Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
It was a strange little gathering. Smith barely spoke, glaring down at his plate for the most part—surly and uncommunicative—while Kenny looked on the verge of tears for the better part of the evening, leaving Beth and Fern to try and fill in the awkward silences.
Talk turned to Cade and Fern’s appearance on the Holmes@Home show. It had garnered a lot of positive press for them. Their story had been picked up by more mainstream publications, and the public had gone gaga over their “love” story. It was a little baffling to her, but people had actually liked Fern, and were especially charmed by her—go figure—shyness, her genuinely awed reaction to Iris, and her blatant fangirling over the woman’s books.
Granger had pretty much been—deservedly and universally—vilified. The whole thing had led to even more interview requests for Cade and Fern. Most of which they’d turned down, citing the need for privacy and stating that Fern needed to rest.
Toni and Allie had made a few television appearances of their own in direct response to the Mike Holmes thing and had done a few “tell-all” interviews with some of the less savory gossip rags. They’d come across as strident, petty, and mean. The result of which had only made Fern more sympathetic to the public. A lot of the popular influencers had actually created mocking reaction videos of the sisters’ interviews. A few had pointed out that if that was a sample of what Fern had had to live with for so many years, it was no wonder she needed a mental health check.
Granger, in the meantime, had been suspiciously quiet. Which made Fern nervous. What was he up to? It couldn’t be anything good.
“And what was Trystan Abbott like?” Beth asked, feigning a swoon. Gideon slanted her an irritated glance and she met his stare with a wide-eyed, innocent one of her own. “Whaaaat? You-you know I think he’s super-hot, Gideon. My dream… dream m—”
“Uh uh, Lizzy-bit, finish that sentence at your peril,” he warned and she giggled.
“Come on, Gideon. You can’t blame me. He’s the hottest man in the world,” she taunted, unrepentant. Then smiled at him sweetly. “While you’re on-only the hottest man in my wuh-world.”
He opened his mouth to retort, then paused as he considered her words. His face softened and his shoulders relaxed as his face settled into what could only be described as a ridiculously smitten expression.
“I’ll take that,” he said, his adoring gaze practically eating her alive and her smile softened as she returned his adoring gaze.
Fern smiled as she watched their interaction. They were so at ease with each other, so happy and in love. She yearned for a similar relationship… but the only man she could imagine it with wasn’t in the market for the whole happily ever after thing.
Her eyes dropped to his broad back again. He was wholly focused on his meal, but occasionally, she felt the light graze of his fingers over her ankle. She knew it was intentional, no way those leisurely, sexy circles were accidental touches.
She became aware of everybody staring at her and blinked back at Beth, in confusion.
“I’m sorry? Did you ask me something?”
“I asked if you were nervous recording that interview with Mike Holmes? I’d probably be a wreck.”
Both her husband and father-in-law scoffed at her words.
“Please, you’d be brilliant at it, like you are at everything,” Gideon said and, while his words were sweet his tone was long-suffering, even disdainful.
“Of course, I would be,” Beth said with an eye roll. “I didn’t say I’d suck at it… I just said I’d be a wreck. I do get nervous about some things, Gideon.”
“I’ve yet to see it,” James Hawthorne said with a chuckle. He directed his gaze toward Fern and elaborated, “She’s fearless this one.”
“So, were you nervous?” Beth repeated, ignoring the two men.
“Yes. But having Cade right there helped a lot.”
Her father-in-law harrumphed slightly, the sound rife with disapproval.
“You should call him Niall, girl. Especially in public. He has a professional reputation to uphold, hearing you refer to him as Cade in a public forum, is bound to be confusing for our business associates.”
Cade tensed against her knees and she watched the back of his head angle upwards as he watched his father. She couldn’t see his expression, but she knew he wasn’t happy with his father’s command.
“I don’t think so,” Fern replied quietly.
“You don’t think…? What do you mean you don’t think so?” James Hawthorne asked in sheer disbelief.
“Precisely what I said,” Fern said, her voice calm, as she set her empty plate aside and took a nonchalant sip from her water. “I. Don’t. Think. So. Maybe you—all of you—should call him Cade instead.”
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Cade’s hand wrapped around her ankle and squeezed. She wasn’t sure if it was in warning or affection—probably the former since he’d outright cautioned her not to bring up this subject with his father. But he couldn’t blame her for this. Not when James Hawthorne was the one who’d gone there first.