kids now lived. With Owen’s attention to the architectural details, Jordan’seye for design, and Jesse and Doug’s exquisite craftsmanship, Hawk Hill was now as stunning as Rosewood. Its renovation had given Owen a ton of business in the area.
“That’s so sweet of them,” she said. “I’ll drop by whatever site they’re working at tomorrow and thank them.”
“Well, that’s easily done, as tomorrow they’ll be about a couple thousand feet away.” Owen smiled.
“Doing repairs on the house, huh? I’ll make a Braverman’s run for them. Pastrami with the works still Doug and Jesse’s favorite?”
“Yes, but, Jade?” Jordan said.
Jade wondered why Owen’s smile seemed to be contagious. Everyone was grinning. “Uh-huh?”
“Owen’s present? There’s more.”
“More?” she repeated blankly.
“Yeah, more! It’s a big surprise, Aunt Jade!” Olivia hollered, with Georgie and Kate chiming in gleefully, grins stretching their little faces. All of a sudden Jade realized that all the kids—the ones who were verbal, that is—had been unusually quiet throughout the tour of the pony barn. Their tongues probably all bore teeth marks from biting back whatever thrilling surprise lay in wait for her.
“Personally, I don’t know how you could top a six-stall pony barn, but I guess I’m gonna find out.”
J ADE GOT her answer. They’d built her a house—or rebuilt it, to be precise. She hardly recognized Bramble Cottage. Originally, the cottage had been used to house Rosewood Farm’s workers, but for years it had sat vacant, as Tito and Felix, Rosewood’s grooms, both had families too large for the two-bedroom house. Ned had his own cottage, Thistle Cottage, and before Travis and Margot married, Travis had lived in the apartment over the main barn—where Andy and Miriam now lived.
“This is for me?”
“Yes,” Jordan answered her. “Isn’t it cute?”
Jordan was right. The cottage
was
cute. Just by looking at its exterior, Jade could tell that Owen must have had fun with the project. He’d altered the façade, creating a porch screened by columns, just like at the main house, and enlarged the windows to create an airier look.
“Wait until you step inside. Owen had a blast going through John Butler’s pattern book when he updated the interior,” Jordan said, her voice filled with pride and love.
“And guess what, Aunt Jade?” Kate said. “Mommy and I picked out the colors for the walls.”
“Me too! I helped.” Unable to contain her excitement, Olivia was jumping up and down as though on an invisible pogo stick.
“Then they’ll be the colors I like best, won’t they?This is amazing, guys. Thank you.” Though Jade was usually able to crack wise with the best of them, right now all she could think of was how incredibly lucky she was to have a family like this. They’d done so much for her, supporting her every minute of the day since Mom and Dad died, and for far too long she’d returned the favor by being hell on wheels.
Owen’s gaze scanned the little white house. “It’s not quite finished yet,” he warned. “Doug and Jesse still have to sand and finish the floors and perform a few final tweaks and touch-ups. But everything should be move-in ready by the end of the week. Do you want to see the inside now, or wait?”
“Most definitely now.”
The lot of them filed in and gave Jade the tour of the cottage. Walking through the rooms, she reveled in the collective chatter as they discussed what she would need to put where: a sofa, some chairs, a TV, a pretty round table where she could eat and do her grading work, some patterned curtains—but not ones that were too girlie—and a really comfortable bed. They knew her so well.…
Damn, she loved these guys. Telling herself to get a grip before she embarrassed them all by blubbering, Jade directed an accusing finger at her sisters and brothers-in-law. “I detect a nefarious plot here. You remodeled Bramble
“That’s so sweet of them,” she said. “I’ll drop by whatever site they’re working at tomorrow and thank them.”
“Well, that’s easily done, as tomorrow they’ll be about a couple thousand feet away.” Owen smiled.
“Doing repairs on the house, huh? I’ll make a Braverman’s run for them. Pastrami with the works still Doug and Jesse’s favorite?”
“Yes, but, Jade?” Jordan said.
Jade wondered why Owen’s smile seemed to be contagious. Everyone was grinning. “Uh-huh?”
“Owen’s present? There’s more.”
“More?” she repeated blankly.
“Yeah, more! It’s a big surprise, Aunt Jade!” Olivia hollered, with Georgie and Kate chiming in gleefully, grins stretching their little faces. All of a sudden Jade realized that all the kids—the ones who were verbal, that is—had been unusually quiet throughout the tour of the pony barn. Their tongues probably all bore teeth marks from biting back whatever thrilling surprise lay in wait for her.
“Personally, I don’t know how you could top a six-stall pony barn, but I guess I’m gonna find out.”
J ADE GOT her answer. They’d built her a house—or rebuilt it, to be precise. She hardly recognized Bramble Cottage. Originally, the cottage had been used to house Rosewood Farm’s workers, but for years it had sat vacant, as Tito and Felix, Rosewood’s grooms, both had families too large for the two-bedroom house. Ned had his own cottage, Thistle Cottage, and before Travis and Margot married, Travis had lived in the apartment over the main barn—where Andy and Miriam now lived.
“This is for me?”
“Yes,” Jordan answered her. “Isn’t it cute?”
Jordan was right. The cottage
was
cute. Just by looking at its exterior, Jade could tell that Owen must have had fun with the project. He’d altered the façade, creating a porch screened by columns, just like at the main house, and enlarged the windows to create an airier look.
“Wait until you step inside. Owen had a blast going through John Butler’s pattern book when he updated the interior,” Jordan said, her voice filled with pride and love.
“And guess what, Aunt Jade?” Kate said. “Mommy and I picked out the colors for the walls.”
“Me too! I helped.” Unable to contain her excitement, Olivia was jumping up and down as though on an invisible pogo stick.
“Then they’ll be the colors I like best, won’t they?This is amazing, guys. Thank you.” Though Jade was usually able to crack wise with the best of them, right now all she could think of was how incredibly lucky she was to have a family like this. They’d done so much for her, supporting her every minute of the day since Mom and Dad died, and for far too long she’d returned the favor by being hell on wheels.
Owen’s gaze scanned the little white house. “It’s not quite finished yet,” he warned. “Doug and Jesse still have to sand and finish the floors and perform a few final tweaks and touch-ups. But everything should be move-in ready by the end of the week. Do you want to see the inside now, or wait?”
“Most definitely now.”
The lot of them filed in and gave Jade the tour of the cottage. Walking through the rooms, she reveled in the collective chatter as they discussed what she would need to put where: a sofa, some chairs, a TV, a pretty round table where she could eat and do her grading work, some patterned curtains—but not ones that were too girlie—and a really comfortable bed. They knew her so well.…
Damn, she loved these guys. Telling herself to get a grip before she embarrassed them all by blubbering, Jade directed an accusing finger at her sisters and brothers-in-law. “I detect a nefarious plot here. You remodeled Bramble
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