Dots appeared on my screen, and my entire body was pulsing as I waited for his answer.

Carter: Perfect. I’ll call you tomorrow to talk about the details. I won’t hijack your naked time anymore... tonight.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Val

The next evening, mayhem reigned during Friday dinner.

I’d cooked chicken fajitas with iceberg salad on the side, and I’d monopolized my niece, Willow, holding her on my lap throughout dinner. I loved her toddler smell and the way she grabbed the fabric of my dress in her tiny fists.

“You, my dear, have excellent taste in clothing,” I informed her, then asked no one in particular, “Is it too early to buy her scarves?”

My sisters were shoe lovers, but scarves were my kryptonite.

“Landon, watch your daughter,” Jace cautioned, “or Val will turn her into a shopaholic.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Maddie asked, looking at her daughter happily. My twin had been a widower when he’d met her. I hadn’t thought he would fall in love again. I was so grateful that Landon had found Maddie.

“She’s a Connor girl,” Landon said lazily. “I bet she was born with the shopping bug.”

“That’s my twin.”

I was on a mission to discover if Jace was in trouble. He and Hailey had their heads together again, chatting a little apart from the rest of the group. What was up with that? And Jace even had a few deep frown lines.

As the youngest, they always stuck together. If it was meant to be a secret, the joke was on him, because Hailey had the worst track record as secret keeper in the family.

After dinner, we chilled in the backyard, soaking the last sunrays. The evening was splendid. Under the guise of bringing out lemonade glasses for everyone, I roped my sisters into helping me.

“What’s up with Jace?” I asked Hailey straight away. “You two have been whispering the whole evening. Last Friday too.”

Hailey shook her head, making a gesture as if to indicate her lips were sealed.

“I’ve got nothing to say.”

I exchanged a glance with Lori and could tell she was thinking the same thing. Since when did Hailey keep family secrets? It looked as if I’d have to actually put some effort into this. Huh... this was new.

“But speaking of secrets, you’ve been holding out on us, sister.” Hailey spoke while she pressed lemons.

“Me?” I asked innocently.

Lori grinned. “We’ve been watching you. Twice you slipped in daydreaming mode, which you only do when you’ve had a great date or are planning one.”

As a wedding planner, Lori caught on to these things quickly.