Page 26 of Fighting Happily Ever After

Hope turned to their guest and started to explain. “You have to understand, Stephanie. My sister here wasn’t always a believer in love.”

“Really?”

“Really.” They all nodded, including Faith, who shrugged as Hope continued. “In fact, when we were younger, she was completely against the whole concept of love or marriage or any of it. It was crazy. I never could understand it.”

Logan kept his eyes on Faith, whose face had completely shifted while her sister was speaking. Her mouth was pressed into a line and her eyebrows furrowed with…worry?

“It wasn’t until this summer that she finally realized what she’s been missing.” Hope beamed at her sister. “And finally came to her senses with Logan.”

Under the table, he squeezed her hand in support—and maybe a bit of comradery.

“That’s so crazy.” Steph speared a piece of melon on her plate and brought it to her mouth. “But it only makes your story even more romantic and special. Don’t you think?”

Faith hesitated before answering. She swallowed hard but couldn’t seem to find the words, so Logan jumped in.

“I think that a little Irish cream in this coffee would make it absolutely perfect.” He released Faith’s hand and pushed up from the table. “Anyone else? We keep it up here, right?” He moved across the kitchen to the cupboard over the fridge, where he knew the women kept their alcohol.

“If we have any, it should be—”

“Got it.” Logan pulled the bottle out. A manila envelope fell out to the floor as he did so. “What’s this?”

Faith was up and across the room before he could even straighten up again. She snatched it from his hand and folded it in half. “It’s mine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Is it important?” Hope moved to push her chair back, but Levi held her in place with a hand on her shoulder and a concerned look.

“It’s not.” Faith moved quickly and shoved the envelope into her purse, but not before Logan noticed the panicked look on her face. When she turned around again, she faced the room with a smile. “Now, where’s that Irish cream, Logan? I think we could all use some. Except you, Hope.”

ChapterEleven

Brunch couldn’t end soon enough, asfar as Faith was concerned. Of course it dragged on and on, before finally Stephanie excused herself to go check out of her hotel and prepare herself to move into their house.

The whole idea of Stephanie Starz living in her house made Faith’s head hurt, but she couldn’t let herself think about the details of that particular problem at the moment. What she really needed to do was spend some time with her sister. First, she needed to deal with one thing.

Faith waited until Logan and Levi headed out toward the barn. Levi had offered to help out so she could visit with Hope, who’d relocated upstairs to her bedroom. She looked out the kitchen window and as soon as they reached the barn door, she grabbed her purse—and the envelope inside—and sprinted upstairs to her room.

She stood in the doorway and looked around.Where could she hide it?

She’d completely forgotten that she’d stuffed the envelope in the kitchen cabinet weeks ago. Thank goodness no one had found it before. It’s not that she liked keeping secrets, or even that she wanted to. In fact, she’d been about to show Hope exactly what was in there when Hope told her that she was having trouble with her pregnancy and was supposed to avoid stress of all kinds. How the hell could she tell her then the very thing that would be guaranteed to stress out her sister? It was definitely a secret she needed to know, but now was not the time. She’d waited all these years; she could wait a little longer.

Which was why she needed to hide the envelope. In the dresser? No. Logan had a drawer in her dresser now; he could open the wrong one and find it.

The closet?

Same problem.

Damn. Logan. He was everywhere all of a sudden.

If she hadn’t already been so worked up, Faith might have taken a minute to acknowledge the vibrations that ran through her body at the thought of him. Vibrations that went straight to that spot low in her belly and caused her mind to travel to all kinds of dirty locations the second she looked at the bed where together, they’d—

“Whatcha doing?”

Faith whirled around to see her sister in the doorway. Belatedly, she realized she was clutching the envelope in her hands.

Hope laughed. “I don’t know what I should ask you about first. The envelope or that blush on your face.” She nodded toward the bed. “I think we have a lot to talk about, sis.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Faith contemplated lying, but no one in the world knew her better than her twin sister. There was no point in lying or trying to cover anything up. But she might have a chance at distracting her. “I thought you were supposed to be in bed.” She gave Hope her best chastising look and walked toward her, with a shooing motion. “Come on. I’ll come into your room. We can talk and you can ask me anything you want.”

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