Page 41 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

“And the cat, dear?” Aunt Tilly looked more serious, not breaking eye contact. “A kitty cat?”

Kinsley froze. “My mom’s name was Katherine. She went by Kat and my Granny called her Kitty.”

Aunt Tilly eased back in her chair slowly, a grin coming over her face. “I had a dream recently. A rosebush that aged—” she looked like she was calculating something— “and a kitten that stayed young but ran off. Your mother died young, dear, didn’t she?”

Kinsley nodded.

“There were crowns, too. One was placed on Daegan’s head. The other on the woman connected to the rosebush and kitten. You.” Aunt Tilly’s look grew soft. “The crown. A king,” she whispered as if connecting the dots. “Your name! Kingsley!”

Sure. Why not?

“It was a dream I had of Daegan meeting someone. Of meetingyou.” Her face beamed, clearly amazed at what she deemed to be an accurate prediction or vision.

Could Aunt Tilly really know what was to come? Or was she just another romantic spinning tales? The certainty in her voice was hard to dismiss. Against better judgment, Kinsley felt a spark of hope.

“Oh, I don’t know if Daegan and I are compatible like that.” Kinsley admitted, nervously playing with the edging of the tattered tablecloth. Maybe Daegan had changed his mind. Maybe he wanted her, and not just her house. Could it be true?

“If the two of you would get over your hang-ups, you would be,” she whispered. Aunt Tilly pushed her chair back, a gritty noise echoing through the house. “Wait here,” she said and rushed out of the room.

How would Aunt Tilly know whether they were compatible? It simply wasn’t possible. Kinsley wasn’t even sure if they were half the time.

“Ah! LeBron!” the parrot mocked from the next room, several minutes delayed. It brought a smile to Kinsley’s face at the ridiculousness of it all. It seemed the parrot even laughed at it, repeating it again.

“Seer, that’s enough,” Aunt Tilly scolded as she thumped down the hallway.

“Seer knows all, sees all,” the parrot chanted.

“I made this for you. Well, I made it after that dream I just told you about,” Aunt Tilly corrected. “It’s a baby blanket. My own crochet pattern!” She pushed it into Kinsley’s hands.

“Oh, but I’m not expecting—” she paused, looking up at Aunt Tilly, wondering if there was something Aunt Tilly knew that she didn’t. They had used a condom; had it broken at the worst possible moment?

Aunt Tilly’s eyes widened with shock, then understanding. “Oh! Oh, not now, dear, not now. In a couple of years.” She patted her hand. “I made it in white and a pale yellow, so it can be used with all your children.”

Relieved and grateful, Kinsley still couldn’t shake the confusion. This had come out of nowhere. “I don’t understand.”

“You and Daegan are ending up together.” Aunt Tilly’s voice was assured and genuine. “I made this for you to have, to use for the babies you’ll have together.” She patted Kinsley’s back. “It’s good to give it now, in case I’m not here.”

Kinsley shot a glance up at Aunt Tilly.No, please not again.

Aunt Tilly clutched at her chest. “I don’t mean death, Kenzie, I don’t mean death! I just mean in case I’m traveling the world, cruising the fjords,” her voice became melodic. “Traversing the outback, lounging in Cancun, visiting Japan, or…” she paused, taking in a long, drawn-out breath, “in the bed of asexyItalian man named Matteo.” She exhaled a happy sigh.

Kinsley’s heart raced. Could Aunt Tilly be right?

“Keep it, Karly. It is my gift. Life’s too short to take everything seriously, my dear. You and Daegan have my blessing—not that it is needed—but if I meet that Italian stallion,” she fanned herself, “I might just bless myself.”

Kinsley cracked a smile and looked down at the beautiful crocheted blanket, made with love in each stitch. She gently traced the loops of the pattern with her finger, feeling the soft threads between them. The two strands of yarn, white and yellow, were intertwined perfectly around each other throughout.

Babies with Daegan?She wasn’t sure if she should be touched or completely mortified.

“Thank you, Aunt Tilly,” she said with a growing smile. “But I should really hide this from Daegan for now. If he heard this, he’d probably leap out the window.”

Aunt Tilly nodded with a laugh. “Oh, he might, dear, but only because he knows you’d catch him. Well, either that or some rosebushes.”

Kinsley offered a quick smile, another “thank you,” and rushed to stash it in her suitcase. Just as she zipped it shut, the door flew open. Daegan stood in the doorway, shirt smudged with dirt, hair windswept. “LeBron’s secure,” he said with mock triumph.

“Crisis averted,” she said, trying not to look suspicious.

“What are you doing?”Daegan said, eyes darting between Kinsley and her luggage.

---