Found (Lost & Found Book 2)

by Scarlett Finn

  “All the way around the back,” Charley said, using her grip on Poppy’s hand to drag her down the alley next to Naughtie’s.

  They’d arrived back at the Venture and shown Violet and Primrose to their new apartment. Number thirteen: Poppy and Charley’s old place. While the two Granger Girls were still adjusting to the restricted closet space, Poppy snuck Charley out and they headed over to the bar.

  From the airport, Val and the twins had been taken home in a separate car. Poppy intended to call them later to check they’d settled in at home.

  An important part of her plan involved Naughtie’s. Poppy would need the proprietor’s permission to hold the reception there, otherwise she’d be diving head first into a calamity.

  Charley led her to a plain looking brown door next to a double-long grate in the ground. With the side of her fist, the younger woman pounded on the door.

  “The bar isn’t open yet,” Charley said, telling Poppy something she already knew. Nothing happened. There wasn’t a sound from the other side of the door. “Sometimes we have to knock a lot.”

  “We could just call him,” Poppy shouted over Charley’s next round of aggressive knocking.

  Her friend turned to show a sassy smile. “I prefer this way. It’s much more fun to scare them.”

  Scaring them might be fun for Charley. Poppy, on the other hand, was about to ask for a favor. A big favor, so putting the guys in a bad mood wouldn’t be a great start.

  “Okay! Okay!” a male voice came from the other side of the door just a second before the click of a lock and the slide of a bolt. There were a few more sounds before the door swung open to reveal a damp-haired Ritchie wearing only a pair of jeans. “Charley.” He sighed. “I’m not even surprised.”

  Tipping up her proud chin, Charley showed him a grin. “You shouldn’t be.” She stepped forward, attempting to go in, but Ritchie pulled the door closer to himself to block the way. “Don’t be a toad. Let us in.”

  “We’re not open yet.”

  “Which is why we’re at the back door,” Charley drawled like it was obvious. “Move or Turner will kick your ass.”

  “Hard to do from a thousand miles away,” he said, then switched his focus to Poppy. “Married, huh?”

  “Think it’s a crazy idea?” Poppy asked, her heart rate jumping.

  Ritchie offered a half-shrug. “He asked you, didn’t he? From a guy’s point of view, I’ve gotta say, taking all the planning bullshit out of it would be a godsend.”

  “You’re a real romantic, Ritch,” Charley said.

  He blinked at the younger woman. “Your brother is a practical guy. He didn’t propose to Poppy ‘cause he wanted to think about flowers and music and dresses. He did it ‘cause he wants to spend his life with her. Nothing more romantic than that.”

  When he put it in such plain and obvious terms, Poppy was encouraged. Though Charley’s comment was slightly worrying.

  “You don’t think it’s romantic?” Poppy asked.

  Charley gasped. “No! I do! I do! I love the idea! You know I do.”

  “How you gonna get him to sign the license without tipping him off?”

  “Gross as it is,” Charley said, following the words with an excited laugh, “she has a plan that involves using sex as a distraction.”

  “That’s a plan I’d get on board with,” Ritchie said. “Right there in the clerk’s office? Wow, you’re a ballsy woman.”

  “Not right there in the clerk’s office,” Poppy said, almost sighing at him as he smiled. “Just because we have a license doesn’t mean he knows we’re going to do it the next day.”

  “Which is why we’re here,” Charley declared, poking Ritchie’s ribs. “Now let us in. We have to talk to Naught.”

  “He’s in the basement,” Ritchie said, looking at the ground. “Busy working like us regular stiffs have to.” Propping his shoulder on the door frame, he hooked a thumb into his pocket. “So billionaire… never thought to mention it?”

  “Turner knew,” Charley said, though Poppy wasn’t sure if that was a defense or an accusation. “He knew everything all along.”

  Ritchie’s brows rose at her.

  “People seem to be offended by that,” Poppy said. “He’s the man I’m marrying, shouldn’t I tell him everything about me?”

  “You didn’t know you were going to marry him when you met him,” Charley said, whirling around to face her. “You still told him.”

  “Not the very first day.”

  Though it hadn’t been much after that, so the defense was weak. “I always felt comfortable with him.” That word didn’t feel like quite the right one. “I was always drawn to him.” A better explanation. “Your brother has an… energy about him.” Her words became more wistful. “Just being near him, it… does something to me.”

  “Okay, yeah,” Charley said, shaking Poppy from her daze. “Let’s not talk about what my brother does to you anymore. The less said about that the better.”

  Ritchie laughed. “Better get used to it, Charley-Clown, I don’t think those two will be shy about claiming ownership of each other.”

  “You haven’t been around them this past week,” Charley said, wearing a look of disgust. “They’re all over each other all the time.”

  Used to the Maddox sisters’ feelings on their brother’s prowess, Poppy wasn’t offended. She smiled to show her pride in their relationship. “Not in front of people,” she said, thinking they didn’t mind holding hands or whispering to each other. Anything more than that, anything too physical, couldn’t be done in front of parents. “We keep the real affection for behind closed doors.”

  “They moved out of the actual big house, just so they could have sex,” Charley said, laying her incredulity on Ritchie.

  Turner’s friend was even more amused. “Think Turn’s got himself the perfect woman.” He stepped aside. “Come on in, I’ll go get Naught.”

  They shuffled through the door and a hallway until Ritchie opened the door that led to the bar. He disappeared, leaving them alone, and Charley went around to the front to start taking the chairs off the tables.

  “Why are you doing that?” Poppy asked.

  Charley shrugged. “Won’t hurt to be helpful. They’ll be opening soon.”

  Figuring her friend was right, she went over to help. They’d only cleared a couple of tables before the door swung open and Naught came moseying through.

  “You two looking for work?”

  Charley was quick to forget about the task and ran over to hug Naught. Ritchie hadn’t received such an exuberant greeting.

  Her friend’s motives became clear when she leaned back to look up at the barkeep. “Any chance of a drink?”

  Naught just exhaled and eased out of her embrace to go behind the bar. “Geez, Charley, see someone about that problem, huh?”

  Despite his response, he did pour both of them a drink as Charley took the stools down from the bar and gestured her over.

  “So we have to ask a favor,” Charley said with her usual level of confidence.

  “Another favor,” he said, putting the drinks down then laying his hands on his side of the bar to examine the women. “What is it?”

  “You know Poppy’s plan,” Charley said. “To set up the wedding in secret… to surprise Turner when he gets back.”

  Poppy preferred the “surprise” angle than the “secret” one. The first suggested something happy, the latter wasn’t so positive.

  “Pres told me,” he said. “You don’t want Turner to know?”

  “Everyone else does,” Charley said. “Except Turner… oh, and Poppy’s parents.”

  Poppy had come to the bar expecting to make the explanations herself. Bringing Charley along turned out to be a coup, she was doing all the talking.

  “Don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Naught said.

  That wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, but at least it wasn’t a flat out insult.

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Charley sa
id, raising her glass.

  The encouragement was appreciated, so Poppy raised hers too. A little liquid courage wouldn’t go amiss.

  “So what’s the favor?” Naught asked.

  “I was hoping… thought it might be good…” Hyperaware of both sets of eyes on her, Poppy tried taking a breath. It didn’t do much for her hammering heart, but she kept going anyway. “I want to have the reception here.”

  Instant shock struck Naught. “Here?” Poppy nodded, still wincing, waiting for his reply. “I thought you had like a billion dollars in the bank.”

  “I’ll pay for everything, of course. We’ll take care of the decorations, call caterers, you won’t have to do a thing. It will be your friend’s wedding, so, of course, we can hire staff. There are temp agencies all over that provide people for events.”

  “I don’t get it,” he said. “Why would you have it here? You could hire a whole hotel or fly off to some tropical island. Why here?”

  “Because it means something to Turner,” she said. “He loves this place and his friends. We don’t want something stale and impersonal.” At least, she didn’t. Knowing Turner the way she did, Poppy figured something real was so much better than having something flamboyant for the sake of it. “If you hate the idea, we won’t do it.”

  Her strategy sort of rode on her getting her first choices. Poppy didn’t have a backup plan; not one as good as her original plan.

  “Sure, you can use the bar,” he said. “We’ll close to regulars. But we’ve never had a wedding reception here… The function room is big enough for—”

  “I’ll be relying on you guys to make sure Turner has all the friends here he’d want. It won’t be a huge affair. Just family and close friends.” Poppy was lucky in that her closest friends also happened to be Turner’s siblings. “If there’s anything specific you need for the night, you can bill me. We’ll pay for use of the premises, obviously, cover all expenses. We don’t want you losing money.” She took Charley’s hand. “Charley is going to help with the decorations and we’ll probably need a band.”

  “I know a few who Turner doesn’t mind.”

  To say he loved or enjoyed them was probably a step too far given that most of the time he spent in the bar, he was exhausted from all the work he’d done.

  “I still say we should have karaoke,” Charley said.

  Poppy rolled her eyes. “Charley—”

  “The equipment’s all there,” Naught said. “If it goes that way, I can set it up quickly.”

  Depending on how drunk everyone got, it could go that way for sure. “Thank you,” Poppy said. “This means so much to both of us.”

  “You’re welcome,” Naught said. “If you’re having the reception here, where do you plan to have the wedding?”

  The next part of her plan was a little more complex and she’d need Ritchie’s assistance for it too. Charley was great and her sisters would be amazing when it came to flowers and dresses. None of the women would be able to help when it came to structural integrity, so all her big ideas were reliant on Ritchie’s expertise.

  “Is Ritchie still around?” Poppy asked, causing both Naught and Charley to frown.

  Ritchie had done so much for them already. If he hadn’t taken over Turner’s responsibilities, her love wouldn’t have been able to come to the Adler Estate to tell her how he felt. There was one last favor. One that would make or break her wedding and plan to surprise Turner. So much rode on so little, but Poppy was determined to remain optimistic. It had to work, it just had to.

  THIRTY-ONE

  Planning a wedding was more complicated than Poppy had anticipated. Without the help of her sisters, both Granger and Maddox, she might not have pulled it off. The guys had been a huge help too. Everything was beginning to come together, which was probably how Charley had convinced her a bachelorette party was a good idea.

  At least she’d been smart enough to insist the party be at Naughtie’s and that Val be invited. If Poppy hadn’t been adamant, Charley probably would’ve hired a stripper or something. With the guys’ supervision and the Maddox matriarch on scene, the party couldn’t get too out of hand.

  Primrose had spent most of the night so far sitting at the bar, grilling Naught and Ritchie about Preston. It was sweet that she missed him so much. Poppy could identify with that feeling. That Primrose was asking questions was a good sign too. It meant she cared. From Poppy’s discussions with the middle Granger girl that week, it was obvious that she wasn’t done with Turner’s lawyer friend.

  Violet, on the other hand, was enjoying her first experience of karaoke. She’d already been up three times and had her name down for other songs. Drinking without parental supervision and in such a free environment was really loosening up the eldest Granger Girl.

  “Are you having a good time?” Val asked, leaning in to speak the words in her ear.

  The music wasn’t ridiculously loud, but it was a busy Friday night. The bar was filled with the voices of those conversing as well as those brightening the air with song.

  “Yeah,” Poppy replied, her attention leaving Violet to snag on Charley outside.

  Through the windows at the frontage of Naughtie’s, she’d watched her friend pace the sidewalk for large portions of the night.

  “It’s David Leicester,” Val said. “On the phone with Charley, isn’t it?”

  Exhaling, Poppy nodded once. “He’s been calling a lot this week. He’s away on some training course or something.”

  She imagined he’d been sent away by his employer because he was drawing so much attention to himself in the press. Poppy used to work for the same employer; they’d already be getting all the attention they wanted without Leicester adding to the chaos.

  “Wouldn’t be a bad thing if he stayed there,” Val said more quietly than her previous comments, though there was no denying she was unimpressed. In a beat, she became more optimistic. “My boy’s had a difficult week away from you.”

  “He’s been okay,” Poppy said, never averse to talking about the man she loved. “Being apart hasn’t been easy for either of us. I kept thinking that I could probably maybe do the planning for the wedding from the estate… Being around everything that’s his without having him is a particular kind of torture.”

  Smiling, Val took Poppy’s hand. “For so long, I worried he’d never find happiness. That he’d never find something of his own. Love of his own… You’re an angel, Poppy. Exactly what he needs. Your love is strong, it’s forever, like mine and Ed’s.”

  Although Poppy was exuberant about her own future, and read only optimism in Val, a new kind of understanding overcame her. Losing Ed might have broken the Maddox family if it wasn’t led by such a strong mother and brother. Still, from a personal angle, Poppy’s sympathy for Val grew. Losing Turner would end her. She couldn’t imagine going on for another minute if he was ripped from her at the peak of their happiness. Val had experienced that pain. Grammie had too.

  “Thank you for raising him to be such an incredible man.”

  Val touched her face. “That was all Ed. I can’t take credit for who Turner became. He was his father’s shadow, he idolized him…”

  Her words drifted off to be consumed by the noise of the room.

  Drawing Val into a hug, Poppy wished she could do something to help the wonderful woman. Except no one could; nothing would bring Ed back.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Charley’s voice interrupted the embrace. Both Poppy and Val looked up to the younger woman. “Do we need drinks? More alcohol?”

  “Sit,” Val called and snagged her daughter’s hand to pull her down to the table. Poppy huddled in so the three could talk more easily. “What is going on with you and that man?”

  “Man?” Charley asked, though her innocent act was terrible. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Her friend threw Poppy a glare, but she held up a hand. “I didn’t say a word.”

  “No one has to tell me,” Val said. “You�
�ve gone crazy for that man. I thought I raised you better than that. If you have to chase them, they’re not worth it.”

  An argument could be made that Turner had chased her. Poppy chose to see that in a more positive light. When he came to the estate, Turner knew that she loved him. Also, unlike David Leicester, Poppy didn’t run away because she was interested in keeping her options open.

  “Actually, Ma, he’s the one chasing me,” Charley said.

  Poppy really hoped that wasn’t pride in her friend’s tone. Until Charley exhaled and ran a hand through her hair, Poppy believed that it could be. The act gave the younger woman a more harried air.

  “Chasing you?”

  “He got back into town tonight,” Charley said.

  “And he wants you to go over there?” Val asked, pulling Charley and Poppy’s hands together on her lap. “This is a night for your new sister. Celebrating her love for your brother. I definitely taught you better than to give your body to an unworthy man. Just because he snaps his fingers, doesn’t mean you should run to him.”

  “I know,” Charley said. “He doesn’t want me to go to his apartment. He wants to come here and join us. I told him no. I keep telling him no.”

  “Why would he want to come here? It’s a ladies-only night,” Val said. “Naught won’t stand for anyone causing trouble in his bar.”

  “I don’t think David wants to cause trouble,” Charley said, meeting Poppy’s eye. “He says he wants to apologize. It was zeal, he got carried away.”

  “I don’t need him to apologize to me,” Poppy said. “Not without your brother present anyway.”

  Turner might not be the best companion to have at her side if the creep, David Leicester, tried to wheedle his way into her good graces. From Poppy’s point of view, there was no clearer way to tell the creep she didn’t care about him or his lies than to have her love in her arms.

  “It’s okay,” Charley said, tossing her phone onto the table. “I think I’m over it.”

  “Over it?” Poppy asked, surprised when Charley shrugged.

  “He’s just too… desperate.”