Page 3 of A Sudden Romance

“She’s going to call on Wednesday. I’ll keep my phone off.”

As if that could keep Mom from calling her the next day. She made weekly calls to all eleven of them, and no way would she let Julia duck her.

Iris’s chest constricted. It wasn’t in her nature to be dishonest. “I don’t want to lie to every—oh, hold on.”

An incoming call cut through her words. She moved the phone and saw Logan’s name.

“Hope I’ll see you on Christmas Day at least,” she said. “Logan’s calling. I gotta answer before he starts worrying that something’s wrong.”

After ending the call with Julia, she answered her brother’s call. “Hey.”

“Is it true you’re not taking the jet tomorrow?”

Her brothers, Eric and Logan, always offered their company jet whenever she was going home.

“Connor needs a break.” The fifty-two-year-old pilot flew them locally whenever they felt like it. “Eric wasn’t happy either when I told him, but I can get myself home.”

Sometimes, she took the jet when she needed to get home and back to work as fast as possible. But again, being the youngest meant having everyone assume she couldn’t take care of herself, especially her brothers.

“If I’m ever going to meet someone, I’d better start taking commercial flights.” First class, of course. It was roomy.

“There’s no hurry for you to meet someone.” Logan’s protectiveness warmed her. Only five years older than she was, Logan was her closest brother. “You’re too young.”

“I’m twenty-nine. In case you’ve lost count.”

“Ha, not a chance. You’re still eleven in my mind.” No doubt, he meant it. “Please tell me Steve is picking you up from the airport in Pleasant View.”

“Sabastian offered to pick me up. Steve needs a break before we exhaust our driver by having him pick up everyone arriving in two weeks.”

“Wait. Did you say Sabastian offered to pick you up or you asked him?”

Despite Logan speculating their family chef had a crush on her, she didn’t get that vibe from the shy man. “He texted me.” After she’d emailed him her arrival date and one more activity to add to the reunion activities.

“If I remember, he’s also helping you with the reunion?” It sounded like a rhetorical question.

She still remembered the perspiration on Sabastian’s forehead the day he’d approached and offered to help. It must have taken a lot out of him to talk to her. “Isn’t it sweet of him?”

“I’ll be keeping a close eye on our chef in case he gets any ideas.”

“Don’t you dare.” She raised a finger to shake at him, despite him being clear across the country and them not being on a video call. “The last thing I need is to have my helper harassed. Besides, don’t you and Serafina have a spring wedding to plan?” Rather than interfere with Iris’s every move?

“That’s what we paid the wedding planner to worry about.”

After she hung up with Logan, she returned her brother Nate’s call.

“Iris!” Nate spoke with enthusiasm, excited to see her plans executed for the five-star restaurant, which would be finished in the spring. “I’ll tell you more when I get to The Peak.”

Several hours later, she made it home on a smooth flight from Maine to Boston. However, she couldn’t leave behind her conversation with Julia.

“You’re still holding out for sparks and a man who will sweep you off your feet.... I live in reality.” Her words echoed in spurts.

Maybe Iris needed to lower her expectations. She’d gone on a few dates, but lately, none held her attention to pull off a third date. What if Julia was right, and few couples found true love?

Mom and Dad had sparks, made obvious in the way Dad’s eyes lit up when Mom entered the room or Mom’s posture came alive when he was nearby. Or the way they both enjoyed spending time together.

If Iris learned one thing from being the youngest, it was to have an open mind, and she tried in most areas. She stood firm against compromising her faith, but maybe she needed a different approach to her love life.

The thought stayed the next day as she waited for her flight at the airport. After checking in her luggage, she had a couple of hours before her flight and headed to the gift shop.

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