Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
She laughed. “No one calls me that. It’s Nicole, and it’s a pleasure to meet you too. Welcome to our family.” She tilted her head slightly and let her eyes wander behind me. “That’s a nice car you got there.”
“A weekend rent,” I said casually.
“Of course. Well, come in out of the cold.”
We entered the house after her and Willow slipped her hand into mine. It felt cold and small. It was strange and unfamiliar, but I felt suddenly protective of her. I squeezed her hand.
“Everyone is here except for the bride and groom,” Nicole explained, as she walked deeper into the house.
Christmas decorations were still up, and there was a fire burning brightly in the living room. The people in the room stopped talking when we entered.
“Everyone, this is Rex Hunter, Willow’s boyfriend,” Nicole announced, her voice seemingly filled with pride.
A tall, dark-haired woman rose from one of the sofas. “How lovely to meet you. I’m Caroline, Willow’s cousin.” She turned her face to a man standing in a crowd. “And that’s my husband, Kevin.”
Kevin stepped forward and shook my hand warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her sister, Olivia, was next. She hugged me, surprising me with her friendliness. Willow took over, introducing me to the rest of her cousins, aunts and uncles.
The inevitable question came up during dinner once everyone had sat wherever they could in the living room.
“How did you two meet?” Caroline asked.
“Shall I tell them? Or will you?” I asked Willow.
“You,” she said shyly.
“We met in the rain.”
“Under umbrellas,” Willow chipped in.
I smiled adoringly at her. “That’s right. I was rushing home after work and Willow had gone out to get a hamburger.” I deliberately changed the script so she would have to chime in again.
“Hot dog,” she corrected. “I went out for a hot dog.”
“How can I be expected to remember that little detail when I’d just bumped into the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“Awww…” Olivia cooed mistily.
“Then what happened?” someone else asked.
“She covered me in mustard and ketchup,” I said shortly, and everyone laughed.
“Carry on,” Nicole urged, a small smile on her face.
I shrugged. “We went back to my place so I could change my clothes, then I took her out to dinner to replace her hot dog, and the rest, as they say, is history.” I looked down at Willow and she was looking at me with a slightly dazed expression. I kissed her lightly on her soft mouth. This was turning out far better than I could have imagined. I was actually enjoying myself, pretending to be Willow’s boyfriend.
Someone handed us a glass of white wine each and I raised mine up in gratitude. Willow tossed her glass back, finished her wine in one go, then grabbed another. She probably needed some Dutch courage.
Nicole came and took my arm. She led me to a corner of the room away from everyone. She looked up at me, her face full of sincerity.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see Willow so happy and in love. Thank you.”
Fuck. She was good. She was really good. If not for the warning from Willow, I would have eaten up her bullshit.
“You don’t have to thank me. Willow is one in a million. I’m the lucky one.”
“She’s had a very rough year,” she continued, lowering her voice. “I’m sure she’s told you about Steven and her sister.”
I turned to look at Willow and found her staring at me across the room. I blew her a kiss and her lips curled into a smile. Turning back to Nicole, I nodded. “She did, and I think she’s awesome to want to attend the wedding.” I locked gazes with Nicole. “What Tiffany and Steven did was wrong.”
“Yes, of course, it was,” she agreed immediately, “but as their mother everything is not black and white. You don’t know how hard it is to be caught between your two daughters, even if one of them is clearly in the wrong, your first instinct is to try to keep the family together. Steven had chosen Tiffany, and that was that. There was nothing that could be done there. And I knew even though it was going to be painful for Willow for a while, she would survive, and knowing her kind heart she would move on and forgive Tiffany. I’m waiting for that day to come, I never imagined she would move on as quickly as she has though.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “she has a kind heart and she has moved on.”
“Please be good to her. She deserves all the love and happiness she can get.”
And there, just for a fraction of a second, I saw something. Something that didn’t jive with the words coming out of her mouth. She was not pleased Willow had found me. Well, well.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I said. “I plan to shower her with love and happiness.”