Page 34 of One Pucking Surprise
“Well,” I begin carefully, “I grew up in a small town. It was just my mom, my older sister Anna, and me. My mom passed away when I was in high school.”
“And your father?” he asks.
I hesitate, then offer a small smile. “I never knew him.”
It’s a simple statement, but it hangs heavy in the air. Whitney reaches over, giving my hand a squeeze, and I feel the tension ease just slightly.
“Does your sister live in town?” he asks.
“Anna recently moved away with her husband and my nephew, Joshua, because of a job promotion. So it’s just me right now.”
Zach’s arm tightens around my waist as he leans in, his voice soft but firm. “You have me now.”
His sisters immediately chime in, their voices overlapping.
“You have us now too!” Whitney declares.
“Absolutely,” Blair adds, stepping forward to hug me.
Cora joins in without hesitation, pulling me into a warm group hug. The moment is unexpected and overwhelming, but their kindness makes it hard to hold back a genuine smile.
When the hug breaks, I catch Zach’s father watching from a few steps away, his expression shifting to something unreadable. The brief flicker of disapproval is clear as his gaze meets Zach’s, a silent message passing between them.
Zach notices too and claps his hands together, interrupting the tension. “All right, that’s enough of the interrogation. I’m going to take Lainey on a tour of the house before the festivities begin.”
Mr. Darling nods, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer. “It was nice meeting you, Lainey.”
“You too, Mr. Darling,” I say, keeping my tone polite as I offer him a small nod.
Zach places a guiding hand on my back, steering me away from the group. As we walk, I catch the sound of Clarissa’s overly cheerful voice turning its charm back on Mr. Darling. Their words blend into the hum of conversation, but I know exactly what she’s doing. I keep my expression neutral, but inside, annoyance simmers.
Zach glances down at me as we head toward the house. “You okay?” he murmurs softly.
“Fine,” I say, my voice steady. But he doesn’t need to know just how much she grates on me.
We step into the cool, quiet interior of the house, and Zach leads me upstairs and down a long hallway. He pauses in front of a door and pushes it open, revealing a room that looks frozen in time. Posters of hockey players cover the walls, and the king-sized bed is perfectly made, as if waiting for him to return.
“This is your bedroom?” I ask, stepping inside and taking it all in. My eyes widen as I notice the ensuite bathroom and the walk-in closet. “It’s huge! You had your own bathroom and a walk-in closet?”
I cross to the bed and sit down, bouncing lightly to test the mattress. “Of course the bed is ridiculously comfortable too,” I mutter, shaking my head.
Zach smirks as he steps closer. “Jealous?”
“Maybe,” I admit, grinning as I run a hand across the plush comforter. “This is probably nicer than my entire apartment.”
I glance up at Zach, but before he can say anything, the thought that’s been lingering in the back of my mind spills out. “Your brother,” I say quietly, my voice low enough to stay between us. “I take it he’s not thrilled about me being here.”
“Don’t worry about Noah,” he says with a small shrug. “He’s like that with everyone these days. No fun to be around since the divorce. His wife left shortly after Alice was born. It’s… complicated. But ever since, he’s been stuck in grumpy mode.”
“That’s tough,” I say softly, thinking of how much Alice adores her father despite the strain I glimpsed earlier. “But Alice seems sweet. She’s at an age where not having her mom around must be hard.”
Something flickers in Zach’s eyes—surprise, maybe? Concern? “You’d know, wouldn’t you?” he says, his voice dropping slightly. “You mentioned earlier about your mom…”
I nod, my chest tightening for a moment. “I was older than Alice when my mom passed, butit still changed everything. I had to grow up faster than I wanted to.”
He watches me carefully, his usual teasing edge softening into something quieter, steadier. “That’s a lot to handle, especially without much family around.”
“It is,” I admit, brushing my fingers over the comforter absentmindedly. “But it’s not like I’m completely alone. I have Chloe.”
