Page 17 of What We Keep
Haven glanced back at me. “You can come in now, or…?”
I shook my head. “I think I’ll go get my stuff and then come back. Is that okay?”
“Of course.” Haven nodded. “Catch you later. You can park wherever you want, and you don’t need a key. You don’t have to check in with us or anything. Just go put your stuff away.” He hesitated. “But do let me know if you’ll be there for dinner.”
“Our mom is definitely going to ask,” Jude added.
I smiled. “I’ll be there.”
“Good,” Haven said, turning and walking again.
I hesitated for a beat. “Haven?”
He glanced over his shoulder, one brow arching up.
“Thank you,” I said simply.
His expression softened, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before he nodded.
“Anytime.”
Chapter Nine
Haven
“Will Elsa be here tonight?” my mom asked.
“She said she would.”
Cole came walking into the kitchen at that moment. “Will who be here?” he asked.
“Elsa. She’s staying in the apartment above the barn. I’m so glad she’s back in town.” My mom pressed her hand to her chest, letting out a heartfelt sigh. “That sweet girl deserves a happier ending.”
Cole caught my eye, his lips curling slightly at the corners. “Of course,” he agreed. “When did she move back?”
Tommy came racing into the kitchen. “Yesterday!” he exclaimed. “We found her.”
“You found her?” Cole asked, one of his dark brows rising in a slash.
“Yes, she was over on her family’s property, and one of the goats knocked her over. Well, specifically, Dolly,” I explained.
“There’s nothing but a foundation left on that property,” Cole pointed out as he crossed the kitchen to snag a slice of cheese off the charcuterie tray.
My mom swatted at his hand. “You’re messing up my arrangement,” she teased.
“Mom, we’re going to eat all this. The minute this tray lands on the table, it’ll be a feeding frenzy,” he pointed out.
My mom pressed her lips together, casting him a faux glare. “Elsa is coming. We need to behave like civilized people.”
“We are civilized,” Tommy announced as he skipped across the kitchen, swiping not one but two pieces of cheese off the platter. My mother gave him an indulgent look and lifted the tray high in the air before crossing over to set it on the table.
“It’s not like she doesn’t know how we live,” Cole commented.
“What do you mean?” Tommy asked as he plunked down in a chair, hooking his feet around the legs.
My mom, Cole, and I all looked at each other before she finally said, “She stayed here once before.”
“After her father passed away,” I added.
