Page 74 of Classroom Confessions

“Thank you, Marybeth.” I hugged her with one arm and stepped into the shop. It was like being transported back in time. The shop had the musty smell of old books, with the sharp tang of furniture polish. Dark, paneled walls crowded in on every side and row upon row of oak shelves stuffed to overflowing with books old and new, waited to be explored. Marybeth even had a shelf of antique first editions under lock and key near the register, which was an outdated thing that she cursed at more than she used. But it warmed my heart to see the blend of old and new together. It made me feel welcome.

David wheeled the suitcase over to the table and started pulling out pens, stickers, and the chocolates my publisher had supplied for me.

“Breathe.” Cole twisted a curl around his finger and pulled it taut before releasing it. “You’re going to be fine. We’re all here with you.”

They’d been with me every step of the way from the beginning. Once they read through my story, they were all in. I’d asked their opinions on scenes here and there, and they gave me excellent feedback that made my male characters “real and some of the best male characters ever written”, based on my current reviews.

I checked the clock. “Okay, Emma. You and Ryan can go play.”

She grabbed her brother’s hand and zoomed into the corner behind the table where Marybeth had supplied them with a stack of children’s books, some giant puzzles, and a whole stack of plushie toys that would keep them occupied for hours. They could spend half the morning looking at the shelves. My children had definitely taken after me. They loved books. Like, obsessively loved them. Ryan would stand in front of a shelf with his finger on the spine of a book and his eyes closed like he could see the story play out with a touch.

Emma dropped onto the circular rug and pulled a book into her lap. Her yellow dress and Ryan’s yellow pants, combined with their favorite yellow hats, made them look like explorers headed out on a wild adventure. They’d demanded to wear the matching outfits after opening them yesterday. The outfits were a gift from Carrie. Another of her “I saw it and couldn’t help myself” presents. Emma and Ryan loved her crazy flair for clothes, so I didn’t mind letting them experiment with colors.

“You have about five minutes.” Marybeth tapped her watch. “Those first few people have been here since midnight.”

“Did you sleep in the shop?” I gasped when she nodded.

“Had to. People stopped by all day yesterday, pestering me about when they could start lining up. You’ve got them good, sister.” She winked and backed toward the door.

Cole chuckled beside me and helped David organize the pens by color so I could grab what I needed. Some of my newest books had black pages, so I’d need the silver pens for those.

“Line goes all the way down the block on the other side.” Marybeth clapped and rubbed her palms together. “Going to be a good day.”

Breathe. Just breathe. I can do this.

“I have your phone. I’ll be ready when your agent calls.” Ethan waved my phone. “And Lily is on her way.”

Seconds later, a bang sounded from the back door that led into the alley.

“That’s Lily.” Ethan raised an eyebrow at Marybeth. “Can I let her in? I’ll make sure no one else is out there.”

We’d worried about people trying to sneak through that way, so Ethan’s concern helped allay Marybeth’s fears.

“Go ahead. Time’s almost up.” She made her way to the door and held up two fingers. “Two people at a time. If you rush this door like a bunch of fools, I’ll lock you all out. You hear me?” She stared them all down until those up front nodded. “Good. Spread the word.” And that was why I’d asked Marybeth to let us use her shop. She didn’t take any shit, and I trusted her to be protective of her shop, which would help keep me from being overwhelmed while she made money. It worked for both of us.

Lily rushed into the room, her wild curls flying. “Sorry! Sorry.” She tossed her bag onto the nearest overstuffed chair and ran over to hug me. “My date with Robert went a little longer than expected.”

“That’s so unfair. You have to tell me everything.” I grabbed her and pulled her down into the chair beside me.

“Later.” She batted at my shoulder. “Today’s about you.”

It was a little bit about me. “I wouldn’t be here without all of you.” I twisted around to kiss each of them on the cheek. We never even bothered trying to hide our relationship. I’d worried about it at first, but then I decided to hell with it. If my readers shunned me because of my personal sex life, I didn’t need them as readers. It was a harsh truth, but I would never manage to make everyone happy. So, I did my best not to flaunt what we had, but I loved my professors. There was no way to hide that and no shame in my feelings.

Ethan, Cole, and David sat behind me, the three of them dressed in business suits that had me drooling over them before we left the house.

Carrie had promised to watch the kids later, and I had every intention of making them wear their suits to bed. We had new things to try. They never told me no when it came to sex. Some things we learned we couldn’t do, but that sure as hell didn’t stop us from trying.

“Time,” Marybeth sang out. The door opened and the first of my fans walked in.

This was it, the culmination of all my dreams.

My phone rang and Ethan answered. Seconds later, he jumped to his feet. “Number one. You hit number one again.”

Holy fuck.

The cheers from outside, along with the jumping and dancing, brought tears to my eyes even as I smiled. I had it all. More than I deserved. More than I’d ever thought to want for myself.

My children were happy and healthy. I had three men who loved and adored me.

And my second traditionally published book had hit the number one spot on the bestseller list on release day.

Life did not get better than this.

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