Page 68 of Just My Luck

After the whirlwindof the wedding shower, I was happy to slip off my high heels and trade the elegant party dress for a cozy pair of leggings. I smiled as I slid the white dress onto a hanger and hung it in Abel’s closet. My fingers toyed with a shimmery pearl, and I sighed.

It really was a great party.

Sometime during the wedding shower, I had stopped worrying about people realizing my marriage to Abel was a farce, and I simply tried to enjoy myself. Outtatowner had such an inviting way about it that it was easy to forget that it was all pretend.

With Abel beside me, I found the pretending easy.

Too easy.

“Mama! Mom! I caught a huge fish today!” Ben’s voice bounced down the hallway as the front door slammed open. I cringed as the door rattled the nearby bookshelf. I was sure Abel never expected his life to be so upturned by two small children and their hot-mess mother.

“In here!” I called, pulling a cardigan around the vintage T-shirt I’d chosen.

But when they didn’t come to find me, I walked into the hallway to see Ben taking Granddad’s phone and shoving it in Abel’s face. “Do you see how big it is?”

Abel grabbed the phone and nodded, his attention solely on my son. “Wow. That’s impressive. Paw Paw Springs?”

“I caught some too!” Tillie complained.

“You did,” Granddad agreed. “And, yes, I took them down to Paw Paw—the creek was hopping.”

“Hey there, chickens.” Loving affection warmed my chest as I watched their conversations tumble over one another. “I missed you today.”

I walked up to Tillie and pulled her into a hug before ruffling Ben’s hair and dropping a kiss on top.

“Your hair is so fancy.” Tillie’s eyes moved over my sleek chignon, which I hadn’t yet undone.

My hand gently pressed against the twist. “We had a party today, and it took forever to get it right. I didn’t have the heart to take it down yet.”

“It’s really pretty.” Tillie’s eyes sparkled with feminine appreciation.

I cupped my sweet, tenderhearted daughter’s face. “Thanks, baby.” I turned to my granddad, who was showing Abel more pictures from the day’s fishing adventures. “The kids were good for you?”

Granddad scoffed. “Of course.”

Ben smiled at me, uncontained energy buzzing from his every pore. “We brought a picnic, but then Granddad had candies and we got dinner and then ice cream, and he let me get a triple scoop!”

I shot my granddad a pointed glare as my son rattled like a boiling kettle from his sugar high.

“What?” His hands raised in feigned innocence. “It’s the land of yes when they’re with me. You know that.”

Unable to argue with his grandfatherly logic, I simply gave up and changed the subject. “I got some news today. The money is officially ready to be spent. We just have to make a decision on which builders we go with to renovate the house.” I toyed with the inside of my lip. “Sylvie recommended Kate and Beckett.”

“Kate Sullivan?” Abel grumbled.

I knew tensions between the Sullivans and Kings had lessened since Sylvie and Duke got together, but it had never quite gone away. “I think it’s Kate Miller now, but—yeah.”

Abel grunted a noncommittal noise.

“I reached out to her, and she was really excited to talk about it. Given the historical nature of the farmhouse, she said they might even consider it for a spot on their show. Isn’t that something?”

I still couldn’t believe that Kate and Beckett Miller from the popularHome Againshow were even considering taking on the farmhouse build. Not only was their love story incredibly hot—he was Kate’s ex-boyfriend’s older brother and her brother’s best friend—but they’d made national headlines restoring historic homes all around Lake Michigan. I was positively giddy at the thought of them taking on the renovation.

Granddad shrugged. “Whatever you think is best.”

I frowned at my grandfather. I had expected him to be more enthusiastic about rebuilding his childhood home. “Well, this is for you... I only want you to be happy. It’s your home.”

“I’m not going to live forever, Sloaney.” Granddad sighed, and a twinge of emotion pierced my chest. “You do what you think is best.”

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