Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Why don’t we go to dinner?” I offer. “I don’t have any plans, and I’ve been wanting to check out that new hibachi restaurant that opened, but it seems weird to go alone. Do you like hibachi?”
“Oh, yes!” Taylor squeals, clapping her hands. “I’ve been wanting to go to that place.”
“Mom?” I ask, turning toward my mom.
“Oh, no, you girls go and have a good time. I have a date tonight with my husband.”
She waggles her brows, and Taylor giggles while I mock gag.
Twenty-five years later, and I’m still not used to the amount of PDA I’ve had to witness between my parents over the years. I can’t even tell you how many times my siblings and I have walked in on them or heard them when they thought no one was home.
On the other hand, I love that my parents love each other so fiercely. It’s what I wanted for myself, and the thought that I’ll never have it again makes me sad. Yet I can’t bring myself to move on because the fact is, I already had it, and I destroyed it.
The rest of our pedicure is spent talking about various books we’ve read and loved and the hundreds we have on our TBR list. Once our feet are clean and pretty, we walk back to the cars, and Mom takes off.
Since Taylor drove, I hop into her Jeep with her, and she puts the top down, swearing it’s the only way to ride in a Jeep. I love her free spirit, and as she drives us down Main Street, I can’t help but feel like maybe Shane and Taylor were meant to come into my life.
Before them, I was barely living, but since I met them, I’ve gone out, dancing and drinking, started reading romance again, and I’m currently singing pop songs at the top of my lungs with Taylor as we cruise through town.
But when Taylor pulls into a parking spot in front of the restaurant, my eyes lock with Shane’s, who’s leaning against the side of the building, and my stomach drops. Because as much as I enjoy their company, hanging out with him is also hard, especially knowing how attracted I am to him while trying like hell not to act on it. Because when I do, the guilt eats me up inside—something I spoke about with Julia during our last session.
I whip my head around to look at Taylor and she at least has the decency to look a little sheepish when she says, “He texted, asking what I was doing for dinner, so I figured he could meet us. You guys are friends, right?”
She bats her lashes at me, telling me she knows exactly what she’s done, and I groan.
“Taylor, if you knew I’d be okay with him going, you would’ve mentioned it, but you didn’t, which tells me you thought there was a small chance I wouldn’t be.”
Taylor sighs. “You’re right. It’s just that my dad really likes you. He talks about you all the time, and I don’t know why, but you don’t want to give him a chance, so I thought maybe if I gave you a shove in the right direction, you’d see how awesome he is.” She shrugs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, and if you want to cancel, I’ll tell him it’s all my fault. He honestly thought you were on board.”
“I’m not going to cancel, but in the future, I need you to be honest. I consider you a friend, and friends don’t go behind each other’s back.”
Taylor nods in understanding. “Can I ask why you don’t like my dad?”
Oh boy … I wasn’t prepared to have this conversation with Shane’s daughter—and not while he’s standing fifteen feet away and we’re sitting in her Jeep.
“It’s not your dad,” I tell her honestly. “Three years ago, I was married and pregnant, and I lost my husband and baby girl in a car crash that I’d caused while I was driving.”
Taylor gasps, her hands going to her mouth. “Kinsley, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I choke out, blinking back the tears that are filling my eyelids. “You couldn’t have known. Your dad seems like a wonderful man, but I’m just not in a place to love someone the way they deserve.”
“But what about you?” she asks. “Don’t you deserve to be loved? Finding love after loss is a popular trope for a reason. Because everyone deserves to find love. What if my dad is the man you’re meant to fall in love with? He’s such a good guy.
“He takes care of me and loves me enough for my mom and him since she hates staying in one place for too long, and I know he would love you so much if you let him.”
Her words cause the threatening tears to fall.