Page 59 of How to Fall for the Secret Billionaire
Cal smiles and nods. “Thank you, sir.” He sits like he belongs here. Like it’s natural.
I leave Cal with my father and head into the kitchen and immediately smell it—cinnamon, roasted garlic, something buttery and sweet. Mom is bustling around in her apron, humming to some old ‘70s love song on the radio while Aunt Edie wipes down the counter with practiced efficiency. The food’s clearly done. I see steaming casseroles and a stack of fluffy pancakes already plated.
Oh, pancakes. Cal’s going to love that.
“Smells like heaven,” I murmur, kissing them each on the cheek.
“You didn’t tell me Cal was coming,” Mom complains. “I would have made him?—”
My phone starts to ring. “Mom, don’t worry. He loves pancakes,” I say, fishing in the pocket of my dress for the device. It’s Juniper. With exams around the corner, it’s recently become hard to reach Juniper on the phone, so seeing her call makes me super excited.
“Juniper,” I say, answering. “Hello, my favorite sister.”
“I heard that!” Hazel announces as she strolls in, beelining for the tray of bacon, snatches two strips, and pops one into her mouth before Mom swats at her with a wooden spoon.
“Hazel Hartwell! I have half a mind to?—”
Hazel dodges the spoon like a pro and winks. “Half a mind is generous, Mom.”
“You’re banned from the kitchen!” Mom says, pointing dramatically to the door.
“Is that Mom?” Juniper laughs. “And Hazel? Is there a party going?”
“Just breakfast.” I turn the phone around, letting Juniper greet everyone in the kitchen for a few moments before turning the screen back to me.
“Ugh, I miss that kitchen,” she says.
“Tell me about school,” I say, leaning against the fridge. “Are you still doing that weird elective?”
“Psycholinguistics is not weird,” Juniper groans. “I love it. It’s literally teaching me why Aunt Edie talks like a 1940s radio host.”
Aunt Edie gasps, hand on chest. “How dare you, Juniper Hartwell?”
We laugh, and Juniper sighs on the other end. “Where’s Dad? Can I talk to him?”
“Sure,” I say, still smiling. “He’s in the living room.”
I walk back toward the parlor and hand Dad the phone. The moment his face appears on screen, I hear Juniper’s voice erupting with joy: “Dad! I’ve missed you!”
Cal, seated across from him, turns toward me. “Wait—you have another sister?”
I laugh and sit down beside him. “I have three. Hazel, Thea, and Juniper. Hazel’s the chaotic artist, Thea’s the techie who never leaves her cave, and Juniper’s the baby of the house. She’s in college.”
Cal grins. “Wow. A full house.”
“Yup.”
He nods like he’s storing it all away. “What else should I know?”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. I find it sweet that he wants to know more about this crazy circus that is my family. His eyes are soft and genuine.
I’m interrupted by Mom’s voice drifting into the living room from the dining area. “All right, breakfast is ready. Everybody, to the table before it gets cold!”
There’s a stampede of movement.
Hazel calls dibs on the chair by the window. Dad grabs his usual seat at the head of the table. Thea finally unplugs from her laptop and shuffles into the dining room like a grumpy vampire. She gives Cal a friendly nod as she pulls out a chair across from him.
“Hi, Cal.”
