His brow arched in intrigue. "Are you happy here? You are a way away from the liveliness of the city."
"I like it here just fine."
"Have you gotten to meet any of your neighbors yet?"
There it was. The seemingly innocent question about whether or not I’d met Noel.
I wanted to stare daggers at him but kept my gaze over the water for fear I might give away that I’d had sex with Noel. For a moment, I reconsidered. What would Bran do if the man he was in cahoots with to spy on me had fucked me. But I quickly dismissed that plan. I’d save what I knew and possibly what I’d done for another time.
"I didn't move out here to socialize, Bran. I moved out here for some peace and quiet. You were the one that wanted me to sort out my life and find direction. That’s what I'm here to do."
He tilted his head. "Why are you angry at me now? Can't we have a normal brother and sister conversation without you giving me the evil eye all the time?"
I feigned thinking about it. Then I shook my head. "Nope." I returned to my guests.
Over the next few days, the solitude that I once craved was starting to cave in around me. I was beginning to feel alone, so I called Anne to see if we could get together for lunch.
"I'd love to some time, but today I have a playdate for Brandie. Everyone's coming over here. Why don't you join us?"
"I don't have a child to contribute." I wondered if I could rent a kid like Noel had done. Maybe I could rent Mo.
She laughed. "You're still invited. You're one of the girls."
"Can I bring another single find? I'm thinking of Kate."
"The more the merrier."
I called Kate to see if she wanted to come to the play date lunch over at Anne's. I could tell it didn’t excite her, but I told that I thought Lucy, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, would be there.
When I arrived at Anne’s, the other ladies I'd met at Dane's pool party were there including his wife Bridget and their twins, Kate's sister-in-law, Lucy with her baby, and Lane with her ten-year old daughter Emery, who was playing with all the younger children.
Kate arrived just after me. Anne handed us both a wine spritzer.
"If I drink this, I'm not going to end up like the rest of you, pregnant with kids, am I?” Kate said, gesturing to the women and all their babies.
I laughed. "You need a man for that. I think we’re safe."
Kate clicked her glass against mine. "Hallelujah."
Anne arched a brow. "Are you saying you don't like men? Or children?"
"I like men just fine. And kids are okay. But I like them all better living in their own homes and not with me."
I clicked my glass against Kate. "Sing it, sister."
"Now you can't be all negative on families while you're here. This is a positive family zone."
I snorted. "They're just hoping they'll be able to rope us in for some babysitting," I said to Kate.
I worried a little bit that I would feel out of place with all these married mothers, even with Kate there. But with Emery helping entertain the babies, the ladies and I were able to talk and gossip. Every now and then the topic of child rearing or husbands would come up. The weird thing was that when it did, I didn't feel like the odd man out. Instead, I felt a little bit envious.
"Tell us about that fabulous house you have near the beach at Ramsey's Cove," Kate said.
"Oh, it's fabulous, alright." Anne piped in.
I watched her for a moment trying to decipher if she knew that she and Bran had owned the house before me. But just like at my housewarming party, now wasn't the time or place to confront her.
"It's exactly as you said. Fabulous,” I answered.