Page 46 of Meet Me in Paris

Another quick check confirmed no text from Hunter yet. Surely he’d reach out soon, full of apology and with a good explanation. In the meantime, maybe I’d have an exciting surprise for him. Although he wouldn’t be thrilled about my seeing Claude again, professional relationship or not.

“Is that Hunter?” Jillian asked, returning to look over my shoulder.

“No. I’m not sure what to do. Claude found a house, and it might be perfect. But I know Hunter will object to my meeting up with the guy.”

“Then we’ll make sure you don’t go alone,” Alexis said firmly, stopping next to Jillian with a trail of suitcases behind her.

My heart felt warm and happy. “You want to look at the house with me?”

“Of course. We’re family. We have to sign off on it before you live there. I’m pretty sure it’s in the rules.” Alexis’s tone left no room for argument.

“I agree,” Jillian said. “You aren’t making any decisions without us. Besides, I need to approve my bedroom for when I come to visit.”

I wrapped my arms around my sisters, feeling suddenly emotional. This was one of the biggest decisions of my life, and I couldn’t do it without their support. “I’m sorry about the way you found out, Jillie. I would never take that leap without talking to you first. I promised to neverleave you alone, so if you’re planning to live at home, I’m not doing this.”

“Don’t be silly,” Jillian said, looking me straight in the eye. “I was only staying home for you.”

I blinked. “You were?”

“Of course. My twenty-six-year-old sister still living at home and working in a dead-end job she hated? I wasn’t about to abandon you there alone.”

This couldn’t be real. Jillian had to be making this up. “Then where do you plan to end up after all this?”

“I was thinking of moving to a big city. The farmhouse is too quiet and lonely. Gimme the bustle of traffic and crowds and an overpriced apartment full of plants, and I’ll be happy.”

I saw my sister with new eyes. “Really?”

Jillian nodded. “Really. But we can talk about that later. Today is about you. Now are you coming to see your new house, or what?”

As perfect asClaude’s place had been, this townhome seemed even more perfect. Beyond even what I could imagine. The layout resembled Claude’s except reversed, and rather than heavy curtains and dark furniture, the place had simple roll-down shades, light-toned furniture, and a newer feel. I fell instantly in love.

“That’s it,” Jillian said, looking around the living room with a huge grin. “I’m moving here with you.”

“I’d love that,” I said honestly. “Lexi, too, if she wants.”

Alexis shrugged. “No offense, but if I were to settle down somewhere in Europe, it wouldn’t be here. There’s a lot you haven’t seen yet.”

As excited as I felt by the idea of Jillian living here with me, I kept imagining Hunter in this house—the two of us cooking together in the kitchen, eating together at the table, and sitting together on the sofa. Even the neighborhood felt just as charming and romantic as it had the first time. The only drawback would be Claude living around the corner, but with Hunter here, that wouldn’t be a problem. I imagined the two men facing off again and chuckled inwardly.

As my sisters whispered between themselves, still wandering the house, I sat across the table from Claude and the landlord as they exchanged a stack of papers. ThenClaude slid it in front of me, pointing to a line here and there and handing me a pen.

This was it. Everything I ever wanted hovered in my future, finally within reach.

My cell phone rang. I whipped it out and hit the button. “Hunter. Is everything okay?”

“It’s been better, but that’s no excuse for this morning. I’m sorry for leaving you in the lurch. Something came up that I needed to deal with.”

His voice sounded odd. Tight and higher pitched than usual. I buried my fears and tried to stay calm. “What happened?”

And then I heard it—an unfamiliar voice in the background. A female voice.

Could it be the TV? No, Hunter didn’t have a TV. A movie, perhaps?

“Put that down and talk to me, Hunter,” the woman said. “You owe me an explanation.”

“Uh, I’ll have to call you back,” Hunter said. A click, and my phone displayed its wallpaper once again.

I stared at my phone, my worry growing into something more.

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