Page 91 of More Than a Billionaire

“Are you sure?”

She waved Mom toward the door. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

Mom gave her an understanding smile and walked out the front door.

Skylar sat alone in one of the great room chairs, staring out the window toward the lights of the barn. Her mind raced through all the things that had happened that led her to this place. If only she’d been honest with Franky sooner. If only she hadn’t agreed with him that their kiss was a mistake. If only she’d been brave enough to tell him how she really felt, things might be very different. And if she had, maybe Ivy wouldn’t be in his life now.

She shook her head. No, she couldn’t think that way. She couldn’t think about the what-ifs. All that mattered now was what she did moving forward. The more she thought about Mom’s advice, the more sense it made. These feelings of hers had been harbored for far too long. She had to let them sail. Because if she kept the status quo, how many more years of her life would pass by, waiting for something that might never be?

“I have feelings for you, Franky.” Skylar shook her head at her reflection in the rearview mirror. “No, I can’t just come out and say it like that. Can I?” She took a deep breath in and let it out in a huff.

A week had passed since the wedding, and while Skylar had spent every day putting off talking to Franky, something wonderful had happened in the Schultz household.

Gus ended his fake marriage to Merritt.

That might not seem wonderful, but it was. He flew home to do the right thing and tell their parents the truth, only to find Merritt there waiting for him, declaring her love, which he wholeheartedly returned. Adelia had been right. The two of them had fallen in love with each other for real.

On top of that, Dad and Gus worked out their issues, or at least began to, and Gus was invited back to Schultz Chocolate to work alongside Skylar as co-president. She couldn’t have been more pleased with how all of that turned out. It was going to be wonderful to have Gus by her side again.

But while her brother’s situations were finding happy resolutions, Skylar struggled with the decision she’d made about Franky at Sebastian’s wedding. In her daily life, especially with work, she was always confident and sure, and she didn’t like feeling uncertain and confused. The only remedy was to get it over with and finally talk to Franky, which was why she was now driving toward his place, practicing what she would say when she got there.

“Let’s try this again. Franky, there’s something very important I need to talk to you about, and I know this is probably going to seem like it’s coming out of nowhere, but I love you.” She groaned. “This is ridiculous. He’s going to laugh. And then he’s going to reject me.”

Her stomach was in knots by the time she pulled up in front of his place. She had no idea how this was going to go. If he returned her feelings, it would be the greatest thing that had ever happened. But if he didn’t, she knew she had to step away, at least for a while, to allow herself time to fall out of love with him, to give their friendship a chance to survive. She needed to be honest with him about all of that, no matter how much it terrified her.

She stared out the windshield of her car, watching tiny snowflakes land on the glass and melt away, working up the courage to walk to his door. Closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer for the strength to go through with this and peace no matter what the outcome. All the while, she fought back tears at the thought of losing him.

After several minutes, she finally went to his door and rang the doorbell. Muffled footfalls approached, and her heart skipped a beat when Franky opened the door and greeted her with a huge smile.

“Hey, you. What are you doing here?”

She swallowed and gathered all of the strength she had. “Uh … there’s something important I need to tell you.”

Ivy’s blonde head suddenly made an appearance over Franky’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his middle from behind. “Hi, Skylar.”

Her heart sank. Why hadn’t she considered the possibility that Ivy might be there?

Franky covered Ivy’s arms with his own. “I’ve got something important to tell you too.” He lifted Ivy’s hand from where it rested against his stomach and held it out toward Skylar. “I asked Ivy to marry me, and she said yes.”

Skylar felt as if her heart had actually stopped beating at the sight of the shining diamonds on Ivy’s slender ring finger. She couldn’t breathe. Her throat felt as dry as a desert. Was it closing up? How close was she to passing out? She couldn’t formulate a sentence. The sparkling stones had knocked every word she’d planned and practiced straight out of her brain.

Her gaze lifted from the ring and took in Ivy’s happy expression.

“What do you think of the ring?” Franky asked. “Did I do good?”

Her phone suddenly rang in her purse, and she fished it out, unable to control the trembling of her hands.

The office. Thank God.

“I’m sorry. I have to take this,” she mumbled. Completely flustered, she turned and walked to her car, climbed in, and drove away, leaving her phone unanswered.

TWENTY-NINE

What was that all about?” Ivy disappeared into the apartment, and Franky closed the door behind them and followed.

“I’m not sure.” Franky’s heart was in his throat, and he was reeling. She had come there with something important to tell him and took off so abruptly. What had happened?

Ivy went to the couch, and he settled in beside her. She wound her right arm around his and held her left one out, admiring her three-carat pear-shaped halo engagement ring.

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