Page 40 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

“Of course, of course,” Tilly sat back down. “But the message is what you make of it. You remember when you were young, and I predicted you would get your toe stuck in a canoe?”

“You got yourtoestuck in a canoe?” Kinsley asked. “How in the?—”

But Aunt Tilly plowed ahead, “And that time I saw you winning a trophy in school.”

“All the kids got them,” Daegan muttered under his breath.

“Back this up. I need to hear the toe in the canoe story,” Kinsley urged, leaning over her plate. But his family steamrolled on.

“Or that time he burned his little bum cheeks,” his mom laughed.

“Oh, I forgot all about that!” Aunt Tilly laughed and then turned to Kinsley. “For a week, almost every tomato I got from my garden looked like a plump little bum and then when they came to visit a few days later, the poor little guy thought it would be funny to take off his pants and sit right on some metal outside.”

Laughter bubbled around the table, and Daegan found himself leaning into it, the warmth of his family’s joy momentarily drowning out his doubts. Kinsley fit in so easily—too easily. It made him wonder if letting her in might be the greatest risk he’d ever take.

He locked eyes with Kinsley and she smiled, making his heart soften. Even though he was grinning right back, Daegan couldn’t help but wonder if he was setting himself up for the same disappointment all over again.

Kinsley chuckled. “So you’ve been trouble since day one, huh?” Her voice was playful and teasing.

Daegan felt his cheeks flush. “I was two years old, thank you,” he said.

“Oh, his cheeks are turning almost as red as his bum,” Aunt Tilly cackled, bringing him back to the present. Her blue-and-silver curls bounced with each chortle.

Daegan groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as laughter filled the room.

“I remember him screaming and running around the yard without his pants,” his mother went on. “His father had to chase him down with the garden hose!”

As laughter erupted all over again, Daegan felt Kinsley’s knee brush against his under the table—a light, brief touch. When he glanced at her, her smile was bright and unguarded, and something inside him twisted. He leaned back, shifting his leg closer to hers.

As his mom had just begun to describe the lush, green cliffs from a recent trip to Ireland, her story was cut short by Aunt Tilly.

“Ah! LeBron!”Aunt Tilly gasped, her face a canvas of worry. She sprang up, her curls bouncing with each step as she hurried toward the window.

“Oh, LeBron is here too?” Kinsley looked to Daegan, eyes wide, expecting some sort of explanation. She knew damn well the athlete wasn’t showing up to chat with Aunt Tilly. Then again, anything seemed possible with this family.

“Her stallion.” Daegan clarified. His sigh spoke of a long reoccurring pattern of behavior. “He knows how to open a few gates in the pasture.” He left his seat to join Aunt Tilly, pausing for a moment to chat with her before running outside.

“Another day in paradise,” Milly whispered to her with a chuckle.

“She doesn’t happen to have a dog named Snoop Dogg, does she?” Kinsley laughed.

“Oh no,” Milly laughed alongside her. “That’s the bull’s name.” She took a sip of her tea.

Of course it was.

“That blessed horse,” Aunt Tilly huffed, marching across the room before plopping back down in her dining chair. “Daegan will get him sorted out.”

“I didn’t know Daegan was a part-time cowboy,” Kinsley smirked.

“Neither did he,” Milly added. “I’m going to see if I can help.” She stood up and left out the back door.

“You know, Kelly—” She figured Aunt Tilly wasn’t bound to get her name right even once at this point— “I have a question for you. Well, a few.”

“Sure.” A knot built up inside her, curious and hesitant all at once.

“What connection do you have to a rose and a cat?” Aunt Tilly’s eyes squinted as if determined to pierce through her.

“Oh.” The question caught Kinsley by surprise. “My—uhm, my grandmother’s name was Rose.”

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