Seek and Cherish: A small-town rockstar rom-com (Sanctuary Book 5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Honey

“It’s a bad sprain.” Noah straightens from where he was bent over Clover’s ankle, diagnosing the injury. She’s laid out on the couch, looking much better after a night of sleep at Lennox’s house and more Ibuprofen for the pain. “I’ll wrap it up and bring you some ice.”

“Thanks.” She smiles sleepily up at him. “It’s really nice to have a doctor in the family.”

He gives Daisy a warm smile. “It’s good to be a part of the family.”

I shove my hands under my thighs and press my lips together tight. I’m dying to know what my sisters think about my con artist past, but we didn’t have the energy to talk last night or this morning - at least, Clover and Dani just chatted with Lennox and the security agents over sandwiches and headed right up to bed last night. This morning, we were all eager to get home.

Now, I’m in the couch room. The front room of the house that contains a couch for each of us sisters, since none of us wanted to give up our couch and none are planning to live here forever, except me.

Next to me is Dani. We showered at Lennox’s and put our dirty clothes back on, so we don’t smell great, but I don’t think our stink is truly what’s keeping Daisy and Goldy on the other side of the room and looking so worried.

Grant went into work to help look for Dell, who’s gone so missing even Jaxon’s entire security team can’t find him, and make sure he’s not still lost in the woods somewhere. Henry is fishing with his son.

It’s just us sisters as we watch Noah wrap Clover’s ankle.

“Honey.” Goldy reaches for Daisy’s hand and laces their fingers together. “We have bad news.”

“Jaxon? Did something happen?” He’s the only one not accounted for. The only one they’d speak to me so directly about.

“No,” Daisy says quickly. “He’s fine. He and Asher are in LA and worried, but we let them know you’re all safe.”

“What is it?” But I already know. I’m just hoping I’m wrong.

“It’s Dell, sweetheart.” Goldy gets up and crosses the room. She kneels before me and grips my hands in hers. “He’s been found alive and well. Grant says the sheriff and his deputies surrounded Dell once he was back in town and told him they’ll arrest him on sight if he ever comes here again. They’ve also created a restraining order to make sure he never gets close to you again. It’s not a guarantee, but Grant said Dell went white as a ghost.”

Relief washes through me. I never want to see Dell again, but I also don’t want him dead. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

“Oh.” Goldy’s brow creases. “I thought you’d be upset. If he’s made it out of the forest, he might be back for more money.”

My sisters don’t know Dell the way I do, but it’s still more than a little surprising to learn they thought I’d rather hear he’s dead. “Dell doesn’t deserve to die. And if he shows up again, I’ll just tell him he’s not getting any money from me. He’s got nothing to hold over my head anymore.” And I no longer feel like I owe him anything. I look at Dani. “Unless you think a low-level criminal and con artist deserves to die?”

“Don’t look at me like that.” She rolls her eyes. “I don’t class you in the same group as Dell. Not even close. You were a kid and, as soon as you realized you’d hurt someone, you stopped.”

“What are you talking about?” Goldy’s still gripping my hands.

Dani gives me a reassuring smile. “You should tell them.”

“And you?” I meet Clover’s gaze and brace myself.

“What Dani said.” Clover’s eyes drift closed.

“But I don’t feel bad about the people I conned in Vegas. They were assholes.”

Goldy gasps, but I ignore her. Clover is the one who hated our dad the most for his cons.

It appears to take a lot of energy for her to open her eyes and look at me. “From what you told us, those people don’t deserve to have their money back. I’m paying back the people Dad conned here because I believe they didn’t deserve to lose their money, and I was a party to that loss.”

“But you aren’t taking any of Dad’s money. You think everything he touched is tainted.” Even me? I manage not to ask the question.

“Because it’s what I want to do. I don’t need that money and I’d rather give it away. I won’t judge you for your choices, Honey. Not unless you’re actively hurting someone.”

This feels way too easy. “You wouldn’t have forgiven Dad, not even if he gave up conning people.” I’m looking at Clover when I say this, because she’s the one who’s angriest at Dad. Also, because I’m afraid to see the reactions of my other sisters.

“Probably not.” Her eyes drift slowly closed. “But you aren’t Dad. You didn’t trick me into hurting people. You didn’t leave and continue to mess with me by criticizing me, neglecting me, and causing drama between me and my sisters. None of us are perfect, Honey. We’ve all done things we regret.”

“She’s right,” Goldy says. “All of that. Plus, you’re our baby sister and we love you no matter what you do.”

“Even if you find out I’m the one who convinced Dad to make it a requirement of inheriting his money that we all live here together for a year?” I brace for their anger.

Goldy and Daisy stare at me, eyes wide, mouths agape. “But… Why?” Daisy asks.

“Because you all left.” I swipe at my eyes again. I don’t think I’ve cried this much in years. “You all had so much fun together as teenagers, and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough that you all noticed and included me. Before that happened, you all left. After everything that happened with Dad and then with Dell, I just wanted to find a place where I belonged and I thought, maybe if we were all together again, I could find it here.”

“So you convinced Dad to include in his will that we all have to live together for a year?” Goldy presses her lips together tight, and I can’t read her expression.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I realize now—”

“I’m not sorry.” Dani kicks her feet up on a coffee table and leans back. “I was broke and lost when I got the news about this place. I love it here, and I love this farm we’ve built together.”

“If it weren’t for us being forced to live together,” Goldy says. “I never would have told any of you about the books I write.”

“And I’d probably still be trying to make it as a fitness influencer and floundering.” Clover’s eyes are still closed and her words are little more than a whisper.

“I would definitely still be in New York working the wrong job,” Daisy says. “I hate that you kept this from us, because I hate to be manipulated, but I’m not sorry for the time I’ve had here.”

I stare at my sisters for a long, long moment. I have to be dreaming.

“There’s more,” Dani says. “Because Honey hasn’t gotten what she wanted out of us living here together.”

“What do you want?” Goldy leans forward, elbows on her knees.

“It’s dumb.” I wish I had an invisibility spell or could freeze time. “It’s enough for me that you understand why I did what I did and you aren’t angry.”

Goldy shifts in her seat, pinning her gaze on Dani. “What does Honey want?”

“She told you.” Dani shrugs, palms up. “She wants us all together. She wants us to bond and hang out. She wants to re-live our teenage years, but this time with her in the middle of it all.”

“That’s not—” I start.

“We’re all here now.” Clover’s eyes pop open like her nap’s over and she’s fully awake. “What do you want to do, Honey? I can do your make-up if you come over here.”

“I can make popcorn and we can stay up all night talking,” Goldy says.

“I’ll grab our instruments and we can practice for that gig you mentioned,” Daisy says.

I sniffle. “That all sounds amazing, but you don’t have to do this for me.”

“I want to.” Goldy smiles like she means it. “I’ve been so caught up in my own life, I don’t think I know you at all. I want to change that.”

“So do I,” Clover says.

“But you have to be honest with us,” Dani says. “You could have avoided all of this if you’d just told us from the start how much it means to you for us all to spend time together.”

“But then you would have done it out of obligation.” I hate how pathetic I sound. “I want you to hang out with me because you want to, not because you feel bad for me.”

“Dani and Clover might do that sort of thing,” Daisy says. “But I don’t spend time with anyone unless I want to.”

“You’re our baby sister,” Goldy says. “Of course we want to hang out with you. Now, pick what you want to do this afternoon.”

“I love all your ideas.” I stifle a yawn. “But maybe we could just pop some popcorn and watch a movie together?”

My sisters agree easily, then they argue over which movie to watch and what seasoning should go on the popcorn. I lean back in my seat and breathe it all in.

It’s everything I thought it would be and so very wonderful.