“I hereby call to order the first meeting of the most kickass book club ever assembled.”
Camille stopped talking in order to take a huge gulp of the wine she’d been holding above her head.
Seated in a comfy chair across the room from her, Isobel—yes, Ezra’s sister, Isobel—said, “Uh…hear, hear,” and took her own drink.
Gabby and I exchanged raised eyebrow glances before we shrugged and tossed back our glasses as well.
So, yeah. A couple months had passed since my wicked stepmother had been arrested and I’d become the new CEO at Judge Fashions Industry, sharing the power with my awesome boyfriend, Ezra.
My lawyers had officially gotten everything that had originally been left to me in my father’s will transferred to my name, even though they were still trying to figure out how much money Lana owed me after spending it as if it were her own for the last few years. Not that she’d ever be able to pay me back everything from behind bars, but the lawyers insisted it was important information to know, anyway.
Speaking of Lana, her future did not look bright. Every couple of days, some new illegal misdeed she’d done came to light and another charge was tacked onto her record. She’d never see the outside of a jail cell again if even half of them stuck.
Brick and Hayden seemed to be dealing with having a fugitive for a mother with aplomb. When I’d tried to reimburse them the rest of the money they should’ve received from my father’s inheritance, both refused. But someday, somehow, I’d make sure they got what they were owed.
And Ezra. Oh, Ezra.
That man was too persuasive for his own good. He’d talked me into moving in with him, mentioning how economically sound it would be if we were roommates… With all the strings attached. So, we’d been living together for nearly a month now. It was still as exciting to wake up with him next to me every day as it had been that first time, except maybe for that one morning he’d gotten seriously sick after eating something that hadn’t agreed with him the night before. That hadn’t been so pleasant. But at least, he hadn’t been a whiny, complainy, demanding patient, and he’d let me take care of him after he’d emptied his stomach in the bathroom. Other than that, plus our inability to agree on music, we were doing perfect.
On the work front, things were a chaotic mess. But I loved all of it. Not only had Ezra talked me into sharing an office too, but we’d consolidated all eight departments so that we both had equal power over all of them. On top of that, the spring fashion show was set to take place in a week’s time, and everyone in the building was frantically scrambling to get everything completed and ready in time.
We won’t mention what happened to the prototype of those chunky-heeled, open-toed, ankle-strapped shoes that went missing for a day there.
And if you were curious about how Christopher and Gavin were getting along, they were both still employed by JFI, but had been placed on a six-month probationary period where every little thing they did went under review until they proved they could behave.
Sadly, Jacqueline the mouse was never seen or heard from again, though I had visited the garden—and my mother’s statue—many times since the night of the Halloween party and looked for her. I liked to think she—or he—had found true happiness and was living out her days in utter contentment… Just like I was.
Throughout all that, I’d kept in touch with both Gabby and Camille, as well as gotten to know Ezra’s sister better. I loved all three of them, and when I realized the four of us were avid readers, I innocently mentioned something about how cool it would be to start a reading group between us.
Well, Camille had taken the suggestion to heart. It instantly became her personal crusade to assemble said group, and thus, she’d jumped in with both feet to organize our first meeting.
And that’s how we came to be gathered around her cozy living room, drinking wine and about to discuss The Nightingale.
“Not to stray from the topic of books or anything,” Gabby said after draining her glass. “But I love all things sparkly and pretty, and Isobel… I couldn’t help but notice you were not wearing that ring on your finger when we first met in your flower shop.”
I gasped and swerved my attention to Isobel. When something icy definitely sparkled from the ring finger of her left hand where she held her glass of wine, I exploded from my chair and dashed toward her. “Oh my God! Ohmigod! Shaw proposed?”
Isobel laughed, her face flaming bright red, and set down her drink so she could lift her hand for me and Camille and Gabby to gather around.
“He just gave it to me this morning. I hadn’t had a chance to tell you yet, and I didn’t want to interrupt the book discussion with my own—”
“Girl,” Gabby broke in, clicking her tongue. “When you get bling like this, you always interrupt the book discussion to show it off.”
“Amen,” Camille agreed, taking Isobel’s hand to get a closer look.
“Well, alright,” Isobel answered, laughing again, and revealing how nervous and thrilled she was to be sharing this moment with us.
I squeezed her arm and smiled as big as my cheeks would let me. “I’m so happy for you. You and Shaw are so cute together. You make an awesome team.”
She nodded, tears glittering in her eyes. “You and Ezra do too,” she said. “I just know someday, he’s going to get you your own ring, and we’ll be sisters, and raise our babies as the closest of cousins, and oh my God…” The tears began to drip down her cheek, so she fanned at them furiously with her hand. “I never thought this would happen for me. After the fire and I messed up my face, I thought I’d be alone and miserable for the rest of my life. But then Shaw came along, and now you guys are here in my life, and… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m turning into a blubbering mess. I’m just so happy.”
“A beautiful mess,” Camille assured her, closing an arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “And you just go ahead and let it out, sweetie. We’ll cry with you if you want.”
“Too late,” I announced, dabbing at my wet eyes. “I already am.” Then I dove in to hug Isobel from the front while Camille kept hugging her from behind.
Backing away as if we had the plague, Gabby offered us two thumbs up. “You got this,” she said, avoiding anything that resembled huggable contact.
“Oh, don’t even think about getting out of this,” Camille growled, lunging to catch Gabby’s arm before she jerked her in to join the group hug.
I laughed when Gabby awkwardly smashed into me, her body tense with discomfort. Isobel was the next to break, sniffing through her giggles, and finally Camille joined in, before Gabby cursed all three of us and broke free.
“Not funny,” she muttered as she wiped at her arms like we’d given her cooties.
Watching her, Camille snorted. “I can’t wait until some guy you actually like and accept comes along and totally shatters your personal space. That’s going to be a hoot to watch.”
Gabby zipped a startled glance Camille’s way, and something in her gaze made me wonder…
“Or maybe someone already has,” I murmured, squinting suspiciously at her.
Gabby glanced at me and cringed with guilt.
“Oh my God!” Camille shrieked. “Someone has! Gabs! Why haven’t you said anything? Who? How? I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on us. You know I love a good romance story. What the hell, woman?”
Gabby could only offer her another apologetic wince before turning back to me. “I was about to tell you and Camille everything a few months ago, but then we got interrupted by Isobel’s brother, and… And well, I was waiting for him to say something to you, but I swear it’s easier to crack open a can of tuna with your bare hands than get that close-lipped bastard to talk about shit.”
I shook my head and confessed, “I am totally confused right now.”
“Yeah, so am I,” Camille agreed.
“Who is this him you’re referring to?” Isobel asked.
Gabby clutched her face as if nervous before returning her attention to me. Why me, and not the other two, I wasn’t sure, but it freaked me out. “I should start from the beginning,” she said. “The beginning that involves you, Kaitlynn.”
“Me?” I pressed my hand against my chest and shook my head. I didn’t understand.
But Gabby nodded. “Yes, you. There is so much you don’t know. So much he never told you. But you were never alone. I thought you should know that. He was always watching over you, making sure you made it through to the next day, like, I don’t know, some secret ninja fairy godmother, or something. After your dad died, he never would’ve let anything insurmountable happen to you.”
“Who?” I said, my eyebrows furrowed with all the bewilderment banging through me. “What in the world are you talking about, Gabby?”
“Well…” She drew in a deep breath. “It all started the night I kind of, sort of broke into someone’s apartment.”
