Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Another week had gone by, and Billie managed to convince herself she was fine. She was working, had figured out how to package their new grab-and-go items, ordered the display for it, and decided it was time to rip out her kitchen and do a renovation.
She fully blamed Marcus for that last one. He had her looking at her house differently, but she couldn’t be mad at him for it. The house needed work; she’d just been too busy doing other things to really think about it. A local contractor was going to come over early next week to give her an estimate on the project.
Now it was Saturday, and everyone was heading over to Ashlynn and Reid’s place for dinner. They were just all together last weekend for Chloe and Tanner’s big announcement, so why they had to do it all again was beyond her.
“I love my family, I love my family, I love my family,” she murmured on the drive over. “I just don’t need to spend every waking moment with them.” Still, she had a tray of cookies and another of brownies, and a lemon pound cake with her. It was just a given that she was always going to be the one to bring dessert; Chloe made great appetizers and casseroles, Ashlynn made amazing side dishes, and Jade could do everything, so she filled in whatever gaps there were. It just worked.
When she pulled up to the house, her father happened to pull up right behind her. She climbed out of her car and waited for him.
“There’s the prettiest baker in the world,” her father said as he walked over and kissed her on the cheek. Ronan Donovan was a charmer, and even though he had been out of the picture for most of her life, they were reconnecting. Billie was learning to stop harping on the past and to appreciate the time they had together now.
“Hey, Dad. How was your week?”
He chuckled. “It feels like we just did this, right?” Another little laugh. “It was a pleasant week. Your mom was having some electrical issues at the house, so I stayed and waited for the electrician so she could go to work.”
“That was nice of you.” She reached into the car and grabbed the box of brownies and handed them to him.
“Then I went with Reid to do some demo on one of the houses over on Boulder Street. You know the one with the massive wraparound porch?”
“You mean the white one?” Next, she grabbed the box with the cookies and handed it to him.
“That’s the one! They’re putting in a new kitchen and he needed an extra pair of hands.”
Grabbing the last of her things, Billie straightened and shut the door. “Wow! I hope you didn’t overdo it. You know what the doctor said about that sort of thing.”
“I know, I know…my heart can’t take too much strenuous exercise,” he told her. “I was very good, so you don’t have to worry.”
“I hope so.” They began walking toward the house. “I didn’t realize Reid was still doing the demo thing on the side. I thought he gave that up when he got the promotion at the firehouse.”
“I think with a baby on the way, he’s just making sure they have plenty of money in savings so he can take some time off. With Ashlynn being self-employed, she’s not going to get a paid maternity leave.”
“True.” They stepped up onto the porch. “It’s funny that you were working on a kitchen. I’m thinking of doing mine. I have a contractor coming next week to give me an estimate.”
“Really?” he asked excitedly. “I’m surprised you waited this long! With all the baking you do, I thought you would’ve upgraded a long time ago.”
“You know, it was on my list of things to do in the future and then I kept putting it off because there was always something else to do.”
“Your house is perfect for one or maybe two people, so I know that’s why you like it so much, but you deserve something bigger and better.” Then he laughed again. “And if you ever decide to sell, let me know. I’d be very interested.”
That…wasn’t what she expected. “Seriously? Why? You have a house.”
He shrugged. “I do and it’s fine. Your cousin Patrick helped me get into it, but I grabbed the first house he offered because I was desperate to move back to the area. Now that I’m here, it’s really just not me. Your house is more my style. Not that I’m pushing you out, but should you ever decide to upgrade, just know you’ve got a buyer.”
Shaking her head, she laughed softly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Not that she’d ever sell it to him—gift it to him, yes, but there was no way she’d accept money from her own father like that.
They walked into the house after a quick knock, and it was just as loud and boisterous as every Donovan family get- together. Her sisters and Jade were in the kitchen laughing about something, Silas was out in the yard throwing a football around with Tanner, Reid and Levi were out by the grill, and her mother was holding baby Calvin and reading him a story.
“I’m going to go out and see what the boys are up to,” Ronan said before heading into the kitchen to put the dessert boxes down. He said a quick hello to everyone on his way to the yard.
Billie joined her sisters and Jade while helping set up food and munching on the chips and guacamole Chloe had brought with her. Her mood was definitely lighter than last weekend, and she decided to tell them about her plans for her kitchen renovation.
“That’s awesome!” Jade said as she made a plate of snacks for herself. “You are definitely due for it…actually, long overdue.”
“I know. I just hope I can fit what I want in the existing kitchen footprint. I’m not looking to turn this into a whole-house renovation. I’m definitely not prepared for that level of chaos.”
“You should talk to Reid,” Ash suggested. “He’s been doing demo on houses for years and helping the contractors who are doing the renovations. As a matter of fact, he and Dad are working on a place not too far from here where they’re pulling out the old kitchen and putting in a new one.”
“Are you going to get a double oven?” Jade asked.
“Ooh…and one of those massive refrigerators?” Chloe added. “You’re going to need a bigger island, that’s for sure. You might lose some of your seating, but you have the dining room. Maybe make that your primary eating area and use the entire kitchen for cabinets and a workspace! That could be amazing!”
“I hadn’t really thought of that…”
Just then, Reid strolled into the kitchen, stopping to kiss Ashlynn before turning and smiling at everyone. “I’m not going to start the grill for another hour. We’ve got more than enough food here to keep us going.” He spotted Billie and nodded. “Hey, Bill! We were just talking about you this morning.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, your dad and I demoed a kitchen and the contractor has the new one almost completed. Kevin Connelly is the guy handling it. He mentioned that he’s coming to give you an estimate next week, right?”
She nodded. “I have no idea what I’m looking for or the kind of work he does. It was really kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. Have you worked with him before?”
“A few times.” Pausing, he looked at Ash before returning his attention to her. “We’ve got some time before dinner; would you like to go over and see the job he’s doing? You could just see the quality of the work and maybe get a few ideas.”
“Is that allowed? Wouldn’t the homeowners be a little annoyed that strangers are walking through their house?”
“They’re not living in the house, and Kevin said people would be working throughout the weekend, so…if you’re interested…?”
“I don’t know…I just got here…”
“Go!” Ash prodded. “It’s not like we don’t all see each other every day. It’s okay for you to leave for a few minutes. Besides, Reid said the appliances these people are putting in are amazing.”
“It’s a chef’s kitchen,” Reid explained. “And yeah, it’s definitely amazing. When I saw the size of the island, you were the first one I thought of.”
“Oh, well…now I really need to see it!” she joked. “And you’re sure it’s okay?”
“Absolutely! C’mon, we’ll take my truck over.”
Smiling at everyone, she said, “I guess I’m going to look at a kitchen!”
Following Reid out of the house and out to his truck, she listened to him praise Kevin’s work and work ethic. It went a long way in putting her mind at ease about doing the work. At this point, she was ninety percent sure she was going to do it, but until she knew how much it would cost, she wasn’t going to get too excited about it.
“I didn’t realize you were still doing the demo thing,” she said as they pulled out of the driveway. “I thought you were busy at the firehouse.”
“I am, but every once in a while I get a call from one of the contractors asking if I’m available. The extra money is nice and if I have some time—and energy—then I do it. But I’ve turned down plenty of requests. This one is less than five minutes from our house, so it seemed like a good fit.”
“And you asked my dad to help?” she asked with a laugh. “Why would you do that to yourself?”
Luckily, Reid laughed with her. “Ronan’s not so bad. Your mom mentioned how he was just puttering around looking for things to do, so I thought he might not mind helping out. He really misses bartending, but there haven’t been any job openings for that around here.”
“He should be focused on retiring.”
“I don’t think he can afford to just yet. He enjoys taking odd jobs, but he can’t do anything too physical. Ash loves having him close by, so we try to find him things to do whenever we can.”
Billie hadn’t realized that was a thing.
“How are you doing?” he asked, and by his tone, he knew about the breakup and seemed genuinely concerned. “Last weekend at Chloe and Tanner’s was chaotic so you and I didn’t really have time to talk, but…are you okay? Is there anything you need? Want me, Levi, and Tanner to hunt Marcus down and kick his ass?”
That made her laugh. “I appreciate the sentiment, but no. No hunting.” With a shrug, she said, “I’m not gonna lie…things totally suck right now. I think the kitchen project is really just a distraction. I’ve thought about doing some upgrades for years but kept putting it off. Then Marcus made a few comments about it, and it got me thinking. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if a new kitchen is going to be the thing to get me out of this funk. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy a house that has everything I want. I mean, what am I waiting for, right?”
“Now probably isn’t the right time for you to be making major decisions,” he reasoned as they turned onto Boulder Street. “This is a great block. The lots are big, tons of mature trees, and everyone keeps their property pristine. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly, too.”
“You’ve been chatting with the neighbors?” she teased.
“People seem to be out all the time.” He motioned to the person walking up ahead. “Like…this guy’s out walking his dogs. Up ahead, there are people riding their bikes. Every time I stepped outside, people stopped to talk or just wave. It’s nice.”
She had to agree. Reid slowed down a bit as they drove around the guy with the dogs. “That’s something else I wish I could do—get a dog. It would really…” She gasped as her eyes went wide. “Was that Marcus?”
Beside her, Reid chuckled. “Bill, come on. I think you’re seeing things. What would Marcus be doing here?”
He kept driving, but as Billie stared at the side-view mirror, she swore it was him. Turning her head, she tried to see him, but he wasn’t there anymore.
Okay, I am clearly imagining things. Marcus would not be here.
“Here we are!” Reid said as he pulled into the long driveway. “The house is kind of incredible—four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, an office, full basement, living room, dining room, and now this massive kitchen. The yard’s fenced in, there’s a two-car garage plus a detached two-story, two-car garage with a guest suite on the second floor. I think this is one of the biggest houses I’ve worked on in Sweetbriar Ridge.”
She wasn’t sure why he was giving her all the details on this place when she was only interested in the kitchen, but…whatever.
Climbing out of the truck, Billie listened as Reid talked about how they tore all the cabinets and appliances out and how the electrician came in and re-did all the lighting. There were now two dishwashers, two ovens, and one of those massive French door refrigerators. “I think someone said all the stuff was restaurant grade,” he went on. “There’s also extra refrigeration out in the detached garage. I guess these people entertain a lot.” Glancing over his shoulder at her, he added, “Something else for you to think about. I know you’ve got access to all the appliances at Books & Beans, but it might be nice to have more stuff at home so you don’t always have to be at the coffee shop. You could probably build something like this on your property.”
Nodding, she followed him into the house. There was no furniture and the house was completely bare. “Did they move out for the renovation, or they haven’t moved in yet?”
“Haven’t moved in yet. They wanted all the work done before they put any furniture in.”
That made sense.
When she stepped into the kitchen, she froze. It was magnificent. “Oh my goodness,” she whispered as she smoothed her hand over the marble countertop. If she could have designed a kitchen, this would be it. Nothing like this would fit in her house, but the style and design were utterly perfect.
“Right?” Reid said with a playful nudge. “I knew you’d like this. It’s just…” He paused as his phone rang. “It’s Ash. I’ll take it outside. Take your time and maybe take notes so you can tell Kevin what you’d like.”
Nodding, she kept walking and touching everything. The shaker cabinets, the stainless pulls, the massive farm sink… “I think I’m in love.” It all looked like something out of a magazine or one of those HGTV shows. Basically, she knew she could afford this, but it would seem so out of place in her little house. “But it would look fabulous in a new place.”
And that got her mind leaning toward looking at the real estate sites when she got home later.
In the distance, she heard dogs barking. At first it was far away, but then it seemed to keep getting closer and closer and closer until there was a puppy running in circles around her feet. “What in the world…? Where did you come from?” she cooed, squatting down to scoop the little guy up. She didn’t know enough about dogs to know what breed it was, but it was licking her face like she was the greatest treat in the world, making her giggle uncontrollably. “Oh my goodness! You are just precious! Yes, you are!”
Then a second puppy appeared.
“What the…?” It was easier to just sit down on the floor with them. They were yipping and crawling all over her and the only thing she could do was sit there and enjoy it while laughing her ass off. “Reid!” she called out between fits of laughter, figuring he was standing out there maybe with their owner. “Reid!”
“Brownie? Cookie? Where are you?”
Billie turned her head because she thought she recognized that voice. It wasn’t Reid, but maybe it was someone she knew from somewhere.
Then he called out again and that’s when she knew. She knew she wasn’t imagining things earlier! Dammit, what was he doing here, and with dogs?
Getting up was nearly impossible, and one of the puppies was nibbling on her ear, so she stayed where she was. “Come on, you guys…let’s go get your owner. Come on…let’s…let’s…”
“Sorry,” Marcus said as he came and crouched in front of her. “They’re ridiculously playful and they love meeting new people.”
He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and looked casual and…different. Something was definitely different, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Scrambling to her feet, she stared at him like he was an intruder. Backing away with her heart thundering, she demanded, “What are you doing here?” Looking around frantically for Reid, she waited for his answer.
“I’m showing the pups their new home,” he said smoothly. “What do you think of this kitchen? Pretty spectacular, right?”
If she were a cartoon, her jaw would be on the floor and her eyes would be the size of saucers. “What is happening right now?” she asked, her voice a near shriek. Marcus looked amused, and the dogs started barking as they danced around her feet. She was about to ask again when another dog came strolling in. This one was older and simply walked over and sat next to Marcus.
Reaching down, he scratched the dog’s ear. “That’s a good girl.” Grinning, he returned his attention to Billie. “This is Butterscotch and these are her babies. I went to the shelter to adopt a dog, and once I saw this girl, I knew she was the one. Then the vet who introduced us mentioned that she had puppies and all but two had been adopted, and I knew I had to keep them all together. Someone had dumped them outside the shelter in a box! I mean, how cruel is that? There were three other puppies who were already adopted, so I couldn’t do anything about that, but there was no way I could separate these three because…well…family is important.”
He looked so happy and proud of himself, and that’s when she officially lost her shit.
“Are you freaking kidding me right now? What the hell is wrong with you?”
Okay, things were not going quite the way he was expecting. He had been certain she was going to melt after meeting the dogs and hearing their story and seeing the house, but so far, Billie looked like she was ready to strangle him.
“Um…”
“I knew you could be heartless, Marcus, but I never thought you’d be this cruel!”
“I’m not! I told you, I wanted to keep the three of them together! They were a package deal, and I was happy to take them!”
“Not to the dogs , you idiot! But to me! Do you get some sort of sick pleasure out of coming around here and mentally torturing me?” she cried. “You refuse to give me what I want—what I need—but you keep showing back up and making sure you keep messing up my mind! Why? Why couldn’t you just stay away?”
She started to cry and when he carefully maneuvered over the dogs to get to her, she wrapped her arms around herself as she took a step back.
“Billie, I don’t think you understand. I’m not trying to mess with you or be cruel. I’m here because I love you,” he said, his own voice thick with emotion. “I’m here because I don’t want to be without you.” He took another tentative step toward her and almost sagged with relief when she didn’t move away.
Reaching up, she quickly swiped at her tears. “I…I don’t understand. This can’t be your house. There’s no way you could have bought it that fast. And there’s no furniture here, so…”
He took another small step toward her and had to fight his own laughter as the puppies continued to scamper at her feet. “I’m staying with my dad for a few days until things are done here. And I paid cash for the house. Thanks to your cousin Patrick, we were able to expedite everything and so…it’s mine. I sold my place in D.C.—also thanks to your cousin Patrick—and only took a fraction of what was in it and put it all in storage.”
“What does Patrick have to do with any of this?”
“He’s a real estate genius. I mean, seriously, he and his wife made things happen faster than I thought was possible. I told them the kind of house I was looking for and asked what the inventory was like here in Sweetbriar, and they sent me a few listings. Then your family did the walkthroughs on all of them and we decided on this one.”
“ We decided? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I called Levi and…”
“No, wait! Wait,” she interrupted. “First…why aren’t you in D.C.? That’s all you ever wanted! All you ever talked about! That was your dream! It was like a status symbol for you!”
“I really wish we had somewhere to sit,” he murmured, looking around.
“I don’t need to sit , Marcus. I need to understand what is happening because nothing is making sense. Two weeks ago, we agreed that you couldn’t give up your life in D.C.! And more than that, you certainly didn’t want a life here! Now you’re back and acting like it’s no big deal that you gave up everything and decided to move here!”
To say she was frustrated was an understatement. Now he could only hope that she’d understand why he came back.
With a small sigh, he admitted how his life in D.C. wasn’t what he wanted anymore and that he’d been living a lie. “Before I came back here two months ago, I truly thought I had a good life. But every time I went back home after being here—whether it was for a few days or a few weeks—it became less and less appealing. My condo felt cold and sterile. It was too quiet. I was lonely.”
“Okay, but…”
“The worst part was…no one even noticed I was gone. No texts, no phone calls…nothing. All the times I came back here and was gone for a week or even a few days, no one cared. I could have been dealing with some heavy shit and no one ever asked if I was okay. Levi had mentioned having a similar experience after he lost his job, and it was very eye-opening. For years, I thought I had a group of friends, but I didn’t. I have acquaintances, and that isn’t enough. After I left your house that last time, I went home and did some serious soul searching and that’s when I realized it was time for me to admit that I wasn’t happy and that I need to go after what I really want.”
“And what’s that?” she quietly asked.
“I want a wife, kids, a dog, and eventually grandkids.”
Her soft gasp told him his choice of words wasn’t lost on her. “I don’t understand. You said…”
“I said a lot of things and most of them were wrong. I’m so sorry for all the ways I’ve screwed up our lives,” he said gruffly. “I’ve been doing the same things and working toward the same goals, and I’m miserable. I kept thinking if I had the upscale condo, and had the perfect job, and made the right amount of money that I’d be happy, but I wasn’t. I’d checked every box, and it wasn’t enough. Something was still missing. These last few months with you made me realize that. You are my other half, Billie Donovan. You always have been.”
She shook her head, and he didn’t doubt for a minute that she was wary. “We’ve been down this road.”
“No, we’ve never been down this road. This time, this road? This is the one where I stop only paying attention to my own voice and start listening to yours. I want the life we once planned, but without all the crap I was forcing on you. I see now how wrong I was, and I see how all the material things aren’t what makes someone a success. It doesn’t equal happiness. It’s the people we’re with. It’s the things we do for others. It’s how we love. I see it all now.”
He saw the hesitation, but he also saw her slowly start to relax.
“I’m seeing you , Billie Donovan. I think for the first time I’m well and truly seeing you—not the person I thought you wanted to be or a version of you I wanted you to be—just you. And you are the person I love.”
She whispered his name, and the tears were back. This time, he closed the distance between them, cupping her face.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I’m always going to love you. Tell me I didn’t screw things up. Tell me that there’s still a chance for us, because I don’t want to live another day without you.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted. “I don’t want to get my hopes up and then you leave again.”
“Beautiful girl, this house—this house that is smack-dab in the middle of Sweetbriar Ridge with a kitchen fit for a baker—is for us. Me and you and all the kids we’re going to have. I’m not going anywhere because the only place in the world I want to be is with you.”
The next thing he knew, she was wrapped around him and kissing him, and it was the greatest feeling in the world. He cursed the fact that there wasn’t a stitch of furniture in the house because he wanted to carry her out of the kitchen and put her on something comfortable, but…that would have to come later.
Breathlessly, they broke apart, and her smile was positively radiant. She caressed his jaw as she gazed up at him lovingly. “There’s just…one minor problem.”
It wasn’t possible, he thought, because he had seriously thought of everything.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“One of your dogs just peed on my foot.” She grimaced slightly, but then laughed.
“You mean one of our dogs,” he corrected before looking down at the puppies. “Okay, guys, which one of you peed on Billie? Fess up.”
The dogs yipped and then ran away.
“Sorry about that. Hang on. I’ve got wipes out in my car.”
“No worries.” Slipping her sandals off, she asked, “Where’s Reid? Is he still waiting outside?”
“One sec!” he called out before racing out to his car and getting towels and wipes—he was learning to keep that sort of thing with him because the puppies weren’t trained yet. When he got back inside, he immediately handed her the wipes before cleaning the floor. “Reid’s back at his place with your family. They’re waiting for me to text them and let them know if one of them has to come and get you or if we’re joining them for dinner.” He tossed the used wipes into the construction trash pail. “Personally, I’m hoping we can join them for dinner because Reid mentioned burgers and I am a sucker for a burger cooked on a grill.”
Rolling her eyes, hands on her hips, she chuckled. “Who are you, and what did you do with Marcus?”
“What? What’s wrong with enjoying a burger?”
“You’re a snob, Marcus!” she said loudly, but she was still laughing. “You’re dressed like the boy I went to school with, and you’re acting like the guy you were when we first started dating. You’re saying all the right things, and…I guess I’m having a hard time believing it. You’re nothing like the man I left, and certainly nothing like the man who walked into Books & Beans a few months ago. I…I just can’t believe it.”
Moving in close again, Marcus rested his hands on her hips, giving them a soft squeeze. “And I don’t blame you. I haven’t given you a reason to believe anything, but I’m asking you to take a leap of faith and give me another chance. If you don’t like this house, we can sell it and buy another one that you choose. I probably should have waited and did that to begin with, but I wanted you to see me making this kind of commitment—to you, to the move, to starting our lives. And for the record, Butterscotch, Brownie, and Cookie are all willing to live wherever you want to. They’re pretty adaptable. My dad has requested, however, that we not stay with him too much longer. Brownie likes slippers and has chewed through two pairs already.” He shrugged. “Other than that, the four of us will follow you wherever you go.”
She whispered his name again. “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”
“It’s not a dream,” he murmured softly. “This is us finally getting it right. If you’ll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your husband, your partner, your lover, your friend. I want to be everything you need me to be.”
Nodding, the tears were back, and he reached out to brush them away.
“I want all of that, too,” she told him. “Every bit of it.”
“That’s good because…” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a ring. It was the ring he originally proposed to her with over ten years ago. Holding it up to her, he made a promise. “I’ve kept this ring all these years because I remember picking it out with you. I remembered how much you loved it. I know there are some not-so-great memories associated with it, so if you want to pick out a new ring, we can do that too. But I thought…”
“Marcus?”
“Hmm?”
“Put the ring on my finger. Please.”
So, he did and then watched as she held up her hand and admired it.
“Billie Donovan, I’d marry you today if I could. We’ve waited a long time, and…I’m not gonna lie…I don’t want to wait too long. I’m ready for our future.”
She was nodding at him. “I want all that too, and I’d marry you today too, if it were possible.”
Wrapping her in his arms, he sealed it with a kiss, knowing it might not happen today, but that they were going to be saying “I do” very soon.
“Do you love it? I mean…are you completely in love with the house?” Ashlynn asked an hour later. They had texted that they were joining everyone for dinner and now they were all seated around the giant dining room table, talking about everything that just happened—even Marcus’s dad and Max were there.
“I do!” Billie gushed, holding his hand. “Marcus took me on the grand tour and I swear I couldn’t believe how much space there is! And for an older home, there’s obviously been a lot of work done on the inside!”
“The kitchen it had was fine, but basic,” Jade explained. “We had to pull a few strings to convince Kevin to come in and do the work immediately, but we knew it would be worth it!”
“What did you have to do?” Looking around in confusion, she didn’t seem to know who exactly to ask.
“We agreed to have him do work on our house,” Levi said.
“And ours,” Chloe added.
“And mine,” Marie said, holding up her hand. “But I think mine is the only one that actually needs the work.”
“You guys,” Billie said. “I can’t believe you did all that just for a kitchen!”
“The place had to be perfect,” Ashlynn chimed in. “So, what was your favorite part of the house?”
“Oh my goodness…first, I loved how much character the house has! Even with all the updates, there is still so much charm to it. And that primary bathroom is amazing! I think that the bathtub was one of the biggest selling points—that and the fenced-in yard for the dogs.”
As if on cue, they heard the dogs barking playfully out in the yard. Silas was out there throwing balls and trying to teach the puppies how to play fetch, and it was pretty freaking cute.
“I have to admit, I was also a little blown away by the massive home office,” she went on.
Marcus had explained to her how it was a major requirement because he was going to be working from home—remotely for the time being, but potentially starting up his own financial advisory firm. In the meantime, his company was more than agreeable to letting him work this way. He’d have to go to D.C. a couple of days a month, but he was okay with it because it meant he could be where he wanted to be.
With her.
“I still can’t believe you guys pulled this off and I didn’t have a clue!”
“It was a group effort all the way around,” Marcus told her. “Seriously, this was a true family affair. Your entire family was in on it, along with Max and my dad.” He smiled at them all. “As I told you, your cousin Patrick had the listing and helped me sell my place in D.C. Reid and Ronan were in on the demo. Ash, Chloe, Jade, and Marie helped me decide on the right house based on the things they knew you would want. Levi’s been working with me to find potential local clients so I can start up my own firm. Max came to help me move, and Dad opened his home to me and the dogs for the time being.”
She was smiling, and it made him feel so damn good.
Like he’d finally done something right.
Something selfless.
Maybe there was hope for him yet.