“You deserve nothing less.”
“You’re so good at dismantling my walls, Landon. Brick by brick. You’re very, very thorough.”
I chuckled, holding her even closer. I knew what she meant. She was blasting through mine.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maddie
My head seemed to weigh a thousand pounds when I woke up. Thankfully, the curtains were drawn together. My heart filled with joy at the realization that Landon must have done it. Voices filtered in from the living room through the cracked door. I recognized Will’s and Lori’s voices in addition to Landon’s. What were they doing here? I sat up, assessing my condition. I felt relentless pounding at the back of my head and along my temples, but no nausea. I was wearing an old shirt and yoga pants Landon had helped me change into last night. I rose from the bed and discovered I was steady on my feet.
Landon pushed the door open wider. “Thought I heard you move. How do you feel?”
“Headache,” I mumbled. “Are Lori and Will here?”
“We came to the rescue,” Lori called. Landon smiled, taking my hand and leading me to the living room.
Lori and Will were sitting next to each other on my couch. Lori pointed to the plastic bottle on my revolving bookcase, which also served as a coffee table. The greenish liquid inside the bottle gave me the creeps. In my experience, no green drink tasted better than it looked.
“That’s the Connors’ secret hangover cure,” she explained. “Very efficient.”
Will pitched in. “As a tester, I vouch for it one hundred percent.”
“Well, if even someone with a badge vouches for it, I’m sold. Thanks.” I sat on the chair opposite them, still eying the liquid with suspicion. “What are you two doing here? Where’s Milo?”
“Milo has a playdate,” Lori said. “Landon called to ask me for the cure’s recipe. I like you too much to allow my dearest brother to poison you, so I made it myself. Landon’s heart is in the right place, but his skills in the kitchen are not. Will was having breakfast with me, so he tagged along.”
I felt so much gratitude toward the three Connors under my roof, doting on me. Landon grabbed the bottle and headed to the kitchen. Moments later, he returned and handed me my favorite cup, the one that said “Every Day Feels Like Monday Without Coffee.” The greenish liquid looked a little more appealing.
“Thanks.”
“Do you want anything else? I’ll go get it,” Landon said.
“No, I’m good.”
Lori sighed, then nudged Will. “Watch. Learn.”
“Are you implying I don’t know how to treat a woman?” he asked.
“A sister can never be too careful.”
“You mean too nagging.”
I grinned at Landon and fake whispered, “Do you think they remember we’re here?”
Landon kissed my forehead, whispering back, “Oh yeah. They just don’t care.”
I brought my mouth to his ear and whispered for real, “Would you mind if I invite your family for my birthday dinner?”
Even though I’d gone to their Fourth of July party and even to some Friday night dinners, I didn’t want to cross any boundaries.
“Not at all,” he said out loud.
I cleared my throat. “Will, Lori, my birthday is in two weeks, on that Tuesday. If you have time, I’d love if you stopped by. I’ll call everyone else today.”
Lori frowned. “That’s the day our cousin Sebastian is visiting with his family.”
“They can come too,” I said. “The more, the merrier. I’ll probably have to find a new location, though.”