Page 67 of Time for Change

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I’m waiting in the foyer by the entrance of my building for Jameson to pick me up on Sunday. It’s eleven forty-five, so to save time, I decided to hang by the door to watch for their arrival. When I see a large SUV pull into the parking lot, I know it has to be my brother and his family. No way would the newer GMC Denali be owned by anyone who lives in this building.

When it pulls up near the door, I exit the building and make my way toward the idling vehicle. Jameson is getting out of the driver’s seat and looks annoyed when he sees me approaching. “I was coming up to get you.”

“Well, it was silly for me to wait in my apartment when I’m perfectly capable of waiting in the foyer,” I tell him, offering a cheeky smile.

He sighs and points to the passenger seat. “Get in.”

“Isn’t Madelyn coming?”

“She’s in the back.”

“Oh,” I respond, pulling open the door and slipping inside.

Okay, wow. Talk about nice. The interior is a two-toned brown and black leather with heated seats—which mine is on already—and all the bells and whistles you could possibly imagine in a vehicle. Hell, it even has that new car smell.

“Hi, Stevie,” Madelyn says from the third row.

I spin around and wave. “I could have sat back there,” I insist, but she waves off my comment.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. This way, you can chat with Jameson on the way,” she states. When I glance over at my brother, he just grunts. Of course, I laugh. “He’s a man of few words.”

“Apparently.”

The drive to Estelle’s house is short, but as we pull into the driveway, I’m not surehouseis the right word. Estate, maybe? She lives in a small mansion with a fountain in front of the house and fancy landscaping. “Wow, this place is beautiful,” I state, taking it all in.

“Isn’t it? Wait until you see the inside. My grandma is a descendant of one of the men who founded the town. There’s a park right around the corner that was named after him,” she informs me.

Jameson gets out and starts to release the car seat from the base on the driver’s side, while Madelyn helps Rose get unbuckled on the passenger side. I slip from my seat and open the rear passenger door so Madelyn can get out with Rose andtry to stay out of their way as they get their kids out of the vehicle. Finally, we head for the house.

“This place must have been fun to play in growing up, huh?” I say, taking in the freshly painted white pillars.

“I wouldn’t know. My parents took me away from any family I had when I was a baby. I didn’t know my grandma until I was in my thirties.”

I blink a few times, trying to process. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

She waves off my concern. “Don’t be. We can’t change our pasts, right?” she says with a wink as the front door opens, and an elderly woman steps forward and steals Rose right out of her arms.

“There’s my great-granddaughter. Are you ready to play with Queenie?” the old woman asks the small girl in her arms.

“She’s always ready to play with you,” Madelyn says as she steps forward and places a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “Grandma, this is Stevie, Jameson’s sister.”

“Oh, you’re such a beautiful girl,” Estelle coos. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m so glad you could join us for lunch.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“Well, I don’t cook anymore, but I can order food like no one’s business. Come inside. I want to take a peek at my great-grandson while Madelyn gives you a tour. Then, we can get to know each other better and I can share all my juicy stories about your brother,” she teases, reaching over and slapping Jameson in the stomach.

“Hey. There are no stories.”

Estelle just smirks. “Your brother was a bit of a wild one for a while. That is before my sweet little Madelyn came along. Inside, everyone, before we catch pneumonia.”

The house is just as spectacular as I anticipated, and when we enter the front sitting room, I find the rest of the gang already here. BJ and Isaac, as well as Garreth and Reagan are sittingon matching couches, while their kids play with the mountain of toys at the back of the room.

“There they are,” Isaac says when we enter the room, taking off our coats and slipping off our shoes.

“Hey,” BJ greets, giving me a hug. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

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