Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“He can try,” Erin says, not looking concerned in the least. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more at home than I do here, and I’m not leaving on Sunday with the rest of you.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, if you decide that this isn’t right for you, you can always come home. That’s the perk of having a gigantic family who would do anything for you.”
“I know.” Her eyes fill with tears as she looks up at me. “I know, Drew. That’s the only reason I have the guts to try in the first place.”
I blow out another breath and then dig into my own meal before it goes cold. “Well, great. Your dad’s gonna kill me.”
She grins. “No, he won’t. I mean, he probably won’t.”
Chapter 16
London
“Sidney, you need this!” Emma, who I’ve learned is the youngest of the cousins at nineteen, waves a scarf in the air as she hurries over to Sidney Sterling. I recognized Sidney right off the bat because I’m more than a little obsessed with her music.
She’s the hottest thing in Nashville right now.
And, she just happens to be married to Drew’s cousin, Keaton.
The number of celebrities in this family is jaw-dropping. All the girls decided that today, our last day in town, was the perfect day to spend shopping in Bitterroot Valley, while the guys wanted one more day on the slopes.
Shopping is keeping me from obsessing about Drew getting hurt.
“It’ll be perfect to wear on stage while you sing ‘Little Miss,’” Emma continues. “It’s country, but it has an edge to it, you know?”
“I think you’re right,” Sid responds with a grin. “Sold. Why don’t I just hire you to outfit my whole stage look? You’re way better at it than me.”
Emma preens under the praise. She’s dressed stylishly in jeans and a white, cut-off sweater that shows her flat stomach. A long, brown jacket completes the look, along with matching boots.
She’s stunning.
“You’re seriously good at the fashion thing,” Stella says to Emma. “You should change majors to fashion design.”
“Right.” Emma rolls her eyes and moves on to a rack of sweaters. “My dad is convinced that I’ll be taking over the family business.”
“And what is the family business?” I ask, completely in the dark.
“Wine,” Olivia says with a wink. “Uncle Dominic owns Cuppa da Vita winery.”
“I love their wine.” I turn to Emma, impressed. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Sure, it’s fine.” Emma shrugs. “But it’s not exactly my passion.”
“Tell your dad that,” Sidney suggests. “He’s not a mind reader, Em. And I may not know him well, but he’s not unreasonable.”
“No, he’s just annoying,” Emma mutters. “Anyway, let’s not talk about this anymore because it’s totally a bummer.”
“I’m buying this scarf,” Sidney says, setting off for the cashier.
“I want to go to that shop next door,” Lucy announces. “The name of it is so cute. A Pocket Full of Polly.”
“I’ll meet you over there,” Sidney says with a wave, and we all head over to the other shop. Most of us have stuck together. Drew’s sisters, along with Sophie and Haley, are down the street at a pet shop, and promised to catch up with us. They wanted some things for Sophie’s dog.
“I’m really impressed by all the cool shops in this town,” Zoey, Erin’s younger sister, says. “I mean, it’s a tiny place, but the shops are on point. The food’s been good, too.”
“I agree.” I smile at Zoey, and I can’t help but wonder if she knows that her sister isn’t coming back to Seattle with us tomorrow.
It’s certainly not my place to say anything.
“Oh, this is adorable,” Olivia announces as we make our way inside the dress shop.
And she’s not wrong.
The clothes are stylish, while also keeping in the western/cowboy theme. It’s not cheesy at all, and I already see some things that I’d like to try on.
“Hi, everyone.” A beautiful woman, so petite and small, with flaming red hair and the prettiest blue eyes, approaches us. “I’m Polly.”
“The owner,” I guess, and smile when Polly nods. “This shop is fabulous, and I just stepped inside. I already love it.”
“Thanks.” Polly smiles widely. “I have hot apple cider and cookies over on that table. Please, feel free to help yourselves while you shop.”
“Clever,” I murmur, taking mental notes. It smells homey and inviting in here, and I can’t resist leaving the others to shop while I approach the owner to chat business. “I just wanted to tell you that I really do love this space. How long have you owned it?”
“About four years,” she replies with a smile.
“The name is brilliant.”
“I worried that it was too, I don’t know, corny at first, but people don’t forget it. I’m so small, and when I was growing up, I was called things like Polly Pocket, or the parents of my friends would say they could just put me in their pocket. I decided to make that work to my advantage.”