Ten Days of Perfect (November Blue #1)

“A yurt?” He howled.

“You heard it here first, Baby.” I winked, “That was the last straw before I told my parents to cut the shit and let me be normal for high school. We lived in an apartment and everything - it was fucking glorious.”

“That’s awesome your parents would do that for you, pause their lifestyle for four years so you could settle.”

“Yeah, they’re swell - shit! They were going to be coming back through Barnstable this weekend and I totally forgot to tell them I’d be here; I’ve got to text my mom.” I frantically dug for my cellphone.

Me: Hey-I’m in Concord for the weekend with Bo-sorry for the short notice.

Mom: ?

Me: That’s not a response Mom: OK . . . yay! How’s that ;) Me: Be normal for once, would you?

Mom: We’ll call when we’re driving back up the coast to see where you’re at. If you’re still in NH maybe we’ll swing by.

Me: You’re impossible. Love you.

Mom: Have fun, Baby Girl.

A wistful grin crept across my face as I put my phone back in my bag. Suddenly, my cheeks felt the heat of Bo’s stare. I chanced a glance to my left and saw an unreadable expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“You really love them, huh?”

Oh, the look was melancholy.

“I do. Being their daughter has been an eye-rolling experience, for sure, but they’re great.” I didn’t want to elaborate too much in fear of opening barely healed wounds for him, or myself.

“Hey, do you have siblings? I never asked.” Bo got out of the car.

“Nope, just me, and whatever children were living in whichever agricultural community we lived in.” I smiled as I got out.

“Why don’t you ever let me open the door for you?” He asked, creasing his eyebrows.

“Ha, are you serious? Um, well, for starters, my arms aren’t broken.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice if I tried.

“What am I going to do with you?” Bo huffed as he put his arms around my waist.

“Anything you want.” I smiled, “But, could we get our stuff in your house first?”

We carried our bags to the grand front door; the house was absolutely gorgeous. To anyone outside of New England, the house might look ominous; it was clearly at least one hundred years old. It was white with black shutters - standard New England fare. A spacious widow’s watch with a stained glass window on one side, and a regular window on the other, topped the house. I made a mental note to check the view from up there later. Bo produced a key from his pocket and opened the door.

The inside of the house was anything but antique; there had clearly been a massive remodel at some point. A large granite-floored foyer greeted us, with a grand, double-banister staircase just to the right. The foyer’s ceiling was two-stories, and a window at the top poured delicious light.

“Impressive.” My eyes took in the scale of the foyer and what appeared to be a dining area to the left.

Bo flashed a quick smile, “Yea, not bad for a lonely bachelor.” He winked and led me up the stairs.

“How many bedrooms do you have?” I asked, noting several doorways down the straight hallway.

“Six. And three bathrooms upstairs,” he said over his shoulder.

“Does Rachel stay here when she’s on break from school?” I asked.

“Actually, she lives here all the time, Durham’s only about an hour away. She’s staying on campus this weekend with some friends, though. She might be by sometime tonight to pick up some stuff.”

“Will I get to meet her?” It was clear how much Bo loved his sister; I was jealous I didn’t have a sibling with whom to share such a bond.

“Of course. And, if we miss her tonight, she’ll be at the DROP meeting Monday. That’s why she’s staying on campus this weekend - trying to get ahead since she’ll miss classes for our meeting.” Bo stopped in front of a door half-way down the hall on the left, and cracked it open.

“This is my room. Well, our room for the weekend.” He beamed.

I entered the room and felt instantly at home, it screamed Bo. A large well-made bed with dark navy bedding was positioned in the center of the wall opposite the door. The walls were sparsely adorned with family photos and a couple of autographed and framed posters of musicians.

My eyes found a family portrait on the wall adjacent to the bed and I approached it slowly. All four Cavanaugh’s were smiling the trademark mega-watt smile. His parents were young, and Bo was the spitting image of his father. Rachel was pale with dark hair, just like Bo, but her eyes were darker. Vivian, their mother, was breathtakingly beautiful. While Bo looked slightly younger, maybe more carefree, this looked to be only a few years old.

“This is the last portrait of my family before my parents died.” Bo startled me away from my thoughts.

“Oh, when was it taken?” I didn’t break my gaze from the picture that held the gorgeous family.

“A month before they died. The pictures came in the mail a couple of weeks after their funeral.” I could feel him staring at me.