Page 22 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

She offered a serene smile. “Exhausting. Beautiful. Terrifying. Perfect. All at once.”

We stood there together, watching the waves roll in. Tiana made a small snuffling sound but didn’t wake.

“I’ll never get tired of seeing the ocean,” Sylvie said quietly. “Growing up in Northwood, we didn’t have anything like this. Just mountains and trees and small-town life.”

“Northwood,” I repeated, the name ringing a bell. “That’s where Kent found you, right?”

“Found me, saved me, annoyed me.” She laughed. “It’s a long story. But yes. My family was on the verge of losing everything. And I literally mean everything right down to the land we stood on. My family’s Christmas tree farm was struggling. Everything was falling apart.”

“And then Kent showed up?”

“And then Kent showed up,” she confirmed, smiling at the memory. “This billionaire in designer suits who had no business being in a tiny mountain town. But he literally found a way to put everything back together. For me, for my family, for the entire town.”

I was surprised by this. It didn’t sound like Bancroft behavior. At least not the Bancroft behavior I’d observed. Minus Austin, who would absolutely move mountains for Melody without a second thought.

“I know exactly how you feel about Bancrofts,” Sylvie said, and there was understanding in her voice. “Trust me, when I first met Kent, I had half a mind to throw him in the back of my truck like a Christmas tree and abandon him on the side of the road. Instead, he tossed my Christmas tree on the side of the road.”

I nearly snorted coffee out my nose. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, but the universe snapped back fast and hard. I had to save him. And I guess you could say the rest is history.”

“What changed?”

Sylvie looked over her shoulder at Kent, who was currently poking fun at Austin about something. Her entire face softened.

“Everything,” she said simply. “Once a Bancroft trusts you and they let you in? There’s no going back from that. Just ask Melody.”

I paused, letting those words sink in. My gaze drifted to Cash. He was listening to something Melody was saying, his expression focused and thoughtful. Then, as if he could feel me looking, he glanced up.

Our eyes locked. For a moment, everything else faded. The conversation around us. It was just him and me and this strange awareness that something had shifted between us last night. He gave me a curt nod, like you might do if you passed a stranger on the sidewalk. Like we hadn’t just spent hours divulging personal hopes and dreams. Like I hadn’t told him things I’d never told anyone.

Maybe not all Bancrofts were like Kent and Austin. Maybe some of them were better at keeping their walls up.

I was about to turn back to Sylvie when the front door burst open and someone new walked in.

“Who’s pouring?”

I blinked at the newcomer. Another tall, dark-haired, absurdly handsome man who had Bancroft written all over him. Another brother. Because apparently, there was an endless supply of them. What kind of sperm count did Armand Bancroft have? He had to have been producing kids for a good twenty years straight.

Their poor mother.

“Finn!” Austin looked delighted. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a guy surprise his family?” Finn dropped a duffel bag by the door and headed straight for the coffee. “I heard there was a baby announcement and a wedding invitation. Figured I should show my face.”

Everyone else seemed completely unfazed by the new addition, like surprise Bancroft brothers just materialized out of thin air on a regular basis. I looked at Melody, who was laughing at something Finn had just said. Then at Cash, who rolled his eyes at his brother but didn’t seem surprised.

“How many of you are there?” I asked to no one in particular.

Finn grinned at me, cocking his head as if he just noticed me in the room. Normally, in my full makeup and outfit of the day, everyone noticed me. “Depends on the day. I’m Finnick. Finn. And you must be Cleo. I’ve heard stories.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Probably.”

Kent clapped Finn on the back, then turned to Sylvie. “You know what? We should stay another night. No rush to get back to Northwood. You go enjoy the spa today. I’ll stay here with Tiana. Give you a proper break.”

Sylvie looked torn between gratitude and guilt. “Are you sure?”