Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
“Shh, honey,” Mom says, pulling me into a hug. “It’s okay, Frankie. I don’t want you to feel bad.”
“How could I not feel bad?” I ask. “You guys broke up because of me!”
“George and I are going to take it slow,” Gertrude replies, patting my shoulder. “We’re not going to put labels on it. The truth is, it was a bit of a rushed decision anyway, getting engaged without our children meeting first. In a sense, this was partly our fault, too. None of this was what we were expecting, but I think, at the end of the day, it could be a good thing. For all of us.”
I pull back to look at her. Gertrude’s expression is sincere enough to make my heart melt. It feels like everything has changed again, at the drop of a hat. Guilt, happiness, and confusion swirl through my mind, as well as a tinge of hope.
“Do you mean that?” I ask her quietly. “You really want me to be happy?”
“Yeah, Frankie, I do,” Mom replies. “Besides,” she adds, grinning, “four marriages would have been too many for me, anyway.”
We both begin to laugh at that, and for the first time in a week, I wonder if maybe everything’s going to be okay after all.
* * *
It’s strange to find myself sitting across from Hunter at a fancy restaurant again. Except this time, our parents aren’t here. It’s just the two of us.
It turns out that he spent the last week throwing himself into his work, which was the only thing he could think to do in the aftermath of the disaster at my house. I had been fully prepared to never hear from him again, so I was surprised when he answered my phone call this morning on the first ring, and agreed to meet up so we could talk. His voice sounded calm - optimistic, even - and when I arrived at the restaurant to see him as handsome as ever, smiling his cocky smile, I felt an overwhelming sense that we were past the worst of it. Whatever “it” was.
“So,” I say, taking a sip of water, “that’s where they stand. Just friends for now, I guess.”
“Dad told me the same thing,” Hunter rumbles. “Looks like we’re not going to be step-siblings, after all.”
“For now,” I correct him jokingly. “I mean, you never know, right?”
He chuckles.
“I guess that’s true. But at least if we’re dating before it happens, I think it makes it a little less weird.”
I feel my heart flutter, and I raise my eyebrows.
“Dating?” I ask teasingly. “Who said anything about dating?”
“I did,” Hunter replies, grinning. He eyes me with his piercing blue eyes. “Was that the wrong thing to say?”
“No,” I say. “I just… I wasn’t sure if… I mean, I…” Damn it. My nerves are getting the better of me again. He still has me tongue-tied every time I see him.
Hunter chuckles.
“You’re adorable, sweetheart.”
I shake my head, rubbing my forehead.
“I’m glad you think so.”
“So what do you say?” he asks, reaching across the table to take my hand. “Do you want to try this? You and me, as a real couple?” A thoughtful expression crosses his face. “I never thought I’d hear myself ask a girl that.”
“I never thought I’d get asked that,” I respond. I squeeze his hand, meeting his gaze, and whatever nervousness I felt before melts away as I look at him. “But the answer is yes, Hunter. I’d like that.”
He grins and leans across the table, capturing my lips with his. I close my eyes and lean into the kiss, not caring about the fact that we’re in a restaurant, not caring about the fact that we were almost step-siblings, not caring about any of it.
It’s time to move forward together, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Our lips meet, and my heart sings. Who would have guessed? I’m now dating the handsome man I met at a naughty party, and together, Hunter and I will explore the future.
Epilogue
Hunter
“How are you feeling?” I ask Frankie, glancing over at her. We’re sprawled out on the couch in my Manhattan apartment, the late morning sunlight streaming in through the window. It’s a Saturday, and I’m done with work for the weekend. Having an assistant has made my life so much easier, and it’s given me more time to spend with Frankie.
My wife.
It still doesn’t sound real when I think about it, and we’ve been married for almost six months. I guess that’s how most newlyweds probably feel, but most newlyweds didn’t have the rollercoaster of a relationship that we did.
“I feel pretty good, actually,” Frankie smiles, looking up at me. “No morning sickness today.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I say, reaching out to put a hand to her stomach. The only thing crazier about being married is expecting a baby. Once, not long ago, the idea of settling down with a woman seemed like a foreign concept, the kind of thing other, more normal people do. People who don’t go to taboo parties.