Emily was adjusting a soft throw pillow on the sitting room couch when she heard the first slam of the car door outside.
Then came another. And another.
And then—shouting.
She peeked through the curtains and barely held back a laugh.
“They’re here,” she called into the hallway.
Oliver’s voice drifted from the kitchen. “How many of them?”
“All of them,” Emily said, her eyes wide. “God help us.”
The front door burst open a moment later, followed by a whirlwind of sound and limbs and laughter. James entered first, wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses like he was walking into a club, not a countryside estate.
“This place is sick,” he announced, already tossing his duffel on the floor. “Where’s the fireplace? I’m about to do some dramatic brooding.”
Chloe stepped in behind him, roll
