Her words tug at my heartstrings. “I can’t believe I have a roomful of people helping me.”
“The Bennetts are lovely.”
“I can’t believe they’re doing this for me.”
“Well, technically they’re doing it for Logan. But they all heard plenty about you, trust me. How are things with Logan, anyway?”
I drop my voice to a whisper, even though it’s just us back here. “It feels like I’ve known him forever. He’s... I had no idea men could be like him.”
“You have to thank Mrs. Bennett for raising them the way she did. They’re one of a kind.”
“He’s made me think about things I wanted to forget. Like love...”
“It’s the Bennett effect, trust me,” Ava tells me. “On our first date, I was daydreaming about the initials in my signature if I carried Sebastian’s name.”
“This man could get me pregnant by just looking at me,” I sigh dramatically.
Ava elbows me so hard I nearly drop my bucket. “He did more than look at you, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Do tell,” Ava beckons.
“Don’t,” Pippa says, having just entered the room. “I’m all for finding out the dirty details, but Mom’s ears are finer than a rabbit’s. She can hear gossip even through walls. I don’t know about you, but I always thought moms had to be kept in PG-13 territory.”
Ava and I burst out laughing.
“Why don’t we do a girls’ night out instead?” Pippa suggests.
“Sure. I have a ton of work, but I’m sure we can find some time,” I reply. Also, I love the idea of having a group of girlfriends.
“Letting steam off is important. Though, by the sound of things, my brother’s helping you plenty.”
“So, you can hear through walls too?” I ask.
“Maybe,” Pippa answers with a smile. “Or maybe I like to eavesdrop.” Then Mrs. Bennett casually enters the room, asking us if we need any help. With a grin, I assure her we’re fine.
After she leaves, Pippa asks no one in
particular, “How is it that being around her always makes me feel like a teenager?”
“That’s the effect moms have,” I reply, thinking fondly of my own.
For the next two hours, everyone works hard. Except for Summer who, after finishing the tasks Pippa entrusted her with, has found herself with nothing to do. She brought everyone coffee from across the street, followed by sandwiches. After pumping coffee and food into each of us, she proceeded to talk everyone’s ear off. Her current victim is Alice.
“Summer, I love you,” Alice says, “but for Heaven’s sake, how can you talk so much?”
Summer gives her the stink eye. “I spend hours alone each day. I love my art, but paintings don’t talk back. So shut up and listen to me.”
Alice rolls her eyes, but she continues to listen to Summer’s rant, and even shares her opinion whenever Summer pauses for breath.
“I swear she’s the most talkative of us all,” Blake says.
“And she has no filter,” Daniel adds. The twins are helping Pippa and me.
“Well, I will say she’s the only one who calls you man-whores to your faces,” Pippa says. At Daniel and Blake’s stricken expressions, she adds, “Oops, I guess I just did too.”
“I’m not. . .” Blake stutters. “I mean, lately, I haven’t. . .”