Page 33 of Cloud Nine Love

“By the time I tried to check in, the rooms were all booked, so she offered to let me stay with her,” I explained.

“You had a sleepover?” Harper asked.

I glanced beside me to Harper and saw that Taylor’s cheeks were flushed. She was either blushing from embarrassment, or the crimson shade on her face was caused by anger; I wasn’t sure which one.

“Yep,” I confirmed. “We had a sleepover.”

“And you didn’t find out her name?” Ruby questioned again.

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t.”

The food came, and the talk once again turned to the wedding and the birthday party, which was apparently going to have live mermaids. That piece of information gave me some context about Ana/Taylor’s suitcase. I’d thought it was out of place, but clearly, Harper had picked it out. The lunch went by far too fast for my liking, and before I knew it, Kane was insisting on picking up the check.

As we headed to the front of the diner, Ruby, Kane, and even Harper gave me a hug before heading out. Taylor did not. She barely acknowledged me.

“It was nice finally meeting you, Taylor,” I called out just before she walked out the door.

Her shoulders tensed, and I could tell she thought she was going to have a clean break.

She inhaled slowly before glancing over her shoulder, “You, too.”

Then she was out the door. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the four of them climb back into Kane’s truck.

Last night, I’d wondered if this was fate or destiny, if it was luck or karma. Now, I had a definitive answer. It was all those things, and watching her try to fight those forces and resist me was going to be fun.

14

TAYLOR

“When you blush, your stomach lining also turns red.” ~ Tim Rhodes

“So, this is it.” Kane handed me the keys to my new house as we stood on the porch. He’d picked them up from Jan Jenson, the realtor, when I closed on it a month ago.

This was the first house I’d ever owned, and the magnitude of the moment overwhelmed me. I’d been working for this all my life—to have stability, to have roots, to have a family—and now I had all of it. Tears pricked my eyes as I slid the key into the door and turned the lock. When I walked in, the first thing I saw were balloons and a Welcome Home banner.

“You guys…” I turned around to Kane and Ruby. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course we did.” Ruby threw her arms around me in a warm embrace.

Like Kenna, she’d warned me about the volume of hugs I’d be receiving. So far, I wasn’t upset about them.

“Welcome home!” she exclaimed.

“Thank you!” I said, wiping my tears from beneath my eyes.

“Mommy! Come see my room!”

“Okay!” I walked through the home, which I’d only seen in online tours and videos Ruby and Kane shot while they were touring it.

The walls were freshly painted a stark white, with wide plank white oak flooring. It had a very spa-like feel. I wanted my house to be a calm, peaceful, zen-like place for both Harper and me. I’d grown up with chaos and moving around all the time, I was so proud that Kane and I were both able to provide strong home bases for our little girl.

I felt like I was walking through someone else’s home as I tried to take it in. Most of the furniture I ordered was delivered last week. Ruby and Kane had made sure someone was at the house when they arrived. I told them not to set anything up, but from what I saw, they had. The only item I’d asked Kane to put together was Harp’s room, which he’d gladly agreed to. It looked like a model home.

As I made my way down the hallway, my mind went rogue and wandered to Remi and what he was doing right now. I wondered if he’d like my new home. I wondered if he would try and contact me. Would he get my phone number? Show up at my house? If he did, and Harper was asleep, would I let him in?

No. I shook my head. I absolutely could not let myself go down that rabbit hole. This situation was insane, and I needed to do damage control.

On the drive here from the diner, Ruby mentioned that before he and Misty broke up, Remi had originally planned on heading back to California the day after the wedding. If that was still the case, I just had to get through the next week by doing my best to ignore him, which was easier said than done. When he was near, I was worried that any look, any gesture, any word I spoke, would give away what we’d shared and what, despite my better judgment, I wanted to share again. And when he wasn’t near, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

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