Page 6 of Pillowtalk

“Let me settle her in first, mkay?” Chelsea babbled on. “Then we can get started, yeah?”

Aaron nodded. “You got it.” His eyes moved to Kennedy, and she begged her face to remain a natural color. “It was nice meeting you.”

Go figure…he actually seemed quite genuine with the sentiment. Kennedy laughed at herself, reaching inside the car for the urn. “I promise, I’ll be nicer next time.”

His chuckle was lighthearted and warm, wiping away at the awkwardness of Kennedy’s massive mistake. To be fair, the two brothers looked insanely similar.

Chelsea brushed off her confusion at their exchange and led Kennedy inside. The B&B was painted just as colorfully as the exterior, baby blue and popping yellow in the entryway, with beige furniture accented with pastel pillows. Kennedy felt an instant sense of home as she followed Chelsea up the stairs, and she wondered if it had something to do with Jared’s ashes in her arms, or if it was purely because she was so happy to be in a place with a bed after three days of travel.

Chelsea led her up to the very top floor of the four-level B&B. Kennedy bit her lip, crooking her neck over her shoulder. Poor Daniel…she wondered if he’d hiked up with all her luggage.

“Phew!” Chelsea breathed, her chest heaving from the climb. “I do those stairs daily and still…” She pointed unabashedly at her reddened face. “Jared always stayed in this room when he came home, but if you want a room on one of the lower levels—”

“This is perfect,” Kennedy sighed, glancing around at the simplicity and privacy of the new space. Her luggage sat next to a queen bed, blue and gold sheets stretched across the mattress. A small closet was to her left, next to a vanity dresser and high-backed chair that matched the furniture downstairs. Kennedy gladly kicked off her shoes, audibly groaning the moment her toes curled into the soft rug under her feet.

Chelsea smiled, grabbed Kennedy’s wrist, and tucked a key inside her palm. “This floor has its own bathroom—shower included. It’s just out the door and to the right. Breakfast is at eight thirty every morning, but don’t feel like you have to join everyone.” Her shoulders lifted as she took a deep breath and let it out. “It’s good to have you here.”

“It’s good tobehere.”

Chelsea gave her a quick smile before letting out another sigh. “Sleep off that jet lag. I’m going to get Aaron started on saving our Wi-Fi. Then we can do lunch. Good?”

“Good.”

Chelsea turned, her shoes smacking against each step as she descended the stairwell. Kennedy shut herself in, smiling at finally being there, laughing at the fool she had just made of herself, and then falling back onto the bed. She propped the urn up against the pillow on the left side—Jared’s side—and grinned.

“Welcome home, sweetie.”

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