“I’m taking her space.”
“She doesn’t have much time to paint anymore,” Cole said, stuffing his hands into the back pockets of his trunks. “Twelve kids and all.”
In other words: yes, I was.
Before I could respond, Will dropped one of my suitcases onto the floor, surprising both of us with a thud. “Come on, Cole,” he said and straightened back up. “Jackie’s got a ton of bags that we need to bring up.”
“I’ll help as soon as I’m done changing,” I offered, not wanting them to do all of my work.
Will dismissed me with a wave of his hand. “Just make yourself at home.”
When they were gone, I shut the door to change, dropping the wet towel that was still wrapped around my shoulders to the floor. This morning I’d made sure an extra set of clothes—tailored pants and a pink shirt with a simple collar—was packed in my carry-on in case of an emergency. After changing, my hair came next. It took me nearly ten minutes of battling with my comb to detangle the knots.
“Hey, you alive in there?” I heard Cole ask as he knocked.
“Give me a moment,” I called and patted down my hair one last time. With my straightener packed away, there was nothing to do about the curls, so I grudgingly let them hang down in dark waves after fastening my blue ribbon back in place. “Yes?” I asked, pulling back the door. My luggage was now piled outside.
“Just checking,” Cole said as he leaned against the doorframe. “You were in there for a while.”
“I was changing.”
“For fifteen minutes?” he asked, his eyebrows scrunching up. “And what the heck are you wearing?”
“What’s wrong with my outfit?” I asked. Sure the outfit was a bit casual, but I hadn’t planned on being thrown into a pool.
“It looks like you’re going to an interview,” Cole said, trying not to laugh.
“If I were going to an interview, I’d be wearing a business suit.”
“Why would you wear guys’ clothes?”
I scoffed. “Business suits aren’t only for men.” Hadn’t his mother taught him anything about fashion?
“Okay, whatever, but I wouldn’t wear that nice top to dinner tonight. We’re having spaghetti.”
What was that supposed to mean? I didn’t eat like a caveman. “If we’re having dinner, shouldn’t we wear something more…appropriate?” I countered. Cole was still shirtless, and I purposely kept my gaze glued to his face so I wouldn’t stare. With his sun-bleached locks and chiseled abs, he looked like a Greek god. How was I ever going to live with this boy? Everything about him made me self-conscious and uncomfortable.
“I don’t know how you guys do things in New York, but we don’t dress up for dinner around here. I’ll be fine in this.” He smiled a slow, arrogant grin that made me squirm. “Anyway, I’ll give you time to unpack,” he said before I could respond.
Cole pushed himself off the doorframe, his arm muscles flexing. Holding my breath, I watched him leave without the ability to tear my eyes away. He finally disappeared around the corner in the hall, breaking my trance, and I collapsed on my new bed. I had survived my first encounter with the Walter boys.
***
Katherine’s kitchen was a sight I had never seen before. The place was loud and cluttered, but warm and cozy at the same time. Her artistic hand had definitely taken part in decorating the kitchen. All of the walls were painted to be one huge mural of a vineyard, and almost every chair around the table was a different color. It was the opposite of my mother’s clean-tiled, sparkling steel, half-a-million-dollar kitchen. At home, I felt like the kitchen was just there to look pretty and if I made a mess, I was in big trouble. This room looked lived in and, for some strange reason, I liked it.
When I walked in, Katherine was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of something boiling and shouting orders at Isaac, who was helping her. Two dogs were running around the room chasing each other, making it hard for everyone who was trying to set the table for dinner. George almost dropped the salad bowl when he tripped over a dog running between his legs.
Zack and Benny, the youngest set of twins, were sitting on the floor three feet apart playing some type of handheld video game with a cord connecting each boy’s device. I nearly choked when Zack yanked Benny’s away from him and yelled, “You lose, shithead!”