Page 112 of Strictly Pretend

“I couldn’t,” she whispers and I feel a shiver right down to my toes.

“I’m glad.” I lift it to my lips, kissing the ring and then her palm. “I’m so damn sorry, baby. For all of this. For your granddad getting sick and for you having to deal with it alone. I don’t want you to do it alone anymore. I know you can, and I know you have, but I want to be with you. Every step of the way. As soon as I get back to the office I’m tearing that contract up.”

“I’d still like to go see the new unit,” she tells me.

I frown. “You don’t have to.”

“Thank you. But I want to. Whatever happens, Granddad needs to slow down. Even he admitted that to me. It could be a fresh start, for all of us. A chance to make some changes in our lives.”

The tears have dried on her cheeks as I lean down to press my lips against hers once more. She tips her head up for our mouths to connect easily, her breath soft against my skin as I show her just how much I adore her.

She’s it for me in every way. If she wants a new bookshop she’ll get one. If she wants the old one, she can have that, too.

I just want to make her smile.

“Would you like to come up and see my granddad?” she asks when we break the kiss. “You too,” she says to Rita.

“Will he be okay with seeing me?” I ask her.

She nods, her fingers intertwining with mine. “He’s more than okay with it. He’s the most romantic guy I know.”

I pretend to frown. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“And that sounds like a good future.”

“Come on then,” I say, as Rita stands up to join us. I’m almost certain she hasn’t forgiven me yet, but I’m planning on working on it. In the meantime, I’m getting used to her death stares. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY

EMMA

It takes two weeks before I feel comfortable enough leaving Granddad to travel with Brooks to his father’s estate in Virginia. Granddad’s friend, Morty, comes to stay with him and when the car picks me up the two of them are bickering over whether Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell had the best voice.

We had a meeting with the cardiac specialist last week. His official diagnosis is Sinus Tachycardia. He needs to reduce his stress and change his diet. He’s officially off caffeine, much to his disgust. But I’m taking it serious for both of us.

“I’m leaving,” I say to Granddad. “Be good for Morty.”

Morty splutters out a laugh as Granddad shakes his head. “Say hi to Brooks for me.” The two of them spent a lot of time together while Granddad was in the hospital, and then for the first couple of days after discharge while he was recovering from his ablation, a procedure that involved a thin tube being inserted in his veins until it reached his heart. The part of his heart that was causing the arrhythmia was frozen and destroyed, so it couldn’t cause anymore problems for him.

Granddad continued to repeat the fact that Eli Salinger, the ex-NHL player, is Brooks’ brother. Brooks already scored Granddad some tickets for the first game of the season.

Brooks is meeting me at the little airport in Virginia near his dad’s place. He’s been there for a couple of days, deep in meetings with his brothers. I’ve met most of them already, because Brooks is constantly video calling me.

It’s scary how similar they all look, even though the oldest – Myles – is at least fifteen years older than Brooks. He’s quietly spoken and solemn, except for when you ask him about his wife or kids.

Liam and Linc, on the other hand, are boisterous and flirty. They make me smile. Then there are the two brothers slap bang in the middle. Eli – the ex-hockey player – and Holden – the doctor who was there by text to give Brooks and me support when we needed it while Granddad was undergoing his procedure.

I like all of them. I’m excited to finally meet them in person. And of course, Brooks’ dad will be there.

I’m feeling awkward about that. So much so that by the time I walk down the three steps of the private plane Brooks chartered for me, my chest is feeling tight. But that feeling disappears when I see his smiling face. He holds his arms out and I run into them, squealing happily as he kisses my lips.

Then he lifts my left hand up.

“It’s still there, you goof,” I say, because I know he’s checking that I’m still wearing the ring. “I called Tex last week to tell him I hadn’t forgotten and he’ll be getting it back.”

“I wonder if he’ll sell it to me,” Brooks murmurs. “I’m getting pretty attached to it.”

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