Page 24 of Building What's Meant to Be

If I were to write a postcard it wouldn’t sayMiss you, love you, wish you were here!Nope. I’m not sure what I’m about to walk into, but by the looks of the gathered crowd, it can’t be good.

Chapter Six

AIDEN

Itake a deep breath as I step outside. The sky is bright despite clouds covering the sun. I squint a little. It’s a fresh spring day with only a hint of humidity in the air.

Tinsley exits behind me. It’s impossible not to have a keen awareness of her and not only because of the clicking of her high heels. She’s tall and slender but doesn’t take up a ton of space, yet she has a formidable presence.

This woman could enter a room full of people and not have to announce herself. All eyes would draw her way. Attention would shift to focus on her. I can see why she flew in the celebrity crowd. The camera must love her.

Speaking of crowds...I stop in my tracks when my sisters, Mae and Bess, along with their gentlemen, Taylor and Cassian respectively, stand on the sidewalk along with Louella Belle, Bo, Christina, Buck, Camellia, and Nash.

They’re either celebrating my freedom or ready to run me out of town with pitchforks.

“I could’ve really used the get out of jail free card a few hours ago.” Stopping abruptly in front of them, I jolt slightly forward. Tinsley bumps into me. I turn around to make sure she’s okay when I catch Mae launching missiles at close range. Strangely,she looks at Tinsley with the same amount of contempt as she did at me. Bess follows suit.

They all look grim and grumbly.

“Is this an anti-welcome party?”

Mae crosses her arms over her chest and they rest on her very pregnant belly. Ordinarily, I’d joke about whether she uses it as a tray, but now is not the time. I stepped in something and it wasn’t by the dog park.

“What did you expect?” she asks.

“Is this about the cat?”

“This is about you cavorting with the enemy,” she hisses.

“I can explain.” But because we’re outside the police station, I add, “Just not here.”

“Oh, you’ll be explaining,” Bess adds with a look that could melt steel.

“I promise you, it’s not as bad as it seems.”

Mae grunts. “No, it just got impossibly worse.”

I don’t blame my sisters for giving me the stink eye. Not sure about the beef the others have with me other than pretending to change alliances and working my way into the mayor’s good graces. Plus, Taylor and I are like brothers. I’m also friends with Nash. I know everyone. But does anyone actually know me? That’s something I don’t think about. If I could actually explain my agent status, they’d understand my situation. Only, I can’t because I vowed never to put anyone I care about at risk. Keeping my profession private is for their protection.

I move closer to them on the sidewalk, intending to put a little space between us and the police station. “Listen, I know what it looked like when you saw me in the town hall with Stoll and how I’ve been working with him.”

“You’re no better than Les Streckle,” Mae says, glancing at Christina.

She nods as if agreeing.

“A slippery, slimy, backstabbing cat thief,” Mae adds.

I could be ticked off, feeling backed into a corner, but I’ve been in so many different types of high-pressure situations, I’ve learned the surest ways to diffuse them without losing my cool. Most of the time. Cute cats usually help.

I pump my hands. “Slow down. Will you give me a chance and let me tell my side of the story?”

“I’ll listen,” Louella Belle says. “But if you do anything to ruin Butterbury I’ll personally see to it you end up back in there.” She points to the police station.

Louella Belle is about the same height as Mae, which is to say snack-sized, but I don’t doubt that she’d make good on the threat.

Bo, Buck, and Nash form a wall of muscle as if to back her up.

“We’ve all been through a lot here in Butterbury and seeing as I’m also a resident and property owner, I assure you nothing I’ve done will ruin the town like Stoll tried to do several times over. In fact, I was the one instrumental in stopping him. We all were.”

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