The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance by Katherine Logan (i am reading a book TXT) 📕

Ensley didn’t think Meredith realized how condescending she sounded, so she gave Meredith a break instead of letting her feelings get ruffled.

“You won’t find runway fashion in my apartment, either,” Ensley said. “I have work clothes, jeans, and running outfits from Lululemon.”

“If you ever leave anything behind from Lulu, you’ll see a MacKlenna mom wearing it before you can get out the door,” Kenzie said.

“That’s funny,” Ensley said. “Next time I’m here, I’ll be sure to leave a pair of yoga pants.”

“I’ll notify the flight crew and then contact the Bridge to Bhutan Tour Company to arrange visas, a tour guide, and hotel reservations,” David said. “I’ve done this for both Jack and James Cullen, so I have connections to make it happen quickly. Just to confirm, seven of ye are going. Elliott, Meredith, JC, Paul, Charlotte, Austin, and Ensley. Right?”

“Should be eight,” Remy grumbled from his bed.

Charlotte’s lip twitched. “If you’re expecting pain meds, Remy, then you should be a good patient and rest for a while.”

Remy made a snoring sound, and that did make Charlotte smile.

Kenzie put her hands on Ensley’s back and pushed her toward the door. “I’m taking you upstairs. You have just enough time to pick through the closet, take a shower, and be at the door on time. Elliott’s known for leaving people behind.”

Before they reached the door, Paul emerged from the locker room wearing khakis and a green MacCorp polo shirt, looking like a classic leading man—magnificently tall, muscular, and handsome, with a warm brown sugar skin tone. He smelled like ginger, amber, and cedar with a top note of orange blossom, and his thick black hair was perfectly styled.

“Wow, Paul!” Ensley said, shaking and blowing her hand as if she’d burned it. “Lookin’ good!”

He shot the rolled cuffs of his long sleeve shirt as if he was wearing a dress shirt. “That suit I was wearing came from the wardrobe collection at George Washington University’s theater department. It was too tight, too short, and too uncomfortable to wear any longer, and the hairstyle was grotesque.”

Ensley laughed. “I agree you looked pretty rough, but you’ve more than made up for it now.”

He surprised her by kissing her cheek. “You’re sweet for saying that, Ensley.”

“Hell, Brodie. Leave my girl alone,” Austin said, winking at her.

Paul’s black brows lifted, smiling. “O’Grady, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Austin held up his fist, Paul bumped it, and then they gave each other a dude-hug.

“I know I don’t, and I got your back.”

“Thanks, bro,” Paul said, then headed toward JC’s bed, reshooting his sleeves.

Ensley didn’t have an opinion about Paul before, but now she saw something in his eyes that told her he’d been walking on a tightrope and had finally made it to the other side. Now she had an opinion of him—a favorable one—and she trusted him to care for JC.

After a moment to let those thoughts settle in her heart, she turned back to Austin. “What are you going to do?”

“I’ll come with you. If you think a cleaned-up Paul looks good, wait till you see me.”

Kenzie cracked up. “You know, Austin. I haven’t seen your scruffy face in anything except a basketball uniform, running shorts, or jeans with boots that lost their shine back in the ’90s since Rick and Penny’s wedding. I better be sitting down when you get spruced up again. I might faint when I see how gorgeous you are.”

He put his arm around her and squeezed. “I’ll be sure to remind you. It would suck to bend all the way down to pick you up off the floor.”

“Austin,” David hollered. “Ye have to call JL and Pops before ye leave town again.”

“Okay, I’ll call them.”

“Now!” David said.

Ensley stood on tiptoe and tugged on Austin’s shirt to get him to lean down so she could kiss him. “I’ll see you later. After I shower, I want to call Barb and George. They’ve been worrying long enough.”

“Remember to blame it all on me.” He kissed her back. “I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

Ensley left the cleanroom with Kenzie, walked through a game room, and climbed the stairs to the mansion’s main floor. She’d been to the McCabes’ Southern plantation-style home before but hadn’t been in the guest wing, set apart by an oak door with a keypad.

Kenzie punched in a code.

“Why’s the door locked?”

Kenzie held the door for Ensley. “There are six suites here, plus the men’s and women’s clothes closets and a well-stocked kitchenette. Everything down this hallway is an adult-only space. That keeps it quiet for—shall I say—afternoon naps. Each bedroom has a private garden.”

“Sounds like Charlotte is serious about keeping it a restful retreat.”

“We all are. So, after several years of trying to keep the kids out, we finally voted on installing a lock. The code is 6423, and it changes on the first of every month. Braham sends out text messages with the new code.”

“How’d the kids react?”

“Braham tried to explain that it was a lesson in respecting boundaries. They didn’t buy it. So in return, they demanded a place of their own. They now have a pool house, and no one over eighteen can enter. But for everyone’s safety, Braham has security cameras in there so he can see everything that goes on.”

Ensley walked through the door and sighed. “This has a spa feel, and the pastel color scheme immediately lowers your blood pressure.”

“The guys say it’s too feminine, but as soon as they enter a bedroom and strip down, they don’t think about anything but sex.”

“Thanks for the warning.” If that’s how the men reacted, Ensley had better stay away from Austin for now. “Who keeps your kids when you’re gone?”

“Granny Alice, David’s mom. She’s lived with us since Robbie and Henry were born. She’s a godsend.”

“You’re lucky to have her.”

Kenzie entered the first room on the right and picked up a clipboard. “This is the kitchenette, and this is the list of available rooms. Pick one and sign and date