sitting on the daybed. All three girls lined up, looking at her almost expectantly.
“Is he?” Poppy asked, even though she didn’t really want to talk about the most stunningly beautiful and frankly most tactless man she’d ever met.
Madison sighed. “Well, he wasn’t always that way. He used to be quite a carefree, fun-loving kind of guy. Or at least that’s what my mom told me.”
Poppy shifted in her desk chair, not sure she wanted to hear anything more about Killian.
But she still found herself saying, “Really?”
Madison sighed again, this time the sound a little sad. “Yes. My mother said that was before he lost the love of his life.”
Poppy shifted again, her attention focused on Madison. Waiting for the girl to continue.
“The love of his life?” Daisy asked, looking from Madison to Poppy, then back to Madison.
Madison nodded, her expression somber. “Yes. It was his high school sweetheart in Sweden. Agnetha Fältskog.”
Agnetha Fältskog. Why did that name sound familiar?
“They were together for nearly eight years and were going to marry. And then the worst thing happened.” Madison paused, shaking her head, clearly reflecting on the story her mother had told her.
Poppy hitched forward in her seat, wanting to ask, what? What happened? But she kept silent.
“Agnetha left him. At the altar.”
Daisy gasped.
“That’s awful,” Emma said, her voice filled with sorrow.
Madison nodded. “Yes. She left him for the minister. They announced their love for each other while in the church.”
Poppy gaped at the girls. That was beyond awful.
“That must have really affected how he deals with women in general,” Daisy said.
“Definitely,” Madison said.
“What did she look like?” Daisy asked, which Poppy thought an odd question, but she still found herself on the edge of her seat, wanting to know too. Despite herself.
“She was a tall blonde. Of course, I mean she was Swedish.”
Well, that explained his comment about blondes today. Disliking all blondes still seemed like an extreme reaction, but then wasn’t she still a little gun-shy of musicians?
“She also starred with him on his Swedish television show. And he ended up leaving that too, because it was too difficult to see her every day.”
He’d lost his love and his career. Some of Poppy’s displeasure with Killian faded. He’d probably just reacted today when he saw that woman. How would she react if she saw someone who looked like Adam? Probably not well, honestly.
Maybe they weren’t so different. She understood both those losses—all too well.
“Well, we’re off to work on our science project,” Daisy said, jumping up from the daybed. She gestured for the other two girls, who appeared a little surprised by her sudden announcement.
“Oh, right,” Emma said, standing too.
Madison joined them.
“Are you nearly done with that?” Poppy had forgotten about her sister’s big biology project, which wasn’t like her.
“Yeah, just writing up our data and practicing our presentation.”
Daisy was a good student and a great kid, and Poppy rarely had to get after her to do her schoolwork. Still, she liked to know what was going on.
“Great. Where are you working on it?” Poppy asked her sister.
“Madison’s. I’ll be home for dinner.”
Poppy knew she should have simply nodded, but her own curiosity got the better of her.
“Is Killian there?”
Daisy paused. “Umm, no. He went out again.”
“Oh, okay.” Poppy fiddled with a pen on her desk, trying to look not particularly interested and fighting the urge to ask more.
“See you later,” Daisy said with a little smile; then she and the girls dashed out of the room. And Poppy heard giggles as they exited the apartment.
“I don’t think we have to worry now about your sister befriending old demon boy,” Madison said once they got in the elevator.
“She totally bought that story,” Daisy agreed.
Madison’s eyebrows shot up, then she
“Is he?” Poppy asked, even though she didn’t really want to talk about the most stunningly beautiful and frankly most tactless man she’d ever met.
Madison sighed. “Well, he wasn’t always that way. He used to be quite a carefree, fun-loving kind of guy. Or at least that’s what my mom told me.”
Poppy shifted in her desk chair, not sure she wanted to hear anything more about Killian.
But she still found herself saying, “Really?”
Madison sighed again, this time the sound a little sad. “Yes. My mother said that was before he lost the love of his life.”
Poppy shifted again, her attention focused on Madison. Waiting for the girl to continue.
“The love of his life?” Daisy asked, looking from Madison to Poppy, then back to Madison.
Madison nodded, her expression somber. “Yes. It was his high school sweetheart in Sweden. Agnetha Fältskog.”
Agnetha Fältskog. Why did that name sound familiar?
“They were together for nearly eight years and were going to marry. And then the worst thing happened.” Madison paused, shaking her head, clearly reflecting on the story her mother had told her.
Poppy hitched forward in her seat, wanting to ask, what? What happened? But she kept silent.
“Agnetha left him. At the altar.”
Daisy gasped.
“That’s awful,” Emma said, her voice filled with sorrow.
Madison nodded. “Yes. She left him for the minister. They announced their love for each other while in the church.”
Poppy gaped at the girls. That was beyond awful.
“That must have really affected how he deals with women in general,” Daisy said.
“Definitely,” Madison said.
“What did she look like?” Daisy asked, which Poppy thought an odd question, but she still found herself on the edge of her seat, wanting to know too. Despite herself.
“She was a tall blonde. Of course, I mean she was Swedish.”
Well, that explained his comment about blondes today. Disliking all blondes still seemed like an extreme reaction, but then wasn’t she still a little gun-shy of musicians?
“She also starred with him on his Swedish television show. And he ended up leaving that too, because it was too difficult to see her every day.”
He’d lost his love and his career. Some of Poppy’s displeasure with Killian faded. He’d probably just reacted today when he saw that woman. How would she react if she saw someone who looked like Adam? Probably not well, honestly.
Maybe they weren’t so different. She understood both those losses—all too well.
“Well, we’re off to work on our science project,” Daisy said, jumping up from the daybed. She gestured for the other two girls, who appeared a little surprised by her sudden announcement.
“Oh, right,” Emma said, standing too.
Madison joined them.
“Are you nearly done with that?” Poppy had forgotten about her sister’s big biology project, which wasn’t like her.
“Yeah, just writing up our data and practicing our presentation.”
Daisy was a good student and a great kid, and Poppy rarely had to get after her to do her schoolwork. Still, she liked to know what was going on.
“Great. Where are you working on it?” Poppy asked her sister.
“Madison’s. I’ll be home for dinner.”
Poppy knew she should have simply nodded, but her own curiosity got the better of her.
“Is Killian there?”
Daisy paused. “Umm, no. He went out again.”
“Oh, okay.” Poppy fiddled with a pen on her desk, trying to look not particularly interested and fighting the urge to ask more.
“See you later,” Daisy said with a little smile; then she and the girls dashed out of the room. And Poppy heard giggles as they exited the apartment.
“I don’t think we have to worry now about your sister befriending old demon boy,” Madison said once they got in the elevator.
“She totally bought that story,” Daisy agreed.
Madison’s eyebrows shot up, then she
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