Page 164 of Never Forever

It was as beautiful as I imagined. His face went slack. He shot to his feet. “Stockard Bartlett?”

“Wait, is this a joke?” Stockard asked me. “Did you kidnap me?”

“Kidnap?” Matt asked.

“A slight exaggeration,” I said.

“She pretended to be in labor to get me out here,” she said and gave Gran an angry look. “Where I swore I would never go again.”

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Bartlett. I think she did it because I’m such a big fan,” Matt said. “I just… I loved the world you created. It brought me a lot of joy and comfort during some really hard times in my life and I am so grateful for that.”

Stockard’s face melted, and because I was pregnant with twins and basically made of hormones at this point, I burst into tears.

“Well,” she said. “That’s very nice. I’m glad those books brought you comfort in a difficult time. But, I really am intruding. Bernadette made her feelings clear years ago-”

As if things weren’t wild enough, Gran walked up to Stockard, put her hands on either side of Stockard’s cheeks and kissed her.

Right on the mouth.

“I’m gay,” Gran announced to everyone. “I have been my whole life.”

Stockard’s eyes went wide behind her glasses.

“I’m in love with Patrick,” Cecelia shouted. “I have been since high school!”

Mom clapped her hand over her mouth, like she couldn’t believe she said that.

Wide-eyed and shocked, I looked at Matt. Speechless, he looked right back at me.

“Welp, anyone got any whiskey?” Patrick asked.

Wait there is more!Turn the page for a special Bonus Epilogue…

BONUS EPILOGUE

20 Years Later

Fall Festival

Nora, Age, 24

“Nora! Come watch me!”

My youngest sister Bethany was currently kicking everyone’s butt in the Corn Hole tournament. That girl had a real knack for throwing bean bags into holes. She’d won this tournament since she was eight years old. And now there was jokes about her going pro.

Which was an actual thing you could do! Pro corn hole. The world was a wonder.

But, given that Bethany was only ten, a pro career seemed unlikely.

She looked adorable with her blond hair in pig tails, tied back in ribbons.

“Hold on Beth! I want to get food,” I shouted back to where she was playing across from my brother Will. Will was wearing his Dillion Le Couer Bruisers jersey that he’d been wearingpractically every day for a year. “And no, Will I’m not going to root for her just because she’s a girl.”

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me.

Will always shook his head and rolled his eyes at me.

In total there were six Barnes children. Me, adopted of course, Charlie, Roy Jr, Lily, Will and Bethany.

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