Page 37 of Her Surprise Vacation Date

“Mm-hmm.” I scoff. “My own flesh and blood forgot about me.”

“I didn’t forget. It just never crossed my mind to ask a guyto come in my place. I didn’t want it to be awkward for Hope to have to room with a man. But since you’re my little brother, you’re not a real?—”

“Uh-uh. I know what’s coming next, and if you don’t want to offend me even more, you should probably stop.”

“I change my mind!” She offers me a big cheesy smile, then jumps up from her chair to reach over and hug my neck. “You are most definitely a real man to have won my best friend’s heart! I can’t wait to see her! Come on, let’s get out of here! Take me to your girlfr—oh, that’s so weird to say. Take me to see Hope!”

CHAPTER 19

Hope

“You arethe best thing I never planned.” ~Unknown

I’m sitting in between two of my favorite people in the whole world, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Especially now that I know my best friend is totally on board with me dating her brother. Okay,totally on boardmay be stretching it. The fact that Ames didn’t gag when she gave Shane and me her blessing is good enough.

“I’d appreciate it if you guys didn’t do any lovey-dovey stuff in front of me,” she pleads from her side of the bench. We’re out on our little balcony at the inn again, enjoying the sunshine after they got back from breakfast. Amelia wrinkles her nose and adds, “I don’t think I’m quite ready yet to see any PDA.”

“How do you define PDA?” Shane asks, his tone mischievous. “Holding hands? Putting my arm around Hope? Kissing?”

Amelia yelps and looks away from us. “Definitely no kissing. I need to first wrap my head around the idea of you twoeven being in the same space. You guys have always existed in your own bubbles before, but now the bubbles are merging, and it’s throwing me off.”

“Like a Venn diagram!” I exclaim as my inner fifth grade math teacher comes out. “Our three circles are intersecting in a whole new way. Before this, all we had in common was you, Ames, but now, Shaney and I have our own intersection.”

“Yes, we do,” Shane agrees as he gives my cheek a quick smooch.

“I heard that!” Amelia shudders. “I have to get used to hearing your nicknames, too.”

I nudge her arm playfully. “Shaney’s not that bad. You used to copy me and call him that, too.”

“When he was ten. But fine, it’s a lot less cringy than what I put you through for over a decade with the nickname I used for a person who shall not be named.”

“You mean Ry-Ry?” Shane pipes up in a high-pitched voice to imitate Amelia’s. “Because of you, sis, I’ve never been able to look at rye bread the same way again.”

“Me either.” I laugh and copy Shane’s look of dismay. “I’m glad you said it, Ames. I never want to say anything bad about that nickname since you loved it so much.”

“Used to, not anymore.”

“Aren’t you and Ryder talking again?” Shane asks. “He called me up the other day asking where you were. He sounded pretty concerned.”

“It was work-related.”

“Work-related? But you guys are at different hospitals.”

“He was doing a reference call for someone applying for a job in his department.”

“Oh, interesting,” I remark, with an emphasis on the latter word. I can tell from her tone that there’s something she’s not saying. “Was that all?”

“Mm-hmm. So, what was this luggage fiasco you were telling me about over the phone?” she asks, obviously ready to change the topic.

“Oh, my goodness, Ames, you’ll never believe what happened. Actually, you know me so well, maybe you will.”

She grins. “Is this on the same level as you squeezing out all the air from a plastic bag of grapes before you weighed it at the grocery store?”

“Just about.” I turn to Shane, too embarrassed to look at him. “Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what?” He tilts my chin up to meet his gaze. “Not that it matters what I heard or didn’t hear because it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I love every part of you, Hope. Especially the part of you that gave away your luggage to a fake Good Samaritan who then sold it at a flea market to a little old lady who reminded me of Edna fromThe Incredibleswho found you to be so delightful, she gave it back to you for free.”

I burst out with a hearty laugh, feeling both loved and amused. “That pretty much sums it up. Thanks, Shaney.”

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