Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

But who were these people, really?

Tarquin thought about it. If these were truly the leading figures in their respective fields, even if he hadn't met them personally, he should at least have heard of them. But, listening to Elysia talk, he couldn't quite put any names to faces.

Elysia noticed Tarquin's furrowed brow and mistook it for nerves. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry," she said easily, "Grandma and the grandpas are super easygoing. They treat me and the kids like family, and they'll treat you the same way."

Tarquin shook off his thoughts. "So, what did they do before they moved out here?"

She shrugged, "Honestly, they were just regular folks. Sure, they had their hobbies, but they were happiest working the land, growing vegetables and raising animals."

Tarquin: "..."

They chatted idly all the way to the airport, where their private jet was already waiting.

A couple of hours later, the seven of them landed in Darkfort City.

As soon as they got off the plane, there were people waiting for them-polite and respectful to a fault.

Tarquin had invested a lot in this region, pouring money into local businesses and contributing to the city's growth. The taxes alone he paid every year were a significant

wraps, the mayor himself would probably have shown up to greet them at

and fries for the kids, coffee and sandwiches for the

time they reached the foothills, the

in the dark. Instead, they checked into a charming countryside bed

and head

booked a suite for the family. The baby bunked with Tarquin and Elysia. Elliot, Evan, Emmett, and Elijah

as was her habit, Elysia tiptoed into the boys' room before going to bed herself, checking to make sure they were covered up. Even in August, the nights in Darkfort could get chilly, and a light blanket was a

surprised to

gazing out at the mountains as if deep in thought. The other three boys were

heart skipped a beat-was

hurried over

her approach, Elijah turned around, his little brow furrowed in

knelt beside him, lowering her voice. "Elijah, honey, why aren't

him restless. Tarquin had picked the nicest B&B around, but for Elijah, who'd

let

his brothers, who'd spent their early years running wild in the countryside, Elijah had always been at Tarquin's side-raised in penthouses and country estates, never lacking