All That Really Matters, Nicole Deese [best detective novels of all time .TXT] 📗

said as he waved his hand in front of my face, leaning out the driver’s-side window of his Chevy. “Maybe you could stop gawking long enough to give me some instructions on where you’d like this truckload of pea gravel.”

Ignoring his comment, I scanned the perimeter of the manor and pointed to an area not too far from where Silas pruned the apple trees. Sometimes I thought Miles had more sway than a celebrity in the area of asking for goods or services. Whatever he asked for—or didn’t ask for!—people freely gave. Just like the pea gravel he’d been gifted for the grounds at Fir Crest Manor. “The tables will be placed near where the guys are building the stage out there, so if we could spread the gravel around the base of the trees and the paver walkways, that would be great.”

“And by we I’m assuming you mean me?” Miles asked through a lighthearted grin.

I beamed up at my brother and patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve always been such a quick learner.”

He rolled his eyes and tossed a dirty work glove out his window at me. I dodged it. “I think your short hair has made you even bossier.”

“Hey, you have no room to complain. I paid you in hot apple fritters from Deb’s Bakery.”

Miles peered over the steering wheel to where Silas offered Diego a hand with a top-heavy wheelbarrow overloaded by tree limbs and weeds.

“Something tells me Silas is getting more out of this than hot apple fritters.” He side-eyed me. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Silas take orders from anybody like he took them from you today.”

I picked the glove up off the gravel and slapped my brother’s arm with it. “Perhaps he just recognizes my stellar event planning talents.”

Miles made a disbelieving noise in his throat and continued to study me. “Anything you want to disclose?”

“As in . . . ?” I couldn’t leave that one alone. My brother was never more uncomfortable than when talking about my love life.

“Come on, Molly.” He cleared his throat. “It’s obvious he cares for you. Anything with a pulse could pick up on that. Something is going on between you two.” Miles arched an eyebrow.

“You’re right. There is something going on between us.”

He tipped his head back against the headrest, already in problem-solving mode. Already planning to fix his sister’s poor judgment calls and impulsive behavior. Only, there wasn’t a mess for him to clean up this time.

“But it’s not . . .” How should I even word it? Silas wasn’t like any of the men I’d ever dated. Least of all Ethan. “I mean, it’s good, Miles. Silas is . . . well, Silas is the only man I’ve ever wanted to introduce Mom and Dad to.”

Slowly, Miles twisted his neck to look at me. “You’re serious?”

“Reverend.” A sly smile tugged on my face as I turned my head to see Silas jogging toward Glo to unburden a tray of fresh sandwiches from her arms. I redirected my attention to Miles once again. “There is absolutely nothing you need to worry about. I promise you.”

Miles’s wide eyes looked from me to where Silas waved from across the property, gesturing to the sandwiches, chips, and water bottles. An invitation to join the troops for lunch. I nodded and held up a finger to indicate we’d be over in just a minute.

“You see a future with him?”

“I do.” I’d never spent much time imagining myself as a bride or even as a wife. But I also couldn’t imagine wanting to be married to anybody else.

“Then it really is too bad Mom and Dad couldn’t rework their travel plans. I’m sure they’d want to meet him.”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” I said, meaning it. “I knew it was a long shot since they’re overseas.”

“It meant a lot to Mom that you called to invite them to The Event, you know. She’s mentioned it to me at least five times.”

The call to my mom had been short and a bit awkward, but it had been the right next step to take with my parents. My family. We were different, yes, but those differences didn’t have to divide us. Truth was, though I hadn’t fit inside their full-time ministry box, I certainly hadn’t made room for them in mine, either. “Sounds like they’ll be stateside sometime in November to raise support again, so I’ll make sure to plan some dinners with them so they can meet Silas and maybe come out here to the manor.”

Miles smiled. “Good idea.”

“Molly, will you eat with us?” Monica and Wren called out, looking up from their massive pile of printed programs under the picnic shelter. I gave them a thumbs-up, noting how adorable Wren’s hair looked with a simple gold barrette pinned above her right ear. When I’d hired my stylist to come to the cottage to give all the girls a much-needed trim before our big day, she’d ended up donating her time for all our haircuts—including Glo’s sassy new do!—asking me to call her again in the future. A beautiful gesture for a beautiful group of women.

“Come on, your next gravel load can wait. Your admirers are getting restless, and they want you to eat lunch with us as much as I do.”

“They do, huh?” Miles placed his gearshift in park and smiled. “Good thing I’m always up for a free sandwich. And a chat with my future brother-in-law.”

After taking a satisfying lunch break with Glo and Silas and all the residents—and laughing at all the ridiculous questions about “twin life” that Miles had been asked between bites of his ham and cheese sandwich—I hugged him good-bye and then popped into the house to retrieve my charging phone.

My hands began to shake the instant I picked it up off the desk and saw the three highlighted text notifications on my home screen. All from over three hours ago. All from Val.

My heart rate kicked up several notches as my eyes worked to focus on her