Page 20 of Cookies & Kisses

He pulls his head back and looks at me quizzically. “What’s that?”

“We need to change the name.”

He laughs out loud. “And what do you propose we name it instead?”

With a mischievous grin, I lean in and kiss him softly on the lips. “Cookies…and Kisses.”

Luna

One Year Later

“Luna! Your phone isringing!” My eleven-year-old sister’s voice calls from the kitchen. I figure it’s my best friend, Madeleine. She seemed to think a proposal from her boyfriend, Mason, was imminent. And she was right, because he Facetimed me when he was picking out her ring.

“It’s Madeleine!” Katy adds.

Yep. I was right.

“Go take it,” my dad says, sitting next to me on the couch. “Star Trek can wait.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I kiss him on the cheek and rush over to the kitchen, where I find Katy already on the phone with Madeleine.

“And then Jerry said he has a crush on me!” Katy tells Madeleine. “Can you believe it?”

“Give me that,” I say, taking my phone from her. Katy huffs, but sulks away to finish helping our mom make dinner.

“Hey, Madeleine,” I say. “Sorry about Katy.”

“It’s fine. You know I love her.”

“So, what’s up?”

“Oh, you know…” I swear I can hear her smile through the phone. “Mason proposed!”

“Ahh!” I squeal. While they had a little bit of a rocky start, their relationship blossomed into something beautiful. “Wait, did you say yes?” I tease.

“Oh, Luna.” She giggles. “I can’t stop staring at the ring. It’s so gorgeous.”

“I knew you’d like it.”

She gasps. “Did you help?”

“Of course I did! That boy is clueless.”

“I should have known.” She pauses a moment. “That’s actually why I’m calling.”

“What, you couldn’tjustcall your best friend to let her know you’re engaged?”

“Well, yeah. Of course I could. But…I have a proposition for you.”

That gets my attention. “What are you thinking?”

“I want you to come up here. To Brookhaven. Come help me plan my wedding.”

“Oh, Madeleine.” As flattered as I am, I can’t imagine uprooting again and moving to a brand new town.

“Listen, Luna. Brookhaven is like a fairy tale land. You’ll love it here.”

“But my family…”

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