Preston to stay, Primrose was doing that for her. She wasn’t sure how much the Maddoxes knew about the burgeoning relationship. Asking everyone to keep her secret made her more conscious of keeping their secrets.
“I don’t think he’ll be suspicious,” Charley said. “He’d never guess the truth in a million years.”
“Because he’s been reading you girls all your lives,” Val said. “Someone should stay here, to keep him busy.”
“I don’t mind staying,” Zoey said, leaning forward to take Casey’s hand. “We can stay.”
Just as Poppy had suspected, the teens wanted to remain together.
“We can stay too,” Faye said. “We won’t loop the kids in. They’re always good at taking up his time.”
Yes, they were. The kids would keep him busy and he wouldn’t be able to pepper them with questions as he might his sisters or mother.
“Then I’ll take the twins home,” Val said.
“Yeah, they suck at keeping secrets,” Charley said.
“I’ll be able to help with whatever you need,” Val said to Poppy without acknowledging Charley’s comment. “Fitting them will be easier at home too.”
“My sisters want to come back with us. Primrose more than Violet, but they’ll be able to help too.”
“It’ll be fun to get to know them better,” Charley said. “But where are you going to put them? None of the Venture apartments are vacant.”
“No,” Poppy said, a little worried about how the Maddoxes, Turner included, would take to her plan. “I thought they could stay in thirteen.”
“Our apartment?” Charley asked, either confused or affronted. “We only have two rooms and the floors aren’t done… I don’t think, unless Ritchie did them.”
“Doubt that,” Faye said. “He’s had his business to run and Turner’s too.”
“The guys will be a big help,” Zoey said. “They won’t have a problem stitching Turner up.”
Maybe not the way Poppy would like it put, but she was all in given everyone knew her plan.
“You want them to share a room?” Charley asked. “How do you think they’ll like that?”
“I thought it would be easier for us to move,” Poppy said, squirming under the scrutiny of the Maddox women.
“Because you’ll be moving in with Turner,” Faye said, figuring it out.
Val took that understanding a step further. “You’re taking Charley with you?”
Zoey snorted in amusement. “How do you think Turner will react to having a roomie?”
“He didn’t mind me and Poppy living together before.”
“Yeah, except it’s his apartment and newlyweds like privacy.”
Until Faye used the word, Poppy hadn’t thought about that part. Her planning hadn’t gone past the wedding.
“He won’t have time for a honeymoon,” Zoey said. “This is more of a vacation than he’s had in years.”
“We can have a honeymoon in the city,” Poppy said. “I’ll reserve a suite… That way he can still work if he wants to, but we’ll have our privacy for a while.”
“You could just move home, Charley,” Faye said. “Give them their privacy.”
“No way!” Charley objected. “Besides, there isn’t any space.”
“You can start looking for a house as soon as you want to,” Poppy said to Faye. “I figured you’d want to talk to Turner before deciding on anything. He’s happy to give his input… He still wants to support all of you like he always has. Marrying me won’t change that.”
“Wow,” Zoey murmured. “Turner, a husband… a father.”
“Freaky, isn’t it?” Charley said, squealing in excitement.
“Calm yourselves, all of you,” Val said, trying to temper the excitement.
A brief knock on the door came just before it opened. The three kids came running in, but it was Turner who wandered in behind them.
“My fiancée is leaving in twenty-four hours and this is my only day off all week,” he said, scanning the women with suspicion. “Think you could give her a minute of peace?”
“It was me,” Poppy said, standing up and winding her way through the women. She touched Emmie’s hair and Noah’s cheek as she passed them to go over to Turner. “Did you fit the lock on the deck doors?”
“Yeah,” he said, suspicion still lighting his eye. “Didn’t think you’d disappear while I was doing it.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, threading their fingers together. “I’m yours forever and always.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm hmm,” she said, smiling though he was still dubious. “Show me your handiwork, First.”
Saying that was better than requesting he take her to bed in front of his family, the kids included. He got her meaning though and the corner of his mouth lifted, clearing his curiosity. If he’d thought his family were conspiring against him, it