Found E-Book

Scarlett Finn

• Herausgeber: Moriona Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Holden Abernathy's actions have made it impossible for Poppy Granger to remain in her new life.

Grammie isn't happy to see Poppy back on the sprawling estate. Despite living in luxury, Poppy can't say she's happy about it either, but what was the alternative?
Holden's bounty has stirred up the imaginations of the world. He seems hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to get her attention.

Leaving Turner and his family may have been the best course of action, but it proves hard to live with. No matter how Poppy tries to settle back into her old life, the Maddox family just won't leave her thoughts. It doesn't help that they've been accosted by the media eager to know more about her life beyond the estate.

When the Granger evening meal is interrupted by staff warning them that the grounds have been breached by a stranger, Poppy is more excited than alarmed. Her curiosity rises when she learns the intruder wants facetime with her. Her family panic, but Poppy wonders: who could be willing to go to such extreme lengths just to talk with her?

Warning: Contains explicit language and imagery. Suitable only for ages 18 and over.

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2020 Scarlett Finn

Published by Moriona Press 2020

All rights reserved.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

First published in 2020

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

www.scarlettfinn.com

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Contents

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-THREE

ONE

Two weeks. That was all the time Poppy needed to get back into the swing of Granger life. In the fourteen nights she’d been home on the Adler Estate, she hadn’t left the grounds. Not once. None of the Granger women had.

Only her father, Clark Granger, ventured beyond their perimeter walls. He had to go to work, to meetings and had other things to deal with. Important things. Given how much security he had access to and the fact he went from the house to a car then into a building, the press didn’t hound him. Not as much as Poppy and her sisters would be hounded if they tried to go out to say, a nail appointment.

Going out wasn’t necessary for the women anyway. Nails, hair, clothes, whatever they needed was brought to them. That was the advantage of money. Her sisters and mother didn’t mind filling their days with massages and personal fashion parades. Poppy wished that she could be so easily satisfied.

Grammie was still playing up her faux senility. The longer it went on, the more likely it was that her mother would be driven insane by the antics. Still, Grammie was who she was. After enduring decades with her mother-in-law, Poppy figured her mom should’ve learned that.

Just as Grammie had insisted, Holden hadn’t been allowed anywhere near the estate. And Violet wouldn’t look at her youngest sister much less speak to her. More than once, Poppy had gone to her sister’s bedroom door to beg entry. Violet just ignored her. At the dinner table, it was the same scenario. Her eldest sister wouldn’t even look in her direction.

That Friday night, the family had gathered for dinner, just like always. There was so much drama in their lives, yet they’d given up trying to talk about it, so no one said a word during the appetizer. The entrée was just as silent. Dessert was served and wine glasses topped off. Going through the motions was a Granger specialty. Rather than arguing and giving the staff something to whisper about, all of them did their best to eat fast and get through the meal without addressing each other.

In the previous times her mom and sisters tried to converse, Grammie would end up either needling them or trying to bring Poppy into the conversation. The latter would silence Violet and remind them all of the animosity.

Her father had other things on his mind so didn’t have much time to worry about family drama. The man often only made the situation worse in his attempts to fix things anyway. Unlike his wife, he had learned from past behaviors.

Sitting with her family was a huge contrast to the always moving, always active Maddox house. Dinner with the Maddoxes was an event; a celebration just of being together. On pizza night, they made their own pizzas from scratch. Arguments over the toppings and who got what shelf in the oven were common. On pasta night, there would always be a rush to scoop up the last meatball.

Poppy hadn’t had the pleasure of barbeque night at the Maddox house. Apparently, when Turner had the time to come over and spend an evening with the family, they grilled steaks on the deck. Imagining the scene and atmosphere put a smile on her face.

After two weeks, she’d hoped that the Maddox family wouldn’t be so prominent in her thoughts every day, every minute. Throughout the first week, it was a struggle just to breathe. Despite the time that had passed, her struggle wasn’t getting any easier.

Turner was still out there. Still working to support his family, fulfilling his responsibilities. He was doing what he was supposed to do, why couldn’t she do the same?

From seemingly nowhere, her mother, Silvia, suddenly thrust her shoulders back to sit up straighter. “This is ridiculous!”

“Finally, something we agree on,” Grammie Marigold said, though there was no way she could have any inkling what her daughter-in-law was talking about.

Sometimes Grammie just enjoyed aggravating people. She wasn’t quite the doddering old lady she portrayed herself to be.

“We have to know, Marigold,” Poppy’s mom demanded. “What is your plan?”

“My plan?” Marigold asked, casting her round eyes around the table. “Do I have a plan?”

“I think we should talk about Vi and Poppy first,” Primrose said. “You two have to start talking to each other.”

“She stole my fiancé,” Violet said to Primrose. “What do you want me to say to the woman who seduced away the man I was supposed to marry?”

“I didn’t seduce him,” Poppy said, irritated by the constant accusation. Her sister and the press were eager to paint a scarlet A on her. “If I wanted your ridiculous fiancé, why would I have left? Why would Grammie have barred him from the estate? Why am I not with him right now?”

Violet lunged across the table. “It’s all some big game to you. You can’t play with people’s lives like that. You and Grammie are both exactly the same!”

“Oh,” Marigold exclaimed, lowering her fork. “It’s a game now? Excellent! I love games!”

One of the gallery attendants came running into the dining room. Such an abrupt act was so unexpected that it silenced everyone at the long dining table. The harried employee paused for a second to compose himself, then came striding over to the table to dip and murmur something in Clark Granger’s ear.

“What is it?” her mother asked. “What’s going on?”

Marigold’s smile glittered. “This is turning out to be some night.”

Her father, Clark, landed a fierce glare on the attendant. “How did he get onto the grounds?”

The attendant glanced around at the women.

Grammie was quick to pounce closer. “We have an uninvited guest?” she asked, then narrowed her eyes. “Is it Holden?”

Even her father looked at the nervous attendant. When the employee noticed he was the focus of everyone’s scrutiny, he cleared his throat. “We don’t believe so, ma’am.”

“If it is, shoot him.”

“Grammie!” Primrose exclaimed.

“She is insane,” her mother muttered.

Poppy just smiled. “This isn’t a stand your ground state, Grammie,” she said. “And he isn’t threatening our lives.” Not in that minute anyway. “Besides, men like Holden don’t start fights, they send their guys, usually ex-military, to do it for them.”

As Turner had once told her.

“Who is he?” Grammie asked, tugging on the attendant’s jacket. “What happened? Don’t stand there dumb, boy.”

“Yes, tell us,” her mother said, proving there was more than one thing the in-laws agreed on, that once anyway.

“We don’t know,” the attendant said. “He appeared at the front gate. Security didn’t grant him access.”

“Did he threaten anyone?” Silvia asked, reaching for Violet’s hand. “What did he want? Is he out of his mind?”

Poppy was more interested in her family than the attendant relaying the story. At least she was until she spotted he was looking right at her. “What?”

“He wanted to speak to Miss Poppy.”

“Me?” she asked.

Grammie clapped her hands. “It is Holden’s man! Shoot him!”

“Grammie!” Primrose called again then looked to her. “Poppy, he’d only do this if he really loved you.”

“What?” Poppy asked. “Appear at security to talk to me? No thank you, don’t let him in.”

The young man shook his head. “We didn’t grant him access.”

“Dad said he was on the grounds,” Primrose said.

Everyone’s focus swung to the attendant again.

“What did he do?” Grammie asked, practically salivating. “Bust on through the gates?”

“Uh… no,” the attendant said. “He swung his vehicle up parallel to the perimeter and used it to get over the wall.”

“Over the wall,” Grammie pondered. “Did he breach the wall?”

Like the attendant was relaying a movie plot, Grammie relished the excitement. The others seemed exasperated, but her grandmother’s reaction was helping to temper Poppy’s own emotions.

“After positioning the vehicle, he jumped out of it,” the attendant said. “Climbed up onto the roof of the truck and went straight over the wall.”

“Oh,” Grammie said, her lips circled. “He’s smart.”

“Is there property damage?” her father asked. Trust him to care about the costs before anything else. “Call the police.”

“They’re already on their way,” the attendant said. “But he could be anywhere.”

“Sure,” Grammie said, picking up her wine. “It’s not like we have dozens of security agents roaming in the trees. You’re supposed to stop people outside the wall.”

Since the whole Holden fiasco, her father had hired more security agents, but most were on the external side of the wall. Even those who were on the inside would have to be exactly where their intruder was to track him. In the dark, in the trees, it wouldn’t be easy to do.

“We’ve been looking for him… We don’t know where he is.”

That was surprising. Just how long had they been sitting there enjoying their meal with some maniac close by waiting to pounce?

“Where’s Tiller?” her father asked, surging to his feet.

“He wasn’t on site,” the attendant said. “He’s on his way back now.”

Clark retrieved his phone. “If Tiller was here, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I don’t understand who it is,” her mother said. “With all the press we’ve had recently, it could be a crazy, obsessed lunatic.”

Her father paused for a second, then looked to his wife. “Yes, you and the girls should go to the panic room.”

Primrose made a sound of disgust. “I hate the panic room.”

Silvia was already on her feet and was pulling Violet up to hers too. “You should be pleased we installed it.”

The room had been installed a decade and a half ago. Over the years, it had been upgraded as technology progressed. Except, so far, the room had only been used by the sisters as a den for their teenage sleepovers.

Clark reached for his mother. “You have to go quickly.”

“I don’t have to go anywhere,” Marigold said. “I don’t want to miss the fun.”

“Miss the fun,” Silvia muttered, ushering Violet past her to go to the next place-setting to retrieve Primrose. “Get up. We have to go.”

“This is crazy,” Poppy said. “He’s never going to get into the house.”

“Don’t underestimate crazy,” Primrose said.

The only one left in her seat, Poppy couldn’t believe all the drama. She was about to say exactly that when noise carried from outside the room. The gallery… There was a scramble, a sound like someone falling, then there was silence.

A female scream pierced the air.

“Oh my God,” Silvia said.

“Go!” Clark said, pushing his wife toward the terrace at the back of the room. “Go down through the library. All of you go now!”

It wouldn’t be difficult to find the family. The dining room was huge and would be the only lit up room in that part of the house. The kitchens were beyond it, so whoever was causing the chaos would come upon the dining room first. The library was a straight shot across the external terrace. Going outside was their only chance.

“Daddy,” Violet called as Silvia pulled her away from the table.

Marigold wasn’t quick to move, though she was quick to grab for Poppy who leaped to her feet.

“All of you go,” Clark said.

The women began to move in their huddle toward the terrace, hearts racing, adrenaline flowing. Someone was coming for them and her father was staying behind. Who the hell knew he was so brave?

Hasty footsteps came into the room and Poppy tried to turn, but the cluster of other Granger bodies was too close for her to see anything. Other faster footfalls followed and there was a scramble.

“Candy-Cane!” Poppy froze. Right there on the spot as the rest of her family kept on going for the door. The scramble continued; she thought for a second that maybe she’d made up his voice. “Jesus-fucking-Christ. I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Spinning around, Poppy was astounded by the sight. It was Turner. Right there, being pulled and heckled by a bunch of guys wearing black. They were trying to drag him out. And the sirens, she could hear…

“Let him go!” Poppy screamed, hurrying across the room toward the melee. “Let him go now!”

Throwing herself into the mix, she yanked at the hands and arms connected to Turner. None of the security agents were authorized to hurt her. The cops were already on their way. If any of these guys hurt her or Turner, Poppy would demand the cuffs went on their wrists.

As security began to realize that she was coming to the defense of their intruder, they backed off, leaving her and Turner in the circle of their ranks.

“Poppy,” her father asserted from across the room. “What is going on?”

Rounding to look up at Turner, Poppy tried to figure out what he could be doing there. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “What are you doing here, First?”

Though she could see the pace of his pulse in his throat, his smile was slow. “You know what I’m doing here, Candy-Cane.”

No, she really didn’t and kept on searching his gaze trying to find an answer.

Her grandmother’s voice broke the tense silence. “Oh my God!” Marigold exclaimed. “He’s the stud.”

Turner’s amused brow rose in question.

Poppy couldn’t be so casual about his arrival. “Why didn’t you call?”

“You left your phone at the Venture.”

That’s right, she had. “Because I needed a clean break. We needed a clean break.”

“I have been on the road for fifteen hours straight. The whole time I tried to come up with what would be the right thing to say when I got here.”

“You drove?”

“I drove,” he said. “Once I knew I had to get here I just… I needed to get here.”

A plane would be faster, though somehow she couldn’t envisage him waiting at check in with a bag. Turner was an active guy; always doing something. Right then, Poppy wasn’t doing something, she wasn’t even sure that she was breathing.

“Well, come on!” Grammie exclaimed. “Fifteen hours? We want to hear it!”

His smile grew as he switched his attention over her head. “Marigold Granger… It’s an honor to meet Poppy’s Grammie.”

“I didn’t think anyone knew who she was,” Primrose whispered in the background.

Turner’s smiling eyes landed on Poppy’s. “We’re not done. Baby, we didn’t get started. My shot with you can’t be… what we had. You deserve a guy with class, a guy with money, a guy who can give you anything you ask for…” He raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I can’t be that guy. You know what I am. Damnit, you know it better than I did… I told you that I couldn’t handle you being out in the world vulnerable, needing me, and not stepping up. You don’t love this Abernathy guy, I know what the media’s saying is crap.”

“In your statement—”

“Charley and Preston came up with that last part. What was I supposed to say? That I’d known all along who you were and what was going on and hadn’t told them?” Curving a hand around the back of his neck, he rubbed at what had to be his niggling guilt. “It doesn’t matter what they know.” His arm dropped to his side. “It’s supposed to hurt…” He smiled while grazing the back of his finger down her jaw. “You’re right. It is.”

“Turner—”

“I can provide for you better than I did at the Venture. You’ve gotta give me a chance to try. I didn’t know we were finite, that you’d just take off like you did. I’ll do better. Somehow…” For a moment, he glanced around at the grandeur of the dining room like maybe he was trying to work out how to build an estate to give her. “You’re in my head every minute… You walked away from me, Candy-Cane… And I let you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she said, intercepting his hand when he tried to touch her face again. “I know what you are, how deep your decency goes. You have such an incredible amount of respect for women. Accepting how we ended has probably played on your conscience.” She smiled, linking her fingers in his. “But it’s okay. I’m okay… I made us what we were. I did that. Me. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I told you I’d never regret us and I don’t. Even now, I don’t.”

But Turner was shaking his head. “You don’t get it, Popkat.”

“I do,” she said, stepping closer. “You imagine how you would feel if one of your sisters was in a relationship like ours and you feel bad about it. But you don’t have to. I made my choice. I pushed you. Just like you said. I pushed. We were what I wanted us to be. You don’t have to rush in and apologize.”

“I’m not here to apologize,” he said. “I’m here because there’s something inside me I can’t ignore or resist.” A prickle of dread chilled her spine. “You said you never fit until you found me. And I didn’t know it, but there was a piece of me missing until you showed up. You fit with me because you belong with me… You are that missing piece. My missing piece… It’s important that I don’t lie to you, not anymore. I mean, I didn’t intentionally lie to you, I was lying to myself.”

“Turner, please. You don’t have to do this.”

He wasn’t dissuaded. “I feel everything with you. I want to be someone you can rely on, just like I said, but to hell with the distance.” Flattening her hand on his chest, he pressed her palm against him. “Being with you was the happiest time in my life.” Poppy swallowed; that’s what her grandmother said about her grandfather. Turner remembered. “All very dramatic… I don’t regret it.” He had made quite the entrance. As she breathed in, her heart swelled. “I’ve left everything behind and I won’t go back without you. You did it to me from a thousand miles away, Candy-Cane. You’re still doing it to me. I’m the one guy who will take you any damn way, every damn way and never walk away… I won’t walk away, Poppy Granger and I won’t let you walk away from me ever again.”

They considered each other for close to a minute. Although he was all she could see, her whole world, the weight of expectation in the rest of the room was heavy with anticipation.

“You came all this way,” she murmured.

“It’s something real,” he said, showing her another smile. “I know it now. It took me a minute, but I got my head out my ass.”

A brief laugh escaped her. “Your mom told you to come.”

“My mom didn’t get why I ever let you leave, and she was right. I couldn’t let you pass me by, Popkat. I can’t. You’re not better off without me. Let me prove that to you. Give me a chance to do this the right way. No secrets. No sneaking. Truth. Honesty. Us.”

“We can’t.”

But when she tried to pull away, he snatched her back. “Every moment we’re apart is a slow, agonizing death,” he said, vehement in his conviction. “Nothing compares to this, Pop. We can’t ignore that. What I want is right in front of me… don’t tell me I can’t have it.”

It was what he’d done to her. So much of what he was saying mirrored their past conversations. Like all of it made sense to him now. Poppy had figured out that what she felt for him was real long before she’d ever thought about leaving.

“Why?” she asked. “How do I know this isn’t just the chase? That you don’t only want me because I’ve been taken away?”

“I don’t even know how…” He inhaled through his nose, taking the time to moisten his lips. “This is no game. This is real. Us. It’s real. All the time you were trying to support me, trying to be what no one else would be: simple. All you gave me was acceptance. Complete acceptance. One hundred percent of the time. You were my beacon of hope, my security, the only one I could rely on to never want anything but me. That was all you wanted, all along. You never needed me. Not for one second. But I need you. I can’t do it without you. Can’t go on another second without knowing you’re with me. We belong together, Candy-Cane. I feel it now, that thing inside me you talked about, the physical presence. It’s you and me. We are coded to each other, baby… You’re in my DNA.”

A long lingering silence stretched. Poppy didn’t know what to do or what to say.

Her grandmother didn’t miss the chance to move things along. “You haven’t said you love her,” Grammie said.

Turner smiled, that slow, predatory, carnal smile that she’d only seen him use on her. “I don’t have to say it,” he said, combing his fingers into her hair. “She already knows it… Just like I know she loves me… She’s been showing me all along and I was too dumb to accept it. You’re the first and only woman I have ever truly loved, Poppy Granger, and I’m ready… for whatever comes next. As long as we do it together, I’m ready.”

Except she wasn’t. Poppy couldn’t take him away from his life. From his family. From his work. Putting an end to their relationship was the hardest thing that she’d ever had to do. Every minute since walking away from him, she’d ached to be near him again.

But true love was a pesky thing. Feeling for him the way she did, it was impossible for Poppy to put her own needs in front of his. Even if it meant hurting him or him hating her, she’d endure anything to see that what he valued was prioritized first.

Sliding her hand free from his grasp, Poppy took a step back. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice deeper than usual. She couldn’t even meet his eye. “I feel terrible that you came all this way.”

His optimism faltered. “Candy-Cane…”

“I’m sorry,” she said, forcing herself to look at him even though it shattered her heart. “You should go home, there’s nothing for you here.” Poppy started past him, but he grabbed her wrist to halt her. The searching hurt in his gaze sought something she daren’t let him see. “I’m sorry, Turner. Honestly, I am. But you need to go.”

Walking away from him seemed to take hours. There couldn’t have been more than a dozen feet between her and the door, still the distance stretched for miles.

Letting him go once was torture, a second time just seemed like unnecessary hell. He couldn’t love a life on the estate with her. He wouldn’t want to attend parties or schmooze society any more than she did. Poppy couldn’t save herself from it, but she could ensure he never had to live such a false existence.

Poppy had known from the moment she left him in the Venture that happiness wasn’t her destiny. Because she’d never have him. Never be his. Coming to terms with that reality was taking her some time. His arrival didn’t change anything. They were from different worlds and had different expectations of life. Hers would be whatever her family dictated. Once, Turner had called himself her freedom. The least she could do was give him his freedom in return.

TWO

Morning was slowly sliding toward afternoon. That was the theory anyway; Poppy wasn’t entirely sure of the specific time. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered except him.

All night she’d lay awake obsessing about the distance stretching between them. Why did she tell him to leave? Because she believed it was best for him. Reminding herself over and over didn’t help. The last thing she’d intended to do was force Turner’s hand. Leaving him hadn’t been an ultimatum. Poppy’s intention was to keep him safe, him and his family.

They’d never be safe with her. Sure, the media would give up on the Holden thing eventually, but if she moved to the Venture full-time, the paparazzi would know where to find her in the event of future scandal. How many heiresses shunned their birthright for love? It was a fairytale in reverse.

Violet’s routine involved getting up in the morning and lounging in her hot tub for an hour or two before preparing for the day. By contrast, Primrose, the middle Granger sister, enjoyed sleeping and stayed in bed until lunchtime if she didn’t have an earlier appointment.

That morning, Poppy chose a mixture of all the Granger Girl routines. Because she had trouble sleeping, she got up early and went for her usual workout, as was her routine. Exercise didn’t tire her out, so she sat in her tub for a couple of hours trying to distract herself. With nothing else to do, and the house still silent, she’d returned to bed.

Sleep didn’t join her.

After a few hours of just lying there letting her thoughts run wild, Poppy couldn’t take the speculation anymore. Part of her usual routine involved visiting Grammie before lunch. Considering what had gone down the previous night, even that rendezvous wasn’t safe or simple. Grammie would have questions and Poppy didn’t know if she had the strength to answer them without breaking down.

Turner.

He’d driven for fifteen hours to get to her. She hoped that he’d rested before going back. Thirty hours on the road with only a pause for heartbreak wasn’t a recipe for success.

Leaving her phone in the Venture was deliberate. The point was to give everyone involved a clean break. Except since sending Turner away from the estate, Poppy had been wishing she’d memorized some of the phone numbers in that device. She wanted to let his sisters know he was on the road back.

The Maddox family would likely never forgive her for breaking his heart, but she’d take their condemnation just for some assurance they’d look after him. Whatever the Maddoxes wanted to dish out, Poppy deserved it.

Rolling out of bed, Poppy took a half-hearted shot at making it. It didn’t have to be perfect; it wasn’t like anyone was going to be in her room for any reason.

Dizzy with the melancholy, she decided fresh air would be a good remedy, some sunlight too. Maybe both would offer a little perspective.

Her drapes were heavy, so she used both hands to push one back and then the other. To welcome the light, Poppy pulled the cord to draw open the thin gauze curtains as well. The sun was bright. The sight of the sea gave her a hearty dose of optimism. The blue beckoned from half a mile away, beyond the green of the grounds. Wonderful nature.

Life was good. That was what she had to tell herself. And Turner’s would be better after he got home too. He’d hate her for a while. Then, in time, he’d forget and she wouldn’t feature in his thoughts anymore.

Using all her strength to open the central sash window, Poppy smiled when the salt air cascaded in. With her hands on the sill, she stuck her upper body out to soak up the new day. Hoping it would clear out the sorrow, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A new day. A new start. That was what they both needed.

Telling herself she was cleansed, Poppy opened her eyes ready to face the world. The last thing she expected to see was Turner walking down the sheet-wood path that had been put in place for the construction guys working on the guest house her father was building. He was carrying a massive beam of wood on one shoulder, going about his business like he had every right to be there.

“First,” she said without thinking.

Obviously, her volume had been high enough for the air to carry the word to his ears because he paused and turned around to look up at her.

“Baby,” he called. “How’d you sleep?”

“How did I… What are you doing here?”

“Working,” he said, still holding the hefty beam on his shoulder. “Got hired today.”

“You got… Wait there, don’t move.”

Ducking back into the room, Poppy pushed down the window before fleeing her bedroom. She didn’t even know what to say to him. She just wanted to know how, why, what was going on.

Running down the stairs and doubling back to go out onto the stone terrace, she hurried around the library to discover he was exactly where she’d left him.

“You didn’t want to put on shoes?” he asked, checking her out.

Like that mattered. She thrust her fists to her hips. “First, what are you doing here? How did you even…” When she figured it out, Poppy sighed. “Grammie.” His perusal hadn’t managed to rise higher than her chest. Although he was definitely a fan of her breasts, he’d never been a letch and she didn’t think it was the time for him to devolve into a caveman. “Turner!”

Sucking in a breath, his gaze jumped to hers. “Sorry, I was thinking I forgot to hang up my jacket.”

“What are you—” Her attention flicked down to see that, yeah okay, her nipples were happy to see him and the sheer satin of her baby doll didn’t leave much to the imagination. “You’ve seen me naked, Turner. Can you be mature?”

“Hope the boss doesn’t catch me checking out the heiress.”

“Turner,” she said, stepping closer, avoiding the wood on his shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

“Working,” he said, clearly aware that he’d said that already. “Figured it might be tough to get an apartment, but I knew it wouldn’t be tough to find work. I have skills, Candy.”

“I know you have… I don’t mean here, I mean in the state. What are you still doing here? I thought you were going home.”

“I am home, sweetheart,” he said, snagging a tendril of her hair on his finger to twirl it around. “You’re beautiful when you wake up.”

“I didn’t wake up. I didn’t sleep. I was worried about you driving back overnight.”

“I didn’t drive anywhere.”

“Grammie told you to stay,” she said, figuring out what must have happened. “You know what she’s like, Turner. You listened when I talked about her. You shouldn’t encourage her.”

“I knew the minute I hit the road that I wasn’t going back without you. If you want us to live here, this is where we’ll live. I’ll find somewhere to stay, get a regular job. A steady nine to five gives us more time together. That’s something.”

Flabbergasted, Poppy wasn’t sure who she was talking to. “You’re moving here?”

“I told you that last night.”

“And I told you to go home.”

“Do you know there’s a construction site on your land?” he asked like she hadn’t spoken. “Grammie hooked me up with the foreman: Aitken. He’s a good guy. She said I can stay in the house, but I’ll find something in town as soon as I can.”

“What about the Venture? Your buildings?”

“Ritchie’s taking care of emergencies. I have to figure out what the Venture will get on the market as it is before I decide whether it’s worth paying someone to finish the rest of the renovations.”

Her mouth dried. Poppy didn’t like it. Didn’t like the suggestion, the idea that he’d sell the Venture or that anyone other than Turner would work on the place.

“Why are you talking like this? You can’t abandon your family.”

“I’m not abandoning them; I’ll always do whatever I can to support them. I just live here now… You’re my family too, Popkat.” Still balancing the wood on his shoulder, he ducked to kiss her cheek, then rose enough to murmur in her hair at the front of her ear. “Go upstairs and put on some clothes. Don’t need the guys drooling on my girl.”

She wasn’t his girl; that was what she’d been trying to tell him. He wasn’t getting it. Poppy didn’t understand what she was doing wrong.

He backed off before returning to his path with the beam. Living in her house, working on her land… Poppy had to talk to her grandmother before any more damage was done.

THREE

For no other reason than it made good sense, Poppy did go to her bedroom to get dressed before heading to Grammie’s suite. She tried to hold onto her anger but was fighting a losing battle. Under normal circumstances, it was difficult to be mad at her eccentric grandmother. With the woman recently surviving a heart attack, being mad at her was even harder than usual.

Poppy knocked on Grammie’s bedroom door, expecting to hear a shout granting entry from inside. Instead, the door burst open, startling her.

Grammie came striding out, almost bowling her granddaughter over. “Let’s go for a walk,” Marigold declared, seizing Poppy’s arm to direct them along the hallway.

“Grammie,” Poppy said, going with her, though it wasn’t like she had a choice. “You’re meddling.”

Her grandmother didn’t sound angry. In fact, the air of delight was obvious in her tone. “And you lied to me,” the woman said, guiding them down the stairs. “You said there was no stud.”

“Grammie,” Poppy said again. “Turner isn’t a stud.”

Marigold laughed. “I’ve seen the man, Tater-Tot and he is definitely a bona fide stud.”

“He’s attractive, I know but—”

“Attractive? He’s hot, Poppy, dear,” Grammie said, squeezing them closer together as they went out onto the terrace. “And he has rough hands.”

“I don’t even want to know how you know that.”

“You know how I feel about rough hands. He works for a living.”

Leaving the stone terrace, they carried on strolling on the grass. “Yes, he does, and that’s exactly the problem. He doesn’t have the time to waste playing games here. He could lose everything if he doesn’t get home soon.”

“I didn’t teach you very well if you think there’s anything physical that can’t be replaced. Turner understands that people can’t be replaced or substituted. He loves you.” Hearing that didn’t help Poppy’s resolve. “I don’t know why you have a problem with that or why you’d send him away. He wants to be with you, Poppy, and he’s a good man.”

“He’s an excellent man,” Poppy said. “The best and most honorable man I’ve ever met. That’s why he has to go back. He has a family who rely on him. He has five sisters and lost his father—”

“When he was eighteen, I know,” Grammie said. “He told me all about his mother and his sisters. I have to say, I identify with Valerie. She and I both loved our husbands totally and completely, and we lost them too soon. Ed did a far better job with Turner than my father did with yours.”

“So you’re friends now?” Poppy asked, thinking back to how she’d found out about his family and it wasn’t in an open and honest discussion the night they met. “You and Turner are friends?”

“Yes, we’re family,” Grammie said. “He’s going to marry my favorite granddaughter. Father my great grandbabies.”

Mortified, Poppy hadn’t thought she’d ever be one of those people who believed Marigold had gone too far. “You said that to him? Grammie! Oh my God!”

“He said it to me,” Grammie said, innocent yet impressed. “He’s a determined man.”

“It will ruin his life,” Poppy said, trying to restrain her emotions. “Coming here, giving up everything, leaving his sisters… He’ll resent me for it and he’ll be right. He’s dedicated his life to caring for his family and his friends… I can’t be the reason he leaves them.”

“And you don’t think he’ll grow to resent them for keeping him from you? You’re his future, Poppy. The future that he wants. Whatever becomes of your lives, the family will be happy as long as you can be together.” The air around Marigold became more somber. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you have forever. He’s approaching the age Will and Ed were when we lost them. How would you feel if you wasted this time you have with your love?”

“Turner is not going to die.”

“Val and I would’ve said the same thing about our husbands,” Grammie said. “You haven’t learned how precious a gift love is.”

“I have,” Poppy said, focusing on the grass. “I’ve learned how it consumes a person… and how it alters everything you know about the world.”

“Does it?”

“Yes,” Poppy said, knowing that her grandmother was aware of exactly what she meant. “I know what you’re trying to do and I appreciate it. I know your heart is in the right place, but please, please understand that I know Turner better than you do. I know his family. They need him.”

“It’s your job as his partner in life to do what’s best for him, not anyone else, him… at least until you have children of your own.”

The more they talked, the more frustrated Poppy became. Even the clean sea air and the glorious sunshine couldn’t dampen her dismay.

“We’re not going to have children, we can’t have children.”

Grammie stopped to turn her around so they faced each other. “Is something wrong? Did you go to a doctor?”

“I don’t mean like that,” Poppy said. “I mean, he has enough obligation in his life, enough mouths to feed… producing more would be irresponsible.”

“You’re not going to convince me money is a problem,” Grammie said, stroking her hair. “Tot, I’d sign everything over to you in a heartbeat.”

“That’s not what he’d want… that’s not what I want. Turner’s children shouldn’t be raised like this, like we were. He’d be the kind of father to get down in the muck with his babies. Teaching them how to build things, how to put things together. You should see how he is with his nephew, Noah. It would melt your heart.”

Grammie’s smile warmed as it formed. “Listening to you talk of them does that.” Putting an arm around her waist, Grammie started walking again. “You have the means to build any life you want. You shouldn’t take this opportunity for granted. He’s here, for you.”

“But he shouldn’t be here, he doesn’t belong here.”

“And you can’t go home with him because of Holden’s ridiculous games. Phooey… I wonder how Turner feels about Holden.”

“Don’t pull on that thread, please,” Poppy said. “Turner already made it clear that he’d get between me and Holden if he showed up.”

“You talked to him about that?”

“I talked to him about everything.”

“Except how you felt,” Grammie said, squeezing her. “I think both of you tried to protect yourselves, maybe tried to wish it away, but both of you should know better. Real love doesn’t care if it’s inconvenient, it strengthens with every second that passes. You can’t ignore it or fight it.”

“Maybe not, but we can act in spite of it. Trust me, if this was an ideal world, we’d be able to do everything we want without worrying about the consequences. But real life isn’t like that.”

They descended some shallow stairs and passed part of the walled garden.

“Going out there into the real world was supposed to show you what freedom was like. It wasn’t supposed to teach you that rules and constraints were better. What happened to you, Tater-Tot? You were never cynical.”

Shaking her head, Poppy watched their step. “This isn’t pessimism…” She took a breath. “Grandpa lasted about ten years here before he died. If you could do it over again, knowing he’d live longer with his freedom, wouldn’t you do it?”

“Will didn’t die because of where we lived.” Grammie paused. “Though I’d say, in retrospect, we were happier before we came back here.”

“Exactly!” Poppy exclaimed, jumping on the admission. “Because this wasn’t the kind of life Grandpa wanted. He loved you and knew that he couldn’t give you and Dad this kind of opulent life, but in his heart, he was never a drawing room and twenty-one hundred acres kind of guy.”

“You’re pushing Turner away so he doesn’t have to attend one of your mother’s absurd parties?”

“No,” she said on a sigh.

Because the Maddox family needed their leader and it wasn’t in Turner to abandon his blood.

“Aitken!”

Grammie’s exclamation startled Poppy into looking around. She wasn’t wholly surprised that her grandmother had steered them towards the construction site.

The basic structure of the guest house was in place. The roof wasn’t done and there weren’t any windows, doors, or even stairs from what Poppy could see. The site was stacked with different materials and equipment.

Grammie adjusted their trajectory to meet the man she’d called out to. As he approached, a smile curled his lips; there was something shrewd about his somewhat weather-beaten appearance.

“Come to check on us, Mari?”

Her Grammie was informal with everyone on the estate and even accepted a kiss on the cheek from the taller, well-built man.

“I’ve come to check how your new man is fitting in, Aitken,” Marigold said. “Did I find you a good one?”

Opening her mouth in a silent exhale, Poppy did side-eye her grandmother, but she didn’t notice.

“He’s a gem. Works harder than most of the guys on site. With him around, we might get out early.”

Grammie made a sound of joy. “Wonderful!”

“I’d love to know where you dug him up.”

“Oh, you won’t find another man like him,” Marigold said. “My granddaughter assures me of that.”

Aitken’s attention switched to the younger Granger. “You know Turner, huh? Guess that explains the visit.”

“Poppy has a special interest in this project. Poppy, this is Aitken. Aitken, Poppy.”

“Nice to meet ya,” Aitken said, casting a discerning eye over her. “What’s the interest? You moving in here after it’s built?”

“That’s a great idea,” Grammie exclaimed, her eyes wide with expectation when they landed on her granddaughter.

“I don’t think so,” Poppy said, holding onto her frustration. “Shouldn’t we get back to the house for lunch and let these guys get on with their work?”

“I requested they serve lunch down here today,” Grammie said, backing up to the bench by another set of stairs that led back to the walled garden. “I like to eat in the sun.”

Except if that was all she wanted, they could’ve eaten on the external terrace at the house.

“Do you have plans for later in the day, Aitken?” Grammie asked, seating herself. “How much longer until you knock off?”

The foreman sauntered over to the elder Granger. “We can stay the day if you need us, Mari.”

“No! Not at all, it’s Saturday. I was always impressed that you did work on a Saturday.”

“Just bits and pieces we didn’t get to in the week. We’ll be back Monday for a full shift,” Aitken said, folding his arms. “Some of the guys plan to take the new guy into town, show him around. There are a couple of places up for lease he wants to look at.”

That raised Poppy’s chin. “Lease?” she asked, looking beyond Aitken. “He can’t be… Is he around?”

“Turner? Yeah.” Aitken faced the site to holler. “Maddox! Get your ass out here!”

That call reminded Poppy of work with Charley; the pink-haired beauty got chewed out for chatting on a regular basis. She missed the sisters. All of them. Zoey’s prom would’ve taken place the previous Saturday. Poppy didn’t even know if the girls had told their families about their relationship or how it went down if they did.

Charley. Faye… the munchkins.

Her thoughts had revolved so much around Turner that there hadn’t been room to open them up for everyone. No, that was the simple way to look at it. The truth was, Poppy hadn’t let herself think about the Maddox family. If she did, grief would overtake her.

“There a party going on?”