Page 28 of Taking It Off
In fact, I’ve already put a sizeable down payment on our condo and signed a purchase agreement without even telling the guys. Which means, I really don’t have to pack all of this. I smack myself in the forehead and start putting clothes away, sorting what I really need and leaving what won’t be useful. Even if this is just our vacation home, the outfits I’m leaving will be more useful here.
I zip my suitcase and carry it to the front door. Three sets of eyes lock onto me, realizing that I’m not taking everything. I play innocent for a moment. “What? I’m ready to go now.”
“Where are all your clothes?” Luke asks, giving me a curious look.
“Well, most of them are in my dresser, in our condo,” I smirk.
Will laughs. “You bought the condo? That’s hilarious.” He turns to Jeremy and holds out his hand. “You owe me twenty bucks.” Then Luke. “And you owe me fifty.”
“You guys bet on if I’d buy the condo or not?” I’m amused and floored by how well Will knows me, and how easily he can con the other two.
Tucking the money in his wallet, he strolls over to me and kisses me again. “Thanks for being reliable, sugarplum.” Before I can respond, he grabs my suitcase and heads out the door.
“It’s not like we can’t afford it,” I say, trying to justify the purchase. “And your moms can all use it when we’re not. It’ll be like a time share, but we actually own it.”
Jeremy pats me on the head on his way out the door. “Whatever you say, Em.”
I turn to Luke. “Is he really mad about it?”
Luke shakes his head. “No. He actually bet that you’d buy it after the first month we were here. Will was the one who said you’d slip up today and tell us that you did it.”
“So, you all knew that I was going to? Damn. It was supposed to be a surprise.” Disappointment crosses my features, and Luke pulls me into his arms. I can’t help smiling at him as he kisses me deeply. The past six months have been the best of my life. I don’t want this to end.
Logically, I know heading home doesn’t mean things will change. And we are going to have to put my apartment on the market if we plan to get a bigger place in the city or near it. So, we have to go back. At least to settle things and get our living arrangements sorted.
“Mom said she has a surprise for us. She’s not sure how you’ll feel about it, though. But I couldn’t get her to tell me anything else,” Luke says as he breaks our kiss.
“Come on, guys, we need to go,” Will calls. Luke and I race down the path to the car.
A few hours later, we sit in the formal living room at Luke’s family home. It’s a gorgeous house, and his mom has made quite a few changes since we’ve been gone. Most of the fancy artwork is gone, along with the stuffy furniture.
“Wow, Ms. Donovan, I love what you’ve done with the place,” I say as she pours us tea.
“Now, dear, I’ve asked you to call me Kate. Please. Or Mom. I’m okay with either,” she insists.
“I’m sorry, Kate. It’s just hard to break old habits,” I answer.
“Can you tell us the big news, Mom? It’s making me crazy,” Luke says, fidgeting in his seat next to me.
“Lucas! Don’t rush me. I’m getting to it.” Kate pauses and looks around the room. “I’m glad you like the changes, Emily. Because I’d like to sign the house over to the four of you.”
My jaw drops. Luke nearly chokes on his tea. Jeremy’s eyes go wide, and Will is the only one able to respond. “We’d love that, Kate. Thank you.”
“But, it’s your home,” I argue.
She shakes her head. “No, dear. It was his home. This house never felt like a home to me. I’ll be much happier with the new place I just bought. After all, you did give each of us a rather nice nest egg, didn’t you?”
I can’t cover the look of shock on my face. No one is supposed to know that I’m the one who provided that money. How did she find out?
“Now, don’t freak out, dear. Carol, Jean, and I know that you took care of our problems for us. We also know about the money. And no, our sons did not tell us. We figured it out from how protective and nurturing you are. I, for one, am excited to have an assassin in the family. You never know when you’ll need that kind of help.” Kate grins at me, and I know I have nothing to fear with her knowing my secret. I’ve been family to her since her husband died—okay, since I killed him.
“I don’t know what to say. So, I’ll say thank you. For the house and for keeping my secret. I really appreciate it, especially since I’m the one who messed up your lives so much,” I offer.
Kate shakes her head and reaches for my hand. “Emily, dear. You did not mess up our lives. You saved us. The boys had no idea what their fathers were like behind closed doors, which was intentional. But you figured out our secret and saved us from it. Then you made sure we had what we needed financially. That’s not messing anything up. That’s taking care of family.”
I let her pull me off the couch and into a big hug. “I’ll be leaving after dinner, so you kids can move in tonight if you want.” Kate releases me and strolls off toward the kitchen.
“How do you guys feel about this?” I ask. I don’t want to be too excited if this isn’t something that they want.