Page 99 of Stay for Forever

Chapter 33

My dogs weren’t chasing people on bikes. They don’t even own bikes.

“What’s going on?” I ask Lilac when I enter the town hall where I’ve been summoned. “The monthly business meeting isn’t until next week.”

“This is an extraordinary meeting.” Lilac the literal strikes again.

“Yes, I understand it’s an extraordinary meeting. The question is why we’re having one.” There’s only one reason I can think of for there to be an extraordinary meeting. “Is it because of the money we found?”

“You mean the loot,” Ashlyn corrects.

I roll my eyes. Someone has a flare for the dramatic. Obviously. There’s a reason she studied drama at college after all.

“Excuse me. Because of the loot we found?”

“Among other things,” Lilac says, and Ashlyn elbows her.

“What?” Lilac asks.

“I thought you understood human emotions after your little speech to Aspen the other day.”

My gaze ping pongs between them. They’re up to something. I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s going on?”

Ashlyn bats her eyelashes at me. “Whatever do you mean?”

Rowan arrives and throws an arm around her shoulders. “You oversold it, Dream girl.”

She pushes him away. “It’s Mayor Dream girl to you.”

An alarm goes off and she fishes her phone out of her pocket before switching it off. “Time for the Queen to perform her duties.”

She glides to the front of the room as if she’s royalty, but as soon as she’s standing in front of everyone, she fists a gavel before slamming it down on the table with an amount of force, which is anything but regal.

“Is she trying to pound a hole into the table or what?” Ellery asks as she sits down next to me. Aspen sits on the other side of me while Lilac joins Ashlyn at the front of the room.

“Where’s Willow?”

Ellery points behind her to where Mom is cuddling her granddaughter. “I swear Mom spends more time with her than I do.”

“Don’t worry. Once Ashlyn pops her baby out and Juniper gets pregnant, Mom will have to split her time.”

I smack Aspen on the arm. “I told you Mav and I want to wait to have children.”

She shrugs. “This one,” she indicates Ellery, “wasn’t planning on having a baby either.”

“True story,” Ellery agrees.

My mouth opens, and I blurt out things I should keep to myself. “I’m not sold on the idea of having a child with a movie star. He’ll be gone all the time doing who knows what. I’m barely used to the idea of being attached to someone famous myself.” And trying to convince myself I can handle it.

“I have a feeling you’re going to change your mind soon,” Aspen says.

“I agree.”

I narrow my eyes as I look back and forth between the two of them. What’s up with my sisters today? “What are you talking about?”

Aspen widens her eyes in a display of innocence. I’m not buying it.

The lights dim. “What’s going on now?”

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