Page 93 of The Secret

I laughed, but I was also unsure how I felt about this admission. I tried not to delve too deep into it, because it sounded like I’d been set up for a blind date I hadn’t know about, which could have gone drastically wrong. Living together, just the two of us, was intense to begin with, and even though I knew something was unfolding between us, was it only because we were stuck together? I didn’t appreciate being puppet to their puppet masters, or the playing fast and loose with my feelings part of it. Or Murray’s for that matter, unless…

“Does Murray know?”

Freddie nodded. “Yep, but not right away, and when he found out he was pissed.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really pissed. But we were right. You are perfect, and he knows it too.”

It mollified me slightly that he’d also not been happy, but I stood fast, holding my ground. “That’s a risky move, you know. I’m not sure if I should be pissed, too.”

Alex laughed loudly, pulling me into a hug. “You’re definitely going to fit in well with this family if you can take these two on.”

I rolled my eyes. “Murray and I haven’t talked about this at all. Nothing’s happened beyond a kiss,” I ignored Wolfie clasping her hands together with unadulterated glee, like she’d won a grand prize. “Could you please stop planning our lives out before they’ve started? I work for him, and it could go really wrong.”

“It won’t.”

I glared at Freddie, and she held her hands up in defense. “But okay, yes, we promise to stop planning your lives out.”

“Thank you.”

“Let us just say one final thing.” I didn’t bother to argue because she was going to anyway. “Murray might be our brother, but we do know how amazing he is, and he’s also a lot of fun. So just have some fun this weekend, you both deserve it.”

I didn’t disagree with that.

Alex looked at her watch. “Hey girls, I think we’ve missed the boat for coffee, but Bloody Mary’s could be calling us.”

I didn’t disagree with that either as we veered off the beach and onto the path toward the town.

17

Kit

“Mama!” Florence ran forward, her arms raised high, as we walked back into the compound.

“Hi, baby! Are you having a fun morning with Daddy?”

“Yes, except he said I can’t be thrown in the pool again ‘til later!” she cried, shrilly. She had mastered Wolfie’s clipped English accent, bar a few words, which couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than American.

Wolfie picked her up. “Why not?”

“Because I was sick.”

“What? You’re not well?” Wolfie felt her forehead.

“Daddy said I drank too much pool water, and now I have to wait,” she sulked, her lip protruding dramatically.

“That child is too precocious for her own good,” Freddie whispered in my ear as we rounded the corner to where everyone else was sitting round the pool, and received a rousing cheer as we did.

“Hey, there they are!” Jasper’s eyebrow shot up, “How was coffee?”

“It was good, thanks, good walk along the beach. Feel much better. Thanks for holding the fort.” Wolfie bent down to kiss him before he could say any more.

I perched on the edge of the sun lounger Murray was playing with Bell on. “Hey, how are you?”

“Good. Did you survive?”

“Just about,” I laughed, tickling Bell’s tummy. “Hey, little lady, how are you? I’ve missed you.”

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