Page 30 of Kinsey (Pennington Family #1)

“Is Wylie dating anyone?” She had blurted it out so quickly that she noticed her face turn red.

“I’ve had this major crush on him since he was a senior and I was a sophomore.

And I knew you’d be honest with me about what you think about me asking him out.

I’m not doing this because he’s suddenly rich, but he might be dating more now that he doesn’t have the farm taking up all his time.

My friend used to date him—I was so jealous of her, but I found out that he’d been canceling on her all the time because he had to work.

I like a man who knows his priorities when it comes to family and work.

” She laughed. “I’m making a mess of this, and I’m sorry to have bothered you. ”

“I don’t know whether he’s dating or not.

They’re pretty private about that.” She invited Rosie in for some tea, and she told her that she was on her lunch break only.

“I can ask him, but I think that it would be better if you were to ask him out. I know that he’s getting used to things, and it might be good for him to have a normal date. ”

“Candance lost her job today.” Well, that was good news.

“I had to escort her home because she was too upset to drive. She mentioned that all she wanted to do was get some big money from the Penningtons. She didn’t care which one.

Startled me a bit if you want to know the truth.

I hadn’t thought of them having the money so much as the time it would be freeing up for them. ”

“She said the same thing to me.” Rosie assured her that Candance didn’t know who had told on her.

She’d apparently been talking about them all day to anyone who was at her window.

” Shaking her head, she laughed a little.

“Ballsy if you ask me. Trying to get a man to take her out so that she could hit him up for a loan to buy herself a house for them together.”

“I didn’t know she had been planning that far.” Rosie said she had to run. “Ask him out, Rosie. Just like you did when you got here. Tell him about the crush and how you’ve been waiting for him to have some free time, too.”

“I believe I will.” She was gone in another few minutes, and Meggie had to laugh. Candance had been fired for wanting to make a play for one of the men, and she’d been in there to add one to her accounts. She wondered what she’d say about that.

She spent the rest of the day figuring out paint colors for the bedrooms. When five o’clock rolled around and she’d not heard from Kinsey, she decided to have herself something to tide her over as she’d skipped lunch.

Just as she was putting away the peanut butter after making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the front door opened, and she could hear the men talking.

“They’re going to stay here.” She was delighted to hear that and told Kinsey that.

Then she told them all about Candance and how she’d been wanting to get her hands on someone’s money.

“We’ve had some trouble with her before.

Each one of us who had come home on leave would have her trying to ‘date’ one of us.

It wasn’t a date so much as us spending the night with her so that we could have a night full of fun.

She also planned to get pregnant by one of us so she’d be set up for life as a war widow.

Never could understand where the war widow part came from, but that’s what she was telling everyone.

She would blab around town how she was out to get her a service man and we were going to be her money bags. ”

“You’ll have to be more careful of people wanting to ‘date’ the five of you, too.

They might have more in mind than a night full of sex and drinking.

” All six of them told her that their grandma had told them about the women who only wanted one thing and how they should be careful.

“Good. I don’t want to have to bar any of you from our house when you find Miss Money Bags. ”

Each of them had an overnight bag and were going to work from that.

They really didn’t have much in the way of clothing, and she was hoping that they would have taken care of that.

It seemed to her they were still having problems spending money on the necessities by not buying two different colored socks.

She was still laughing when they all sat down to dinner about Raphael and his suit with socks.

They seemed to be happy with the way things went today, and that’s what they talked about during dinner. About how much they’d learned in one sitting with the attorney, and were looking forward to tomorrow, too. She was glad they were getting help. She loved these men so much.

After dinner, she could tell that they were less stressed, and being under one roof helped.

They were determined to make the money work for them rather than the other way around.

Meggie was happy about that, they seemed to have a better handle on living arrangements, too.

They wouldn’t stay forever, but they would stay until they were ready to embark on their next adventure.

“Did you have any trouble at the bank other than Candance?” She asked him what he meant. “I don’t know. Did anyone tell you not to put me on your accounts? I don’t know that they’d come right out and say that to you, but I don’t know.”

“No one would say that. And if they did, I’d get them fired, too. What a thing to think. Your credit cards will be here in the morning, so don’t forget to check the mailbox.” He said he’d get it when he went to class. “Are you having fun with the classes? Learning anything important?”

“So far, he’s only been telling us about contracts.

And what to look for in them. I very much enjoyed those, and I think my brothers did as well.

Basically, he said that we’d need to find each of us an attorney so that we can send anything that needs our signature on it to them.

He’s going to give us a list of people that he trusts.

” She said that they had a family attorney and one for the business.

“He told me that. He said that I could use yours for as much as you trust them, too.”

They were headed to bed when she saw the men standing in the hallway.

Asking them if everything was all right, they told her that they were just getting ready to go to bed and thought of telling her and Kinsey once again how much they appreciated what they were doing for them.

And how they liked that they were able to stay somewhere like this house and be out of town.

“You having trouble with people in town?” It was Wylie who said that they needed a new school.

And a larger grocery store. “I see. Hitting you up for funds now. If you keep telling them no, then they’ll get the hint.

But remember, never tell them that you’re thinking about it. That will get you in more hot water.”

“Jason, the attorney we were working with today said we should tell them that we were looking into our options, and we’ll get back with them.

Like you said, the town will benefit from the sale of the farm, and someday, when things start rolling with David, they’ll see that.

” She told them that she was proud of them.

“Good. Just so you know, we’re glad to have you as being a part of the family.

You’ve made Kinsey very happy, and that’s all we ever wanted. To be happy.”

“He makes me feel the same way. Happy and in love.” She kissed each of them on the cheek and told them that she was here for them.

When they went to the rooms they’d picked out, she made her way down the hall towards their room.

Kinsey was already in bed but not asleep.

She was glad; she had plans for him and his body.

“I have two questions for you.” She told him to ask away.

“When will you know if you’re pregnant or not, and when you do, can we go get married at the courthouse, then later for a big wedding?

David and Alice have their hearts set on a giant wedding.

They want to use their new house for the reception.

” She laughed and said she could work with that.

“Good. And so you know, I don’t want to tell anyone about the baby for a while so that we can hold that secret close to us. All right?”

“Perfect.” She got into bed with him after telling him what his brothers had said. “I think that they’re going to do just fine, the five of them. Now, if they can find someone to love, then that would make their lives as perfect as ours is.”