to confess she hadn’t lived up to their expectations.
“Everyone will support you,” Poppy said, taking Violet’s hands from her elbows to give them a comforting squeeze. “No one is perfect. Grammie is wild for anything connected to passion and love. You might think I’m the kooky one of our generation, but we all have her blood… The first step is getting Holden off our tails. After that, maybe you and Trey will have the space to explore whatever is between you.” Tightening her twisted smile, Poppy leaned closer to whisper, “You’ll be free and you don’t need a man, none of us do. Do what’s right for you, Violet. I’ll stand with you, always.”
“Me too,” Primrose said, drawing both of her sisters attention to where she stood just inside the open doors. “Poppy is right. I know you don’t want to tell Mom and Dad, but Dad will be able to help. Tiller will mobilize and we’ll ruin Holden as a family. I don’t care how much money he has or how powerful he thinks he is, he doesn’t have what we have…” Primrose walked over to join them. “We have family.”
The Maddox family had been a wonder to Poppy. The way they came together and supported each other, their close bonds, and unwavering love, humbled her. The Grangers didn’t seem to have that, not at first glance. Maybe having the Maddoxes around had influenced them to be less reserved and to be more honest about how they felt for each other. Or it could just be a desperate situation and they didn’t have much choice except to trust each other.
Primrose pulled both her and Violet into a hug, something the three of them hadn’t done of their own volition probably since their days playing with fairies in the grove. If it all went wrong with Holden, Poppy could find herself the focus of blame for coming up with the plan to take the fight to him. But they had to do something. Whatever happened, she’d have Turner. He’d give her every bit of himself, every ounce of his strength. No matter what, they’d get through.
TWENTY-THREE
“Just you and your sisters?” Charley asked.
Seated on Charley’s bed while her friend got ready for dinner, Poppy was already dressed, though she couldn’t say she was ready.
“And my dad,” Poppy said. “And Preston and Tiller.”
“And you’re not freaking out?” The long pause without an answer took Charley’s focus from the mirror and the lip gloss. “You know you can handle anything.”
Inhaling, Poppy nodded. “I’m worried about Violet more than anything. I think his focus will land on her. But this was my idea, I don’t want her to be punished for it.”
“Guy’s an asshole,” Charley said, returning to her makeup. “I hope he comes for you, I really do. Turner will flatten him.”
From being annoyed about the relationship, Charley sure was coming to terms with it fast. Poppy felt blessed by that; Charley’s support meant the world to her.
“As hot as I might find that…” Poppy said, smiling at the brief expression of revulsion Charley’s reflection cast her way. “I don’t want that either. Holden has proved he doesn’t take humiliation lightly.”
“This is a big estate,” Charley said, stepping back to admire her makeup, though she was distracted by her hair. “We could just murder him and bury his body.”
Poppy exhaled a laugh. “Good plan, that won’t raise suspicion at all. CEO of a multibillion dollar company goes missing after last being seen entering the property of the family he’s been harassing for weeks. Nothing odd about that, right?”
“With the number of people we have here, we can all back each other up.”
The courts would never believe it. “It would be like an Agatha Christie whodunit.”
Spinning around, Charley raised her arms. “That would be fun.” She ran her fingers down through her hair. “This better work out tonight, if I don’t get my color done soon, I’ll lose maximum impact.”
“I can have a colorist here tomorrow,” Poppy said, leaving the bed to go over to her friend. “I’m so happy you’re here, Charley. I feel so much saner when you’re around.”
“If I’m your sanity, we’re in more trouble than I thought.”
Charley pulled her into a hug. It was nice just to appreciate a simple gesture. Especially when just a few days ago, she hadn’t been sure her friend would ever accept her again.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Turner said.
His unexpected comment interrupted their embrace. Poppy opened her eyes to see a reflection