at work about the money… She’s probably had a whole lifetime of people trying to take advantage of her.”
The walk the previous night must have been fruitful. Faye certainly seemed a lot more relaxed.
“Thank you,” Poppy said. “I didn’t know how I’d come to care for Charley or that I’d fall in love with her brother. There wasn’t even time to fill everyone in, my sister showed up and then Holden put out the bounty. It happened so fast. I thought leaving might save you all from the media intrusion. I’m sorry I was wrong.”
“But you brought us here, you didn’t just abandon us out there,” Faye said. Her brow twitched. “The press were only interested in Charley and people from your work. There was really no one who knew about the two of you?”
“I think Val knew something,” Poppy said.
Faye smiled. “Yeah, we talked about that last night. Moms know, it doesn’t mean Turner told her anything.”
“Thank you,” Turner said, gesturing toward his sister like he’d received vindication.
“Okay,” Poppy said, resting her lips on him again. “So I gave you a hard time.”
“You did give me a hard time,” he said, squeezing her knee. “I told you she just knew. I didn’t have to say anything.”
“No one else saw it.”
“The rest of us didn’t live with your best friend. Charley probably talked about you all the time,” Faye said. “I know I heard your name a bunch of times. When I was living at Turner’s, I was too caught up in my own crap to worry about anyone else’s.”
“How is that going?” Poppy asked. “Was Kev okay with you taking the kids out of state?”
“To care he’d have to first notice,” Faye said, folding her arms. “He’s shacked up with his slut.”
Poppy gasped. “No!”
Faye just nodded.
“You two should keep talking, but some of us have to be at work,” Turner said, giving her another squeeze. “Want to go grab me a towel, babe?”
Her love wasn’t wearing anything beneath the covers and with his sister in the room, he wouldn’t feel like baring all.
“I don’t care about your bits,” Faye said, backing toward the door as Poppy climbed out of bed, righting the silk that only just covered her ass.
“Baby, don’t go wandering around the house like that,” Turner said like the thought pained him.
She smiled over her shoulder at him.
Faye laughed. “The only other guy here is Preston.”
“Yeah, and he’s bad enough,” Turner said. “There are staff guys around too. And, believe me, speaking on behalf of the help, we notice.”
Turning to take a few backward steps, Poppy laid faux heartbreak on him. “You notice other women?”
“If they were wandering around in their underwear, I would,” he said, propping his hands on the bed behind him. “Only to notice how they don’t measure up to you.”
“Good save,” Poppy said, though it amused Faye. “I’ll grab a robe from Grammie’s room and tell the kitchen to serve breakfast.” She stopped with Faye. “How long until the kids are up?”
Just then, an impressive little Ashlee toddled in between them, heading for Turner’s bed.
Her mom swooped down to sweep her up before she could get more than a few steps. “That’s far enough for you. I don’t want my child scarred before she’s potty-trained.”
“Then vamoose,” Turner said. “Who invited you anyway?”
Faye took Ashlee out and after casting one last look Turner’s way, Poppy went after her, closing the door behind herself. Sleeping with Turner had given her much more than it had taken away. At least they now knew just how much Charley resented their relationship and that the negative feeling had been fed by David Leicester, who was no doubt still dripping poison into Charley’s ear.
Her friend was smart, but her feelings were strong. Poppy didn’t want there to be lasting damage to the family that she loved, especially not damage caused by outsiders like her and David.
They’d fix it. Somehow. Charley wasn’t the only one on her mind either. With more family came more issues. Poppy had to make progress with some of them, in some way. First was breakfast, then it would be on to righting the wrongs of the world. Not everything was in her control, but if she could make a difference, she’d do her damndest.
TWELVE
Breakfast got busy in no time at all. Her father would already be on his way to the office, so she didn’t expect to see him. Ashlee hadn’t wasted any time in waking her siblings