “I don’t know.”

“You have time to figure things out. My life has changed so much this year, and it wasn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t have wanted it to happen any other way.”

If I’d stayed at work, I’d be too busy to think about the bigger picture, like what I wanted. I was starting to think that working in an office and flying from one hotel to the other wasn’t living my best life. Being here helped me see that my life could be fuller.

Here, I could enjoy the time with my family and think about what was important. Work wasn’t at the top of the list anymore. Especially when it didn’t give me the same passion as working on the inn did.

CHAPTER 11

AIDEN

I fixed a sink in one of the guest rooms. When I was satisfied that it wasn’t leaking anymore, I changed the designation for the room in the system to available. After that, I fielded a few requests for extra towels and toiletries. Then the night slowed down.

I wanted to stay occupied. I wasn’t ready to go to my apartment yet. I was hoping to see how Fiona felt after dinner with her family. She’d been so nervous about the visit home, even though she’d been once before. I almost offered to go with her, but her brothers would immediately think something was up. There’d be no reason for me to be there. I wasn’t friends with any of the Calloways. Not like I was with the Monroes.

Finally, I sat on the front porch, admiring the tree and wondering how this became my life. I’d gone from living in a trailer on the back of the property to owning this place. Even though Marley had inherited the inn because Gram didn’t think I could run it while deployed, Marley had added me to the deed when I moved home.

I hadn’t paid for the inn, but it felt good to own something. The inn was my legacy even if I felt like an outsider in it growing up. That had nothing to do with my grandmother but my parents who never failed to remind me that the inn wasn’t ours. Grandma would never give it to us. That I shouldn’t expect a handout, even though that’s exactly what they’d been getting their whole lives.

They asked Gram for the trailer and money. She’d given it to them because she wanted me and my sister to be taken care of.

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