Found (Lost & Found Book 2)

by Scarlett Finn

  “Emmie asked if we were getting married,” Poppy murmured. “Yesterday, on the call. I heard them talking to Turner. I went in and… Emmie asked if we were getting married.”

  Pride flavored Val’s brief laugh. “That girl has never been shy… I think they’ve put some of the pieces together themselves. Maybe it’s assumption. It’s not my place to tell them their brother’s business. If I spread it all over the place, he won’t trust me with it in future, will he?”

  That curled Poppy’s lips just a fraction. “We have a similar philosophy with my father’s chief valet. Tiller, the man who was downstairs introducing you to Mrs. Caswell.”

  “You have a wonderful life here, Poppy,” Val said, squeezing her hands. “No one would blame you for wanting to keep it. I adore my son, but I’m realistic enough to know, he can’t provide a house like this for you.”

  “I don’t care about the house. Grammie would sign it over to us if I did, but I don’t.”

  “Then what is it you want that you think will be too much for him?”

  Pushing her shoulders back, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, I—”

  “Please, Poppy. You have to tell someone… I promise to keep your secrets too.”

  Poppy wanted to believe her. Her usual confidante was Grammie. Except she couldn’t talk to Grammie about the life she wished for. Grammie didn’t know Turner, didn’t understand what true responsibility he dealt with every minute.

  “I don’t want to live here,” Poppy admitted, gathering her courage. “I want to live in the Venture.”

  Val enjoyed the tame confession. “I know he can provide that.”

  Pulling them closer, Poppy’s heart rate ascended. “I want him to have everything, Val. I want to help him, to earn and contribute so maybe he doesn’t have to sweat every minute. I want to be his partner, to share his responsibilities. I can’t do anything in the building, with the renovations. I don’t know anything about that and every time I tried to help, I always screwed it up.”

  “He enjoys that work,” Val said. “And he would have no problem sharing with you. All you want is to lighten his load. I don’t know why you’d think that he wouldn’t accept that.”

  “Because he worries enough,” Poppy said, her shoulders sagging. “I wouldn’t lessen that load. With all the drama I bring, his load would increase. How is he going to deal with my family issues as well as his own? And this Holden mess? Even if we get over that, the press could decide we’re interesting at any time, for anything. Turner would hate to have his life plastered all over the newsstands. He’d despise it.”

  “Not as much as he’d despise being without you. He loves you. He knows life can be complicated sometimes. We don’t love someone because of those struggles, we love in spite of them. Do you think life was always easy for me and Ed? Damn, we fell asleep wrapped in each other those first few years not because it was romantic, but because it was freezing. The house was a mess. We had barely any furniture. No floors, no roof, it was a chaos, Poppy. Was it always moonlight and roses? No! Definitely not. We fought like any couple. Sometimes I wanted to wring his neck. Everything was complicated. We had no money, no social life. We worked every second, and then, goddamn, I got pregnant. And, of course, I blamed him for that.” The smirk on Val’s face betrayed it wasn’t a major grievance. “But he promised me we’d make it work. I didn’t know how we’d raise a baby on a construction site… After Turner was born, Ed used to say he’d come along to provide extra free labor.” They both laughed. “We only had one boy and Ed had him fitted for his first tool belt before he could even stand upright.”

  Poppy could believe it. A lot of people might not consider that tale romantic, but it did offer her some hope. “I want to have kids,” she murmured like it was a terrible secret. “Maybe not right away, but… eventually.”

  Wearing a frown, Val tilted her head. “Do you think Turner doesn’t want children? I’ll admit we’ve never explicitly talked about it, but he’s great with Faye’s. He adores his nieces and nephew.” She leaned closer. “Has he told you that he doesn’t want children?”

  “Not in so many words, but…” Chewing her lip, Poppy thought about what he’d said when he thought she might be pregnant. “It’s too much. He doesn’t need more people depending on him.”

  Val sat up straight. “Because his sisters already expect too much.”

  Mortified, Poppy gasped. “No, please, I didn’t mean that to sound so offensive, just…”

  “I know they expect a lot. You know how I feel about that. Yes, he has supported us since we lost Ed. Turner has gone above and beyond what any other man would, but do you know what that means?” Poppy was almost afraid to ask. “We are closer than most families. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. He’s been the head of our family for a decade and a half, which means he knows exactly what he’s getting into by bringing you into the fold. Turner will be an incredible father. I don’t think I have to tell you that.”

  She exhaled. “You don’t. I couldn’t imagine there’s a bigger jackpot than him, on so many fronts.”

  “So maybe this isn’t about him,” Val said, exuding nothing but kindness. “Maybe it’s about you… and about what you think you deserve. Turner would go to the end of the Earth for you, yes, I won’t deny that. But you’re talking to a woman who married a man who was just as dedicated. They can make us feel… inferior isn’t quite the right word. But there were times I found myself wondering what I did to deserve Ed. Even still. To this day. Just because he’s not with me doesn’t mean that goes away. I love Ed as much now as I did the day we lost him. Nothing will change that. And he gave me an incredible family that reminds me of our love every day.

  “I don’t know a lot about your family. I’ve tried not to read anything in the press, I prefer to reach my own conclusions. But I trust my son. I trusted him enough to know the very first time we met that you were worthy of him. He believes it, so I believe it.” Val shifted to put an arm around her. “Trust him and know his heart is completely yours. Maddox men don’t know how to disappoint their wives, not when it comes to anything that matters.”

  The door burst open and Emmie came shuffling in wearing heels that were far too big for her. The view put a smile on Poppy’s face, it took her a second to actually notice what else Emmie was wearing.

  “Grama!” Emmie screeched, shaking her head. “Look what Grammie gave me.”

  Diamonds. A lot of them. On her ears, a tiara on her head, the necklace would give Emmie muscle aches it was such a burden.

  “Oh my goodness,” Val said, leaping to her feet. “Emmie, honey, you have to give those back.”

  “No,” Poppy said, standing next to Val as Emmie showed them the ring she was struggling to keep on her hand, probably because the weight of the bracelet she wore hindered her. “If Grammie said she could have them, then she can have them.”

  “Are they… real?” Val asked, a couple of shades paler.

  Putting an arm around her, Poppy just shrugged. “Everything in Grammie’s suite is… There are real pink diamonds on those shoes too.”

  Gasping, Emmie shuffled backwards, probably because it was easier than turning around. “Aunt Willow! Come see my diamond shoes!”

  “My God,” Val breathed out, raising a hand to her chest. “We can’t accept anything like that.”

  “People are what matters,” Poppy said. “Grammie doesn’t care about things. She knows she can’t take them with her.”

  “But that’s your inheritance.”

  “Then Emmie’s welcome to it. As long as she shares with her sister.”

  “And her cousins?” Val asked, turning toward her, linking their hands. “Think about what I said. Turner needs you. If you are what will make him happy then the whole family do too.”

  “Poppy!” Grammie chirped from somewhere in the hallway.

  “I’ll leave you to settle in,” Poppy said, accepting Val’s kiss on her cheek. “I’ll go and make sure Grammi
e isn’t signing the house over to Emmie.” It was nice that Val had relaxed enough to laugh. “That would certainly make my mom’s day.”

  Anyone who hadn’t known the Maddox’s were coming wouldn’t be ignorant for long. Already Emmie was declaring her presence. Poppy loved it as much as Grammie would. The house needed some life and the little people would definitely provide that gift. It was more than the worth of any diamonds or jewels.

  NINE

  “Shh!” Noah whispered to her, his finger over his lips as he tried to stifle a giggle and hid behind her skirt.

  Approaching the construction site slowly, Poppy could hear the men inside the structure winding down for the day, as she expected they would be. Before the guys could get more rowdy or use any more of the colorful language that had drifted her way, she stopped to look through an opening where one of the back windows would probably end up.

  “Miss Poppy,” Aitken said, being the first to notice her, though the others were quick to turn, Turner included.

  When he spotted her, he smiled and began to saunter over. “Hey, baby.”

  “I have a surprise for you,” she said.

  His brow arched. “Is it lingerie? Keep it for the bedroom, babe. I don’t want the guys around for that show.”

  “No, it is not lingerie,” she said, ignoring the snickers from deeper within the house.

  The little laugh from behind her thigh was stifled by fabric, though not enough that Turner didn’t hear it.

  He stopped, wearing a frown. “Candy-Cane?”

  Noah probably wasn’t identifiable from a laugh, but he’d given away his presence. She twisted to slip her hands under the little guy’s arms. “Ready?” she whispered and he nodded fast.

  Picking him up, Poppy swung him around.

  The moment Noah saw his uncle he shouted, “Boo!”

  “Geez!” Turner called, exaggerating his shock. “Wow! My God!” Noah was in hysterics. He was heavy and she couldn’t see around him, but when Turner’s hands closed over hers, Poppy handed nephew over to uncle. “What are you doing here, Sport?”

  “We came in a big plane,” Noah said, extending his arms outward from his sides. “Just us on the plane. Me and mommy and Grama.”

  “Grama’s here?” he asked, curious when he looked at her.

  “Everyone is,” Poppy said. “Noah’s sisters and yours too.”

  “All of them?” he asked, nodding and gesturing to the construction guys, saying his goodbyes as they did the same in return.

  Poppy backed away from the house to wait for Turner to bring Noah around.

  “Aww,” the little guy said, disappointed. “I want to build the house too!”

  “I’ll bring you down later, Sport,” Turner said, coming over and putting Noah down when he wriggled in a bid for freedom.

  “I know the way, Uncle Turner. Follow me!”

  Noah ran on ahead, then slowed to a pronounced march, proud of his role as leader.

  “When did they get here?” Turner asked, threading his fingers through hers. “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”

  “Talk to your buddy,” Poppy said. “I didn’t know. Preston set it all up with Tiller. They got here about an hour ago.”

  “My family, taking over your house,” he muttered like that wasn’t such a good thing.

  Poppy just laughed and rested her head on his arm. “Grammie’s already bequeathed anything that isn’t nailed down to Emmie who is rocking tiaras I didn’t even know we had.”

  “Shit,” he breathed out, driving his fingers into his hair. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry. It’s the most fun I’ve had for weeks. I don’t think it’s possible not to fall in love with the three little ones on the spot. Noah’s been clamoring to come and visit you at the site. I thought it was best to wait until closer to the end of the day. I didn’t want him to get hurt and… uh…”

  “And, uh, what?”

  “It took a few quiet words from your mom to Faye before she’d let me walk him down here alone.”

  He stopped to show his glare. “What? Are you kidding me?”

  “It’s okay,” she said, still smiling as she stroked his jaw. “I’m in the doghouse. It’s nothing we didn’t know before this surprise.” Poppy got them walking again. “To be honest, I don’t know why I didn’t think of inviting them to the estate sooner. Having them here makes everything so much easier. We can keep everyone safe here. The kids have plenty of space to play. Anything they need can be brought in. It’s perfect.”

  “Perfect,” he muttered. “One of them looks at you sideways and I’ll throw them the hell out.”

  No matter how much he wanted to stand up for her, Poppy doubted he could do something like that to his mother and sisters. His dedication to his family was just one of the reasons she loved him.

  “No. You won’t. I did wrong, Turner. I have to accept that. They have every right to be mad.”

  “You were protecting yourself and your family. The point was to get away from this life. If you told the girls about it, they’d have treated you like the person you didn’t want to be.”

  True, but they wouldn’t necessarily see it that way. “I told you the truth, which, by the way, we don’t have to tell them if you don’t want. I don’t want to be the cause of any friction in your relationships with them, so if you want them to think you were in the dark too, that’s okay.”

  “I won’t apologize for you confiding in me. This is different. You’re supposed to confide in your guy, Candy. We were never just friends.”

  They were supposed to be just friends. Friends with benefits later in their association, but friends all the same.

  “Why did I tell you the truth?” she asked herself, letting go of his hand to coil both of her arms around one of his. “You just… I wanted so bad to be close to you.”

  “No more apologies. It worked, didn’t it? We tell each other everything now.”

  Not exactly everything. Poppy hadn’t admitted the truth of her love for him.

  Noah spun around to come running back over, his arm stretched back toward the house. “That’s Poppy’s house, Uncle Turner.”

  “Aunt Poppy,” he said, bending down to scoop the little guy up and swing him around to his back. “Did you like the plane, Sport?”

  “It was just us. Grama says planes have other peoples on them.”

  “Aunt Poppy has a private plane.”

  “Uh, it’s my father’s, the company’s, I think.”

  “You know what that means, little buddy,” Turner said as they ascended to the rear terrace. Poppy pointed to the door they needed to use. “We’ve got a plane in the family now.”

  Noah tightened his arms around his uncle’s neck. “Is that why you marrying her, Uncle Turner?”

  “Yep,” Turner said. “That and the rack.”

  “First,” Poppy hissed. “Don’t listen to him, gorgeous boy. You go get your mommy. She’s in the drawing room.”

  Turner put Noah on his feet. “What’s that?” the little one asked.

  “Fancy name for a living room,” she said, guiding him through the dining room and pointing to the drawing room door. “Through there, honey.”

  As he ran to push open the door, Poppy paused.

  “What’s wrong?” Turner asked, laying a hand on her back. “Baby?”

  “I should let you go in there alone.”

  “You’re not afraid of sisters, you know how to handle them,” he said, pulling her to him to kiss her hair. “This is family, babe.”

  “I’m not afraid. I just feel like maybe you should have some time alone with them, to explain what’s going on.”

  “Doesn’t work that way,” he said, turning her back to the door frame to press her up against it.

  “It doesn’t?”

  He shook his head. “No. We deal with everything together.”

  “We do?”

  “Yeah,” he said, crouching lower until his mouth danced in fron
t of hers. “ ‘Cause we’re together.”

  It felt like a lifetime since they’d stood so close to each other. Every time he got up close, she was drugged by their attraction. How could one person touch every part of her, inside and out, all in the space of a second and without actually laying a finger on her?

  “We’re together?” she asked, fighting her urge to lean on him.

  One side of his mouth rose. “We are.”

  His certainty was like a warm blanket. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” he said, linking their fingers. “Come on.”

  Leading her away from the threshold of the dining room, Turner took her to the drawing room, pushing the door further open to reveal all of the Maddoxes there waiting for them.

  As soon as they saw her, conversation died. Val twisted around in her seat on one of the couches, seeking what silenced her daughters.

  The moment she spotted her son, Val sprang to her feet. “My boy!”

  “Ma,” he said, going over to his mother, taking Poppy with him.

  “Come on, you three,” Charley said, opening her arms to herd Zoey and the twins toward the door.

  “Charley,” Poppy said, appealing to her friend.

  She didn’t respond and the four went out without another word.

  Faye stood up next, Ashlee in her arms. “Emmie, Noah, upstairs.”

  “But Momma—”

  “No, upstairs. Apparently, we have to dress for dinner.”

  “You don’t, at all,” Poppy said, but Faye kept on going.

  “Faye,” Turner demanded, still Faye didn’t stop and disappeared out of the room with the kids.

  Poppy couldn’t remember ever clearing a room so fast.

  Turner whipped around to his mom. “What the hell?”

  “Calm down,” Val said, gesturing with both hands, and looking to her. “Do we have time to sit for a minute?”