Page 27 of Tangled Trust

"He talks like that now," Carly says, rolling her eyes. "I had a feeling moving to Dallas was a bad idea."

"Yeah, where’s your cowboy hat, Bro?"

Andrew looks behind me and spots Ella.

"Oh, where are my manners? Andrew, and Carly, meet Ella. She’s Jagger’s Au Pair. Ella, these are my Texan connections."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you," Ella says.

"British. How very Californian of you, Carter," Andrew teases. "How are you, Ella? Nice to meet you."

"Hello, Ella. It’s a pleasure," Carly smiles.

"Where in merry old England are you from? And what on earth brought you to La La Land?"

"You’ll have to excuse my brother," I say to Ella. "He has, what you Poms call, verbal diarrhea."

"Oh, balls!"

"Oh, yeah, you do," Carly chimes in.

Ella laughs. "I’m here for the weather, of course."

"I can’t fault your logic. Are you enjoying LA?" Carly asks.

"Loving it."

"Isn’t Jagger just a hoot?"

"He’s a pistol, alright. I adore him."

Dash comes rushing onto the scene.

"And who is this?" Andrew says and bends down to give the dog a good scratch behind the ear.

"This is Dash, Jagger’s new partner in crime."

"He’s lovely, Carter," Carly chimes in.

"I think the gardener may disagree with you. Jagger and his sidekick love to terrorize his floral creations."

"Sounds familiar. As I recall, you and your scruffy mutt did the same to Mom’s roses, Caboose."

"And I still have the scars on my buttocks from the thorns."

"Caboose?" Ella asks.

"Carter here is the family’s Caboose baby because he was born so late in my parents’ lives," Andrew explains.

"Oh, I see."

"The boys are a little nuts, but you’ll get used to it," Carly grins.

"I’m jealous," Ella says, "I wish I had a sibling."

"Do you guys have plans for dinner?" I ask Andrew and Carly. "Because I’d love it if you would join me."

"That would be lovely. Thanks, Carter," Carly answers.

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