shut the door and set his laptop case on the floor as he studied her face.
“You’re not okay. That man was scaring you. What’s going on Rayne?”
Rayne licked her dry lips and wished she could unburden herself on Garrett. Just telling someone that she feared for her and her sister’s lives would sound too crazy though. She could give him something though.
“Graham Mitchell is my half-cousin. He’s not the nicest person I know,” she added hoping Garrett would drop it.
“Half- cousin ?” Garrett said with a shake of his head. “Does he know that? The way he was looking at you wasn’t very cousinly.”
Rayne blushed and looked away. “He’s brought it to my attention that half cousins can marry in California.”
Garrett made a humming sound in his throat and shook his head. “I do not like that guy.”
Rayne smiled weakly and jumped when Cleo appeared by her side. “What’s taking so long? You and Garrett have been out here talking forever.”
Rayne shook her head but Garrett spoke before her. “No, I just got here, but her cousin Graham was sure making her miserable.”
It was almost comical watching Cleo’s face turn white and then red as she rushed out the front door. Rayne moved to stop her and pulled on her arm. “Cleo, he’s gone. Garrett scared him away.”
Cleo turned on her, glaring. “Why didn’t you come get me? Why didn’t you shout? What in the world were you thinking Rayne? What am I even here for if Graham can just walk up to your front door and you stand here talking to him while I’m in the other room completely oblivious?”
Garrett looked back and forth between her and Cleo with a confused frown on his face as Asher walked out of the living room.
Rayne glanced at Garrett and Asher pointedly before looking back at Cleo. “Everything’s fine Cleo.”
Cleo closed her eyes and sighed loudly. “Yeah, everything’s fine Rayne. He knows you’re here . How in the world is that fine?” she demanded and then walked toward the kitchen muttering under her breath.
Rayne cleared her throat in embarrassment and tried to smile at Garrett and Asher. “Sorry about that. Um, why don’t we go over the bid in the living room? Asher, I believe you have the contracts.”
Garrett and Asher looked at each other silently before Garrett nodded and finally followed her into the living room. He turned on his laptop and ran her through his plans almost as if he were reading from a dictionary. Asher listened almost grimly and then pulled out a contract from a folder and walked her through the deposit and all of the legal jargon.
Rayne was so flustered from Graham’s appearance that she signed the stupid thing and handed it back to Asher, just wanting everyone to go away so she could lie down and think of what they were going to do now.
Becket and Ivy walked in just as Garrett was slipping his laptop in his case. Becket was smiling and looking happy as Ivy stood next to him.
“So is it a go then?” he asked Garrett and Asher with a raised pale blond eyebrow.
Garrett smiled briefly and stood up. “It’s a go. If you don’t mind, I’m going to walk Rayne around the yard and point out a few things that weren’t on the plans.”
Becket shrugged and looked at Asher. Ivy smiled widely and clasped her hands. “Why don’t you two come into the kitchen and I’ll get you some lemonade. Cleo picked us up some cupcakes from the bakery this morning if you’re
“You’re not okay. That man was scaring you. What’s going on Rayne?”
Rayne licked her dry lips and wished she could unburden herself on Garrett. Just telling someone that she feared for her and her sister’s lives would sound too crazy though. She could give him something though.
“Graham Mitchell is my half-cousin. He’s not the nicest person I know,” she added hoping Garrett would drop it.
“Half- cousin ?” Garrett said with a shake of his head. “Does he know that? The way he was looking at you wasn’t very cousinly.”
Rayne blushed and looked away. “He’s brought it to my attention that half cousins can marry in California.”
Garrett made a humming sound in his throat and shook his head. “I do not like that guy.”
Rayne smiled weakly and jumped when Cleo appeared by her side. “What’s taking so long? You and Garrett have been out here talking forever.”
Rayne shook her head but Garrett spoke before her. “No, I just got here, but her cousin Graham was sure making her miserable.”
It was almost comical watching Cleo’s face turn white and then red as she rushed out the front door. Rayne moved to stop her and pulled on her arm. “Cleo, he’s gone. Garrett scared him away.”
Cleo turned on her, glaring. “Why didn’t you come get me? Why didn’t you shout? What in the world were you thinking Rayne? What am I even here for if Graham can just walk up to your front door and you stand here talking to him while I’m in the other room completely oblivious?”
Garrett looked back and forth between her and Cleo with a confused frown on his face as Asher walked out of the living room.
Rayne glanced at Garrett and Asher pointedly before looking back at Cleo. “Everything’s fine Cleo.”
Cleo closed her eyes and sighed loudly. “Yeah, everything’s fine Rayne. He knows you’re here . How in the world is that fine?” she demanded and then walked toward the kitchen muttering under her breath.
Rayne cleared her throat in embarrassment and tried to smile at Garrett and Asher. “Sorry about that. Um, why don’t we go over the bid in the living room? Asher, I believe you have the contracts.”
Garrett and Asher looked at each other silently before Garrett nodded and finally followed her into the living room. He turned on his laptop and ran her through his plans almost as if he were reading from a dictionary. Asher listened almost grimly and then pulled out a contract from a folder and walked her through the deposit and all of the legal jargon.
Rayne was so flustered from Graham’s appearance that she signed the stupid thing and handed it back to Asher, just wanting everyone to go away so she could lie down and think of what they were going to do now.
Becket and Ivy walked in just as Garrett was slipping his laptop in his case. Becket was smiling and looking happy as Ivy stood next to him.
“So is it a go then?” he asked Garrett and Asher with a raised pale blond eyebrow.
Garrett smiled briefly and stood up. “It’s a go. If you don’t mind, I’m going to walk Rayne around the yard and point out a few things that weren’t on the plans.”
Becket shrugged and looked at Asher. Ivy smiled widely and clasped her hands. “Why don’t you two come into the kitchen and I’ll get you some lemonade. Cleo picked us up some cupcakes from the bakery this morning if you’re
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