“Hey, I’m not psycho,” she said as more messages rolled in.
Aiden, please answer me.
If I didn’t answer you, you’d send an army after me.
Abby looked amused. “An army?”
“She exaggerates. Remi loves drama.”
More messages came in rapid-fire. Can you just tell me if you’re still alive?
OMG you’re not answering. I’m calling the police.
Wait . . . is Abby even real? She added an angry emoji face. Or is she like the hairy feet in the sand?
“Hairy feet in the sand? Do I even want to know?”
“She wanted proof that I was relaxing, so I took a picture of some guy’s feet in the sand and sent it.”
“That’s hilarious. Does she do this a lot?”
“She gets anxious when I travel. She’s always been that way.”
“You should answer her. She’s obviously worried about you.”
Another message rolled in. Maybe you’re getting your groove on. I hope you are! She added a heart-eyed emoji. But what if you’re bleeding out in a ditch? What if she poisoned you?!
I think I understand why you worry about me so much.
I’m getting you a bodyguard.
He chuckled at her persistence. “I could send her a message saying I’m alive and I’ll call her tomorrow, which I guarantee will be met with a dozen more questions.” He had never once introduced Remi to any of his lady friends, and he wasn’t going to dissect the urge to introduce her to Abby. He went for it. “There’s only one thing that will stop her, and that’s full disclosure.”
“Meaning?”
“Would you like to meet my sister over FaceTime?”
Excitement sparked in Abby’s eyes. “Are you kidding? I would love to.”
He navigated to his camera on his phone and pulled Abby closer for a selfie. “Babe,” he said to get her attention. When she looked over, he kissed her lips and took the picture. “Okay, brace yourself for the whirlwind that is Remington Aldridge, aka Remi Divine.”
“I’m sorry, Aiden. I know she’s your sister and I shouldn’t be overly excited, but I am!”
He kissed her smiling lips. “I love your enthusiasm. I watched Remi blossom from a broken twelve-year-old into one of the best actresses of her time. I’m proud of her. She deserves the fanfare.” He sent the picture and said, “Three. Two. One—” A FaceTime call rang through with Remi’s picture on the screen.
Abby’s hand flew to her chest. “It’s her!”
“Man, I’d give anything to get that response when I call you.”
“Trust me, when your name pops up on my phone, you get a much better response. A full-body response.” She tapped his arm and said, “Answer it before she hangs up.”
He answered the call, and Remi’s beautiful face appeared. People said she looked like Natalie Portman, but Aiden thought his sister was far more unique, with her slightly pointy chin, emotive eyes, and feisty personality. “Hey, Rem.”
“Hi!” Remi’s eyes lit up. “Is that Abby? Are you Abby? Holy cow, you look just like the singer Lauren Daigle.” She hollered over her shoulder, “Mason! She’s real!”
“Yes! I’m real. I mean, I’m Abby. It’s nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan, and I promise I’m not psycho.” Abby bounced beside him.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Remi joked. “Wait, my brother’s not paying you to pretend to be his friend, is he? Because whatever he promised you, I’ll give you double to tell me the truth.”
“Remi,” Aiden chided.
“What?” Remi snapped, but she did it with a smile. “How can I ever trust you again after those hairy feet? Where are you guys?”
“We’re on a date,” Aiden said.
“A date? I won’t keep you long,” Remi said excitedly, then called over her shoulder again. “Mason! Aiden’s on a date!”
Mason’s steel-blue eyes appeared over Remi’s shoulder. “Hey, Aiden. Hi—”
“Abby. Her name is Abby,” Remi said.
“Hi, Abby. I’m Mason.” He waved a spatula and said, “Sorry, I was making a cake. Babe, let’s let them get back to their date.”
“In a sec,” Remi said. “You didn’t answer my question. Where are you on your date?”
“At a winery,” Abby said. “We watched the sunset. You should see what Aiden did for us.”
“Show me!” Remi exclaimed.
Aiden handed Abby the phone and watched as Abby showed Remi their picnic, the lanterns, and their gorgeous view.
“Look at the lanterns, Mason! The roses!” Remi exclaimed. “I had no idea my brother was so romantic.”
“He’s amazing . . .” Abby went on to rave about their day, describing it to Remi, from the lighthouse to the beach and lunch at the café, right down to their private tour of the winery, leaving out the part about him signing her up for the competition.
Remi asked dozens of questions, and Abby answered every one of them. They laughed like old friends, and Remi didn’t hesitate to make fun of him.
“I bought him flip-flops, and he insists on wearing those nerdy loafers,” Remi said.
“I like his loafers,” Abby said as she walked over and sat next to Aiden. “And now I’ve monopolized your call with your brother. I’m sorry.”
“Who is that?” Patrice asked as she climbed onto Remi’s lap, looking adorable with pink bows tied to the ends of her braids. Her face lit up, and she said, “Hi, Uncle Aiden. Are you still on the island? Who’s that girl?”
“Hey, Patty Cake,” Aiden said, noticing Abby’s dreamy-eyed expression. “I am on the island, and this is my special friend, Abby.”
Abby waved to her. “Hi.”
“Hi. I’m Patrice and I’m five. You can call me Patty, but only Uncle Aiden calls me Patty Cake. Do you like my bows?” She swung her head from side to side, sending her braids flying across her face.
“Yes. They’re very pretty,” Abby said.
“Olive, my foster sister, who I hope will be my real sister one day, is at her friend Catherine’s house doing a science project,” Patrice said. “She’s gonna be mad that I met you and she didn’t. Maybe you could call her, too.”
“I’ll catch up with Olive another time, sweets,” Aiden said. “Love you, Patty Cake.”
“Love you, too. Bye!” Patrice slid off Remi’s lap and said, “Can I help bake?” as she disappeared from the screen.
“She is adorable,” Abby said.
“Thank you. She’s a pistol. You should meet Olive. She’s a great big sister, but I swear she’s an adult in a teenager’s body.” Remi glanced over her shoulder and said, “Speaking of adorable . . .” She moved the phone so they could see Patrice standing on a chair beside Mason as he poured cake batter into a pan. Patrice was feeding a cheese stick to their golden retriever, Nahla. Remi moved the phone so only Mason’s butt was on the screen, and Aiden heard her sigh. She turned the screen so they could see her face, and she said, “I love my life so much. Who knew baking could be so sexy?”