Chapter 62

62

I bounce on my toes in anticipation as Lorna pulls into the castle drive. I wrench her car door open before she stops completely, tackling her in a crushing hug.

"God, it's good to have you back here."

"We just saw each other, Isla," she admonishes, squeezing me tightly anyway.

"I know, but it's not enough. I miss my big sister."

Lorna rolls her eyes but can't quite hide her smile. "I miss you, too, wee shrimp."

I groan. "That nickname is one thing I haven't missed."

She laughs, perfectly aware of how much I dislike it. "You are the shortest one in the family, Isla."

"And how is that my fault?" I ask, helping her grab her bags from the car and following her inside.

"It's not, but it's still fun to tease you about it."

"Who's watching the kids?" I ask as we make our way to the guest room with the biggest bathroom. It's the same one we've been using to get ready in since we were kids.

"The neighbors."

My brows pull together in confusion. "Neighbors? Since when do you have neighbors?" The last I knew, Lorna didn't have any neighbors. The only farm close to hers has been abandoned for years.

"They bought the farm next to mine at the start of winter."

"And you know them well enough to leave your kids with them?" I realize my mistake the second the words leave my mouth. She's a fantastic mother, and I have no reason to question her decision. "Don't answer that. Obviously, the answer is yes. Why haven't you mentioned them before?"

Lorna scowls but ignores the foot I just put in my mouth. "I haven't?" she asks, her eyes wide, trying to look innocent.

"You know you haven't,” I say, narrowing my eyes.

"You're sure? I could have sworn I did." She drops her gaze, unzipping her garment bag.

"You're such a bad liar. What are you hiding? Tell me about them."

She throws up her hands. "God, you can be so stubborn sometimes! There's nothing to tell. It's a single dad and his two stepsons. Well, kind of his stepsons–they’re really close in age, so it’s kind of complicated. Their house burned down in a fire in Australia two years ago, killing his wife and their mother. They decided to move somewhere that didn't have wildfires and ended up here."

"Three guys are taking care of my niece and nephew right now?" I ask, my eyes nearly bulging out of my head.

"The kids love them, Isla. And I swear they're more careful than I am. I've had to tell them to ease up a bit, or I swear they wouldn't even let them run."

My brain is racing, trying to put all of the pieces together. "Let me get this right. You left your kids with your three guy neighbors who you seem to know very well, yet you've never mentioned them a single time," I say, ticking the facts off on my fingers.

"Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong," Lorna huffs, getting irritated.

"Okay, okay. I'll drop it. But next time I'm out there, I want to meet them."

"Fine."

"Fine. "

Lorna's gaze finally lifts enough to notice my necklace, and she comes closer, lifting it gently. "Did Henry give you this?" I nod. "It's beautiful. What about Dylan? Has he proposed yet?"

I hold up my left hand, showing her the band. "He asked Jack for something that was Mother's. The diamonds are hers, and the wood is from the bar at the pub."

"Oh, Isla!" Tears are already running down her face as she throws her arms around me. "I'm so glad they found you and that you didn't give up on each other."

"Me, too," I sigh, squeezing her tightly. My alarm goes off in my pocket, startling both of us. "Two hours until show time. Are you ready for this?" I ask, nerves bubbling in my stomach.

"You have no idea. I haven't let loose in way too long."

An hour and a half later, Lorna and I are staring into the mirror, transfixed. "Damn, you look fucking hot. Too bad your neighbor-dad isn't here to see you."

"It's not–" she snaps her mouth closed, refusing to finish the sentence.

"One of the stepsons then," I amend, watching her closely. Her cheeks flame, but she doesn't say anything. "Both of the stepsons?" I can read her like a book and know I haven't quite hit the nail on the head. "All three?" I whisper. Her head snaps up, her eyebrows forming points over her deep blue eyes.

"Enough, Isla."

Oh shit. "Do they know you have a crush on them?"

"Isla!"

"You need to tell them, Lorna. Life is too short not to embrace a chance like this. And Lord knows, most of us don't get an opportunity to live next to a hot dad and his two hottie stepsons"

"God, you're never going to stop, are you?" she groans, covering her face with her hands.

"Do they know what you went to school for?"

"I swear to god, if you breathe a word when you meet them, I'll cut out your tongue," she threatens, her eyes flashing.

"Jesus Christ!" I take a step back, holding up my hands. She must really like them. Interesting. I bite my lip to hide my grin and turn back to the mirror, inspecting my reflection. My costume is barely more than a scrap of diaphanous fabric. The neckline of the dress attaches to a gold ring around my neck, the fabric draping over my breasts, falling in soft folds to the floor. It covers all the critical parts but leaves an incredible amount of skin bare. My skin has a soft golden sheen thanks to gold-flecked body oil. I meticulously painted over my freckles with gold paint, leaving my hair down, allowing the copper ringlets to fall down my bare back. A large gold headpiece keeps my hair off my face, golden spikes radiating from my head like rays of the sun.

"Do you think I'm missing anything?" I ask, turning to Lorna.

"Not a thing. You look magnificent. What about me?"

Lorna is dressed as Diana, the goddess of the hunt. She looks like a wood nymph with a lust for revenge. Her gown is less revealing, layers of breezy, cool-toned fabrics flowing over her curves like water over rocks. A silver chain is fastened around her waist, revealing the swell of her hips. She has a huge bow slung over her back, fastened by a thin strap across her chest that blends in with the dress. Her hair is piled on top of her head, curls falling down in a way that makes it look like she just ran through a forest. I lined her eyes with a reddish-orange, making the blue of her irises pop, finishing her look with a swipe of brown mascara and lip gloss. She is absolute perfection.

"You look beautiful, Lorna. Now , tell me about your neighbors before we have to go downstairs."

"Isla-"

"Please? At least show me some pictures!"

She rolls her eyes at me, turning back to inspect her reflection.

"Don't even tell me you don't have pictures of them. I know you better than that. Don't make me steal your phone."

She sighs, snatching the phone away from my outstretched hand. She opens her camera roll, scrolling back a couple of pictures. "This is the dad."

I look down at a picture of a man about the same age as Lorna. He's ruggedly handsome, gray hair just starting to show at his temples. "How old is he?"

"Thirty-five," she says softly, staring at the picture.

"How old are his sons?"

"Stepsons," she corrects. "His wife was older than him. They're twenty-eight."

"They're twins?" I ask when she doesn't give another age.

She nods, holding out the phone to show me a picture of two guys who look like runway models.

"Ohhh, this is trouble," I breathe, my eyes widening more with each picture she scrolls through.

"So much trouble," Lorna whispers, her gaze lingering on a picture of all three of them.

"Good luck with that." I grin at her, excited for this new side quest in her chaotic life. "Are you ready to dance your ass off?" I ask, excitement swooping in.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

"Wait." She looks so beautiful that I can't help myself. I grab the phone from her hand, open the group chat that shows three tiny little guys at the top, snap a picture of her, and send it to them before she can protest. I throw both of our phones on the bed and drag her out the door, heading down to where I can already hear the music thumping away.