Page 42 of Not Part of the Plan
Emma pointed triumphantly. “And that is exactly the reason we’re just friends. He’s a womanizer. A charming one, but I’m in the market for forever, not an incredibly gratifying one-night stand.”
“People change,” Gia said innocently.
“No they don’t,” Emma argued. “I’m not going to change my mind, and Niko isn’t going to suddenly become the settling down type. And I don’t care what the Beautification Committee is cooking up. It’s not going to happen.”
Elvira gave a dainty shrug. “I haven’t heard a peep out of them on the matter. I don’t think you’re even on their radar.”
Emma frowned into her champagne. Not on their radar? Was it because they recognized a terrible match when they saw one?
“Don’t worry, Emma. I’m sure once you’re a permanent resident the BC will find some poor schmuck to hook you up with,” Joey said, helping herself to a fresh glass of wine.
Elvira frowned at Joey and Joey shrugged. “What?” she asked, all innocence.
Emma pointed with her wine glass. “What’s going on with you two?” she demanded.
Elvira reached for her bag and pulled out her phone and reading glasses. “Nothing at all, dear. I’m just going to send a quick text.”
“Sucker,” Joey mouthed at Emma.
Emma was beyond thankful when everyone moved on from her as a topic. She tried to settle back into the festivity of the night but couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone else knew something that she didn’t. She wondered what the Beautification Committee’s reaction would have been if they had spotted Niko and Emma and their almost-kiss in the barn.
Annoyed with everyone, including herself, Emma shook it off and decided to forget about it all for the night. She plopped down on a cushion next to Phoebe and Eva followed suit.
“Phoebe, since you’re about to become our wicked stepmother, I feel like we should know how you and our dad fell in love,” Eva said.
“Yes, do tell,” Emma agreed, tucking her feet under her.
Phoebe’s face lit up. She snuggled into her robe, settling in for the story. “Girls, before I begin, I hope you’re not as prudish as my boys are when it comes to my love story.”
“They don’t approve?” Eva was appropriately horrified.
“They had a hard time accepting it in the beginning,” Summer said diplomatically. “But to be fair, they didn’t know anything about Franklin until they caught him shimmying off of Phoebe’s porch roof at six o’clock in the morning in his bathrobe.”
“No!” Emma gasped in disbelief.
“My boys can be a little…”
“Overprotective?”
“Opinionated?”
“Ridiculous?”
Phoebe’s daughters-in-law all chimed in with suggestions.
“I was going to go with insane,” Phoebe laughed.
“Ourfather was caught sneaking out ofyourbedroom?” Eva asked, her glee barely contained.
“His legs were dangling off the roof, and they pulled him down,” Summer recalled.
Emma tried to imagine her father, the man who’d grounded her when she’d slunk in four minutes after curfew, sneaking half naked out of his lover’s bedroom. Summer and Phoebe gave the blow-by-blow of the event and put them all in tears.
“I’m never going to let him live that down,” Emma announced, wiping a tear from her eye. “And just look at you two now.”
Phoebe pinked up. “I never thought I’d have a second time around, let alone one so wonderful.”
Emma felt her throat tighten with emotion. Seeing her father devastated by her mother’s abandonment had added another layer to the grief and anger she’d felt toward her mother. But watching Phoebe glow as she talked about him as one of the two great loves of her life pulled the pieces of her heart back together just a little tighter. “I’ve never seen my dad so happy,” she offered.
