Page 107 of Noble Neighbor
“I was explaining to Oliver I figured out your former identity.”
She crossed her arms and shifted her feet. “And?”
Beau’s mouth thinned to a straight line, and he mirrored her stance.“I was suspicious of you from the start because I knew you were hiding something. And I was right. And before you both flay me to the bone, I am sorry for the lengths you needed to go to in protecting your daughters. You were placed in an untenable position, but you did the right thing by making a new life for yourselves.
“You have my full support going forward. Truce?” He held his arm out.
After giving him a long stare, Sunny placed her hand in Beau’s. “Truce accepted.”
“I wish you both all the best. Maybe” — Beau cleared his throat and gave her a bashful look — “maybe someday you will considermea friend, Sunny.”
Sunny cocked her head. “You know what, Beau …” She let the statement hang before a slow grin stretched across her lips. “I’m in a good mood today. I think I’dlike to be your friend. You’re loyal to the point of beinga pain in the ass.”
Beau lifted his head and chuckled. “Now that’s a backhanded compliment if ever there was one. Thank you.” He turned to Oliver. “See you at your wedding, friend.”
“Later, Beau.” Oliver drew Sunny into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “That was nice of you, sweetheart. You didn’t have to.”
She shrugged. “He’s your friend, Oliver. Anyway, I came to tell you I’ve been summoned to a bachelorette breakfast with the ladies. And from your expression you knew about it?”
“All part of the plan. Ow!” Oliver rubbed his arm where she’d slapped him. “What was that for?”
He grinned at the narrow-eyed glower from his almost-wife.
“You’re lucky I’m still marrying you,” she muttered,flouncing away.
Watching her retreating back, he added softly, “Never a truer word spoken.”
30
Unicorns and fairies and magic
Clement tugged at the waistband of his new pants with impatience. Dad was marrying Sunny today. He’d wanted to wear jeans, but Grandpa had said the man walking the bride down the aisle had to wear tailored pants. It was the right thing to do.
He stood taller, thinking of the important task Sunny had asked of him.
He was excited about the wedding. Truly, he was. He really liked Sunny. She was a great mom, and best of all, Kenz and Mols would become his real sisters, ‘cos Dad was going to adopt them.
But deep down, he missed Mom. He hadn’t told Dad, but he’d dreamed of her last night. She was a fairy in the dream, riding a unicorn in a magic land. That was just so Mom because she’d believed in unicorns and fairies and magic. He stopped believing in stuff like that the day she died. That day—
It was weird to think that the man who’d killed Mom was Kenzie and Molly’s father, so he tried not to think on that too much. It wasn’t their fault he’d been an evil bastard, and Dad had said it was their duty, his and Dad’s, to make sure the girls never found out, because people would be ugly to them.
He knew that, because late one night he’d googled that man, and the media had been awful about Sunny and the girls. Well, they’d been Savannah and Kate and Mary then. It had been a bad, bad time, and—
No, he shouldn’t think of that today, because today was a happy day. And the dream with Mom had been a happy dream ‘cos she’d been laughing as she rode about a meadow filled with blue flowers — flowers kinda like the ones that bloomed on their farm.
Clement frowned. Wait … his magic dream land? It wasexactlylike the farm. It had the same trees, same flowers, and same stream as his dream.
“Wow.” Mom wasthere, in Clearbrook, on the farm with them. “That’s so cool.”
“Who you’re talking to?”
Clement nearly jumped outta his skin. He hadn’t heard Kenzie’s steps, and he turned to look at her. He stared for a long time. “You look so pretty,” he said in awe.
Kenzie twirled around, and her long white skirt floated about her. “Mrs. Eileen bought me and Molly each a new dress.” She plonked down beside him on the top step. “So.”
“So?”
Kenzie jabbed his side with her elbow. “Who were you talking to, Clement?” she asked again.
