It was more like noon when we finally resurfaced. We talked a lot in between loving. I didn’t only need to get reacquainted with his body, but I’d missed our talks. I’d been trying to ignore him during the time he’d been here. Not that anyone could really ignore Ian when he was excited about something, least of all me.

We snuck over to the lodge and used one of the empty rooms to wash up. I usually showered at my aunt’s house or my parents, but I didn’t think stinking like sex and rolling up to my house was a good plan.

Especially when my mother worked such weird hours. One never knew when she was going to have to take care of one of her babies. Never thought I’d be jealous of orchids in my damn life, but sometimes I really was.

When we came down the stairs, Aunt Laverne was crossing the shared living space. “Oh, there you are.”

“Hello.” Ian rushed down the stairs to her and got a big old hug.

I leaned on the stair railing. “I see loyalty means nothing in this family?”

My aunt stepped back and smoothed her hair. “Of course it does.” She frowned. “However, I believe the two of you were coming down the stairs together.” She crossed her arms. “And why would that be?”

I straightened. “About that.”

Ian brightened and curled his arm around my aunt. “Aunt Laverne, Zoe has finally seen the light.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

I squinted at my aunt. “Again, how about that loyalty?”

She leaned into Ian. “It’s obvious you two are meant for each other, you just had to catch up to it, sweetheart.” She wrinkled her nose. “Takes a little wind out of my sails though. I was hoping I could ask you for a little favor, Ian.”

“Anything for you.”

I rolled my eyes and came down the stairs. “I need food if this is how the conversation is going to go.”

“Don’t mind her, she gets grumpy when she’s hungry.” My aunt hooked her arm through Ian’s. “I just cut up some fresh tomatoes from Sarah’s garden. Would you like a toasted cheese?”

“Oh, I like those.”

I dropped into a chair in the big dining room and kitchen area of the lodge. “I see you’re the one that’s been fattening up my…” What the hell was she supposed to call him?

“Future father of your children?”

I blinked at him. “Ian.”

“Too much?”

“Ya think?” I pulled over one of the complimentary waters from the middle of the table and took a swig.

My aunt clasped her hands together. “Oh, you really are back together. A spring wedding would be lovely here at the orchard.”

I choked. “Aunt Laverne.”

“What? Is it an extended engagement?”

“It’s not an engagement at all.” Yet. Maybe. God, we sort of hadn’t talked about that part. Ian went right for babies and family. I spared a glance at him, but he was too busy filching slices of tomato.

“Don’t scare her, Aunt Laverne.” Ian popped a pickle slice into his mouth. “I just got her to stop hating me.”

“Well, you were talking babies.”

I cleared my throat. “You sent for Ian. Did you need something?”

He walked around the kitchen island to stand by me. He pushed a plate full of my favorite things in front of me. When had he figured those things out?

“Right. You know how we’ve been trying to make the big harvest celebration a little bigger each year?” When I nodded instead of speaking with my mouth full, she went on. “Well, I finally convinced your Uncle Fred and your father to bring in some musical talent. I thought maybe you’d want to play, Ian?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You have a band, right?”

“Yes.” He swallowed hard and pounded on his chest a few times. “I do have a band.”

“I know it’s sort of short notice. The festival is in a few weeks. Do you think you could arrange it? Maybe you could call LeeLee, Zoe?”

I paused with my fingers hovering over a sweet pepper. “Pardon?”

“LeeLee?” Ian frowned.

Laverne sat at the head of the table and patted his hand. “Lila, dear.”

“Crandall?” Ian’s eyebrows snapped down. “Oh, they don’t like me. Why would you call them?”

Laverne patted his hand. “Don’t say that, dear. Besides, harvest is generally a family affair. Lila and her family can’t always make it, but since Oblivion’s not touring I thought maybe we could get them to come.”

“I don’t know, Aunt Laverne. She’s really busy. Besides, she’s your daughter. Don’t you think you should call?”

“Yes, of course. But you two need to make up.” She stood. “So, you’ll call her.” As if it was already decided, she bustled back into the kitchen. “Now one sandwich or two?”

“Two for me, please.”

I elbowed Ian.

He frowned at me. “What? You weren’t serious about me being fat.” He lifted his shirt and rubbed his six-pack. “These are coming along quite nicely, I thought.”

I pulled his shirt down. “Oh, for God’s sake.” I’d been intimately acquainted with those abs and I could attest there wasn’t an extra spare ounce on him.

He gave me a cheeky grin and stole a pepper from my plate. “Do you think it would be too much to ask for three?”

“Yes.”

“You’re probably right. Maybe she’ll have some crisps over there.”

I rolled my eyes. He was a human garbage disposal.

I pulled my phone out and went into the other room as they laughed and joked through the process of making toasted cheese. Mostly because Ian was looking to learn how and my aunt was all too happy to have another student in her kitchen.

My thumb hovered over Lila’s contact number.

I just needed to get it over with. I hadn’t been mad at my cousin this long since…ever. Lila may have been high-handed with how she treated me in regards to Ian and working with Ripper, but I knew it came from a good place. And she was protective of all her people, but with her family, she was a lioness.

I hit call and lifted the phone to my ear.

She picked up immediately. “Is everyone all right?”

“Everyone’s fine, LeeLee.”

“Oh.” She blew out a shaky breath. “I wasn’t expecting your call.”

“I know it. I should have called sooner.”

“It’s all right, I knew you needed time.” She paused. “We both did.”

“I’m sorry—”

“I’m sorry—”

We both laughed.

“I don’t like fighting with you.” I slumped into one of the oversized chairs in the main living space.

“I don’t either. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“No one knew it was going to go that way.” I sighed. “All right, so maybe your instincts were on point for one thing—but the rest? No. Ian didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“I’d say extortion counts as hurting someone.” Her voice turned clipped.

“Yes, but he couldn’t go through with it. He did everything he could to never go through with it. Even starving himself and sending all of his own money to Jerry.”

“Are you really defending him?”

“I am. I love him, Lila. The real deal, like you have with Nick.”

“Nick would never—”

“Really? Are you really going to say that scrapper who came here all those years ago wouldn’t have done anything for his family?”

“That’s different.”

“Why? Because he’d rather do it with his fists back then?”

I remembered when Nick first came to Happy Acres. How rough around the edges he’d been until he was loved and accepted by my aunt and uncle.

Until Lila.

“Nick would die before he’d ever steal anything.”

“Oh, really? I believe he and Klepto were of a similar mind.”

“That was to survive.”

“LeeLee, listen to yourself.”

“Dammit, Zoe.”

I smiled into the phone. “I’m not saying it wasn’t wrong and he’s been making it up to everyone since that day. He even went to talk to Simon and Margo.”

“I know, I talked to Margo.” She sighed. “All of you are too soft.”

“Says the inadvertent matchmaker of Ripper Records. Who’s next? Flynn and Sabrina?”

“God, no.”

In between the hours of getting reacquainted, Ian had told me a lot about his time at Flynn’s. Especially about the spicy Sabrina and Flynn’s reaction to her. I made a noncommittal hum.

“Besides, Flynn isn’t on Ripper. Though we are working on him.”

“Because he and Ian are amazing.”

“I would have dropped him from the label no matter how big that single became. I wouldn’t have even let them record it.”

“But Donovan overrode you.” Her silence was all the information I needed. “He was dealt a pretty shitty hand, but he figured—”

“Too late. He figured it out too late and Margo almost died.”

I closed my eyes at her near shout. Lila didn’t shout. I could practically feel her reining herself in. “I love him. I hope one day you’ll understand that and be able to accept it. But I don’t want my relationship with him to ruin ours. I’ll keep you both separate if I have to, but I just wanted you to know I was sorry. That I understand you were only protecting me.”

“You’re my family.”

“And Ian’s my family. Come to the harvest celebration. Bring your family. Bring Simon and Margo if you can. See just how different he is and how much he’s fallen in love with my family.”

“My mother adopts every stray that comes by.”

“She did the same with Nick and Simon.”

Lila blew out a breath. “We planned on coming out, but now I don’t know.”

“Bring the girls and bring that stud of yours.”

“Zoe.” Her voice was exasperated.

I laughed. “Just try. I think you’ll find Margo and Simon might just want to come out. At least if my conversation with Ian is anything to go by. And Aunt Laverne misses the girls.”

“No promises.”

I knew it was as good as done. Grandbabies always trumped personal strife. “I love you, LeeLee.” We were a loving family, but we didn’t really fling around the L-word. It was more of a gesture thing.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as I ended the call. I turned to find Ian giving me a bright smile. He’d probably listened to the whole thing.

“How long were you there, Mr. Eavesdropper?”

“Long enough.” He came in the room and sat on the ottoman in front of me. “Still hates me, huh?”

I leaned forward and tugged him down for a kiss. “Only thing that matters is I don’t.”

“That’s very true.” He grinned against my mouth. “I don’t want to cause strife between your family, Magic.”

“Well, we can’t control that. All we can do is move forward.”

“And we will. Right after we go see your gallery owner.”

I dropped my head against his chest. “Do we have to?”

“Yes. Everyone needs to see your amazing paintings. As beautiful as they are in the barn, they should be shared.”

I blew out a breath. “You’re right.”

“I am?” He cupped the back of my neck. “I mean, of course I am.”

I kissed him one last time. “All right. Let’s go do this.”

“Do we have to pack up your paintings or something?”

“I have one in the back of Beckett’s truck and the rest in a digital portfolio.”

“You’re going to change, right?”

I glanced down at my shorts and top. “Good point.”

He slid his arm around my shoulders and drew me out of the chair. “Let’s get you all artsied up, love.”

I was afraid what that meant, but I’d hitched my wagon to his crazy. I had to trust him. “Lead the way.”