Page 15 of Finding New Dreams

Chloe, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice as she sank into one of the dining chairs. “Wait, back up, Gina. You were watching a horror movie while walking on a treadmill?”

Gina nodded, licking the envelope that Rose handed to her. “Got a gnarly bruise on my hip. Guess that’s what I get for exercising.”

Chloe shook her head, smiling. “No, that’s what you get for watching something with jump scares while operating heavy machinery.”

“Well, I guess the treadmill’s gotta go then. No way am I giving up my movies.”

I settled in next to Chloe and across from Rose, who was very studiously writing on the next envelope as if a teacher were looking over her shoulder to judge her penmanship. I should know—my writing was atrocious according to every schoolteacher I’d had. Nothing a cheeky smile and excellent class participation couldn’t fix.

I tipped one of those smiles toward Gina. “Or you could watch something a little less intense. Maybe a romcom or a documentary about the art of butter sculpting.”

She laughed, but all my attention zeroed in on Rose’s quickly smothered smile.

Point for me.

“Good ideas,” Gina said, “but not enough drama for me, unfortunately. Even though this one always picks a romcom for movie nights.” Gina nudged Rose, who quickly lifted her pen to avoid ruining the address.

“Is that so?” I said, resting my elbows on the table and leaning closer to Rose. Again, I felt myself begging her to look up, just look up. Notice me.

Finally, she did, her cheeks pink. “They’re my favorite.”

My smile widened, and I wished I could reach over and brush my thumb across her cheek, to see if her skin warmed with the color.

My voice came out huskier than I meant it to when I said, “Well, my knowledge of romcoms is sadly meager. Maybe we could watch one together. Lady’s choice.”

Her lips popped open in a little O, and my gut tightened hard enough to cut off my oxygen.

Then my sweet sister smacked my shoulder. “Quit hitting on her, Flynn. You’re going to make her uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine,” Rose rushed to assure Chloe, to my surprise. Then she smiled tentatively at me. “Maybe they’ll pick a romcom for the Pictures in the Park feature this year.”

Gina grumbled, “Not if I have anything to say about it,” just as I asked, “They’re still doing that event?”

Chloe nodded, already bent over her planner again, my transgression forgotten. “Every year in June. I purposely scheduled the wedding for the week after so the event and decorating committees could keep up a lot of the decorations, the stage, et cetera.”

I grimaced. “You’re not still going to thirty different town meetings a week, are you?”

Chloe pressed her lips together and gave me a prim look. “Just a few. The lodge takes up most of my time now. As well as wedding planning. Much more enjoyable than a lot of those meetings were, anyway. But that doesn’t mean I want to go out of my way to give them extra work.”

“Of course not, baby sis.” I bumped Chloe’s shoulder with mine. “You’re the epitome of low maintenance.”

She rolled her eyes hard enough to sprain something. “And you’re a choir boy.”

“I do sing beautifully.” Leaning closer to Rose, I whispered to her behind my hand. “I really don’t.”

She rolled her lips inward, but laughter still sparkled in her eyes. Dear lord, that was addicting.

Chloe cleared her throat. “Speaking of work, how’s yours going, Flynn?”

All the playfulness drained out of me. I slumped back in my chair and gazed around the house as if seeing it for the first time. “It’s fine. So how long have you lived here? Somebody did a great job with it.”

“Yeah, the previous owner did a lot of upgrades, and Hunter’s grandmother got it for a steal. Any shows coming up?”

“Not currently.”

Standing abruptly, I wandered to the patio door to get a view of their backyard. Lush green grass—which I rarely saw in L.A.—formed a blanket sectioned off by a black chain-link fence. A small shed stood in a back corner.

“What do you keep back there?” I asked, pointing through the glass at the shed. “Gardening tools? Extra planners and sticky notes? A guest room for Mom and Dad that only locks from the outside?”

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