8. Hadley
When we pull up to the gates of Quade’s family estate I can’t hold in my gasp.
The place is huge, the sweeping front lawn as big as a football field in front of a three-story mansion is lush and green, and its only imperfection the driveway cutting through the middle.
“Yeah, it’s not exactly subtle,” Laney murmurs from the backseat.
“You grew up here?” I ask, leaning forward for a better look.
“No.”
“Yes.”
The siblings contradicting each other brings a smile to my mouth. “So, you did and Quade didn’t?”
“This isn’t our family home, but we spent at least six months a year here. Summers, school breaks, the occasional weekend, and of course all the major holidays,” Quade explains.
“Laney’s right then. Half a year equals growing up here.” I glance at Quade. His smile, aimed at the house he’s spent so much of his life in, speaks of his love for his childhood home.
A sharp stab of longing pierces me.
I can never return to my childhood home.
One of the first things Dad did after Mom and the twins died was sell it. I hated it at the time, still hate it, but as an adult I understand it was his way of coping with his loss, and in his own way he thought not being surrounded by the twins’ things, Mom’s things, memories of them in every room, would help me with mine.
“It looks like everyone is outside.” Laney’s hand shoots between the seats and points to the side of the house where several people are gathered. “I guess they’re taking the possibility of hurricane seriously.”
“Shouldn’t they?” I’ve never experienced a hurricane, never lived anywhere with the possibility of one. Never visited a place susceptible to them either.
“Yes and no. It’s early in the season and days away if it even lands here. Plus it’s not categorized as a hurricane yet. It’s still a tropical depression. Plenty of time for it to change course or peter out before hitting the dangerous category,” Quade explains as he pulls through the now open gates.
“It might not be a hurricane yet but it looks like it’s shaping up to be one,” Laney adds.
“Gram is probably getting the estate ready early so she can send us out to take care of rest of the Love Beach community,” Quade says as he slowly drives closer to the house that looks more like a small hotel than a house. And I grew up in Hollywood, I know all about big houses.
By the time we near the end of the driveway, the group of people next to the building I now see is a garage have stopped what they’re doing and turned to watch us.
“You’re in the carriage house, right?” Laney asks from between us where she’s poked her head.
“Yes. I always stay there.”
“Um, then why are Aunt Millie and Aunt Maude sitting on the porch?”
I can see the little house Laney is talking about on the far side of the six-bay garage as Quade pulls to a stop. Before I can ask a question, Laney is out of the car and an older woman, a huge smile on her face, is leaning through Quade’s open window, planting a kiss on his forehead.
“Gram,” Quade murmurs, his eyes closing. The affection between them is written all over their faces and I can’t help the smile or the pang of envy seeing them produces. I never met my dad’s parents, and Mom’s both died not long after she did.
Even though they still had me, neither of them had the will to live anymore, their hearts broken after their only child and two grandchildren were wiped out in one go.
“Before you get out, I’ve made some necessary changes to the accommodations for the summer. Millie has a broken wrist and elbow, and Maude a broken ankle and sprained knee. They need somewhere without stairs and the gardener’s cottage is too far from the house. I assured them you wouldn’t mind swapping for the duration.”
“I, yes, sure, of course.”
Listening to Quade stumble over his words has my insides dipping. The look he shoots my way doesn’t help. He’s concerned about this new arrangement. I can’t figure out why but there’s no point questioning him; I’ll find out soon enough.
“Gram, this is Hadley.”
“A pleasure, dear, although I’m sure you won’t think so after I’ve put you to work.” She grins at me and I’m unable to stop the answering smile that stretches my lips.
“I’ll help however I can.”
“Good girl.” She pats Quade’s shoulder. “Go drop your bags at the cottage then come back here to get your instructions.”
She’s gone, marching back to the group, her arms sweeping out as she gives instructions I can’t quite make out before either of us can say a word in reply.
“So…that whirlwind was my grandmother, also known as the mayor of Love Beach. I’m sure she’ll have us going out and battening down our neighbors once we’ve finished here. I can leave you at the cottage if you want.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. You might not have brought a girlfriend home before but I’m pretty sure your family would expect any woman you dated to be useful and not hesitate to dive in and help.” I point at two women a bit older than me. “They look like they’ve been working on a dusty construction site.”
“That’s Little and Littler. Hollis on the right, Cora the left.”
I look at the women more closely. “They look like older versions of Laney.”
“Yeah. The three of them take after Mom. I’m more like Dad.” Quade shifts the car back into drive and rolls forward. “I’ll introduce you to everyone after we take our stuff to the cottage.”
“Okay. Do I have time to change? I don’t think I’m dressed appropriately for what we’ll be doing.”
In spite of the warm day, I noticed all the women were in long pants and t-shirts, short and long sleeve. The flirty summer dress I’m wearing is definitely not the right outfit for an afternoon of work.
And I’d really like to change my panties. I didn’t get the opportunity before we left Charleston hours ago and while I cleaned up as best I could before leaving Quade’s house, I don’t want to spend any more time in them.
“Good idea. We’ll need closed-toe shoes too.”
Quade pulls the car around the corner of the garage to a gravel drive that runs between it and the carriage house. Behind the buildings, the driveway is swallowed up by rows and rows of tall trees and it’s a good two minutes after we disappear within their shady depths before the trees open up to reveal a clearing, a cute little cottage sitting to one side of it.
“Oh.” The tiny house makes me think of childhood fairytales, Snow White in particular, and I have the sudden urge to sing. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, it used to be the gardener’s shed. Gram had it renovated when they built the bigger shed at the back of the property.”
The second he stops the car I pop my seatbelt and open the door, excited to explore this beautiful place.
“Hadley.”
I’ve already got my legs out when Quade calls my name. Looking over my shoulder, I smile. “Yes?”
“Um, so, the, um…” His gaze bounces everywhere but on me before it goes to the house and sticks. “The cottage.”
Moving back into my seat, I face him. “What about it?”
“It’s small.”
“I can see that.”
The sigh that leaves him has the nerves I’d felt when his grandmother was talking about the switch in accommodation coming back. His next words have them tripling. “There’s only one bed in there.”
“One bed?”
“The carriage house is bigger, has two bedrooms. The cottage is one room.” He swallows hard. “One bed.”
“One room. One bed.” I sound like an idiot repeating his words but my brain isn’t quite getting what he’s saying. Or it is, but I’m struggling to understand exactly what he means.
“Our deal was your own sleeping quarters.”
“It was. But then we changed that deal already.”
And the change I’m talking about isn’t us dating for real. It’s the one where he pushed me up against a wall and delivered the best orgasm of my life.
My gaze darts to the gardener’s cottage.
One room.
One bed.
“Oh.”