Page 88 of If We Never Met

"Really? I'm not still a boyfriend stealer?"

"Apparently, you're the mystery woman who is nursing me back to health."

"I guess that's better."

"You can look them up if you want."

"No, thanks. I'm just hoping the reporters won't be back."

"There's not much of a story left to tell here in Whisper Lake. Apparently, Nikki has also been photographed with a new man, so she has changed up her narrative. I think we may be okay."

"That's good."

"It is, but I'mnotgood. I miss you, Keira. What are you doing later? Want to hang out with my brother and me?"

"I'm having dinner with my mother and Mark. She would love for you and your brother to join us, but I told her I didn't think you'd want to."

"I want to," he said immediately.

"Really? I think your brother would probably prefer to hang out with you alone at some nice restaurant in town."

"Hey, he showed up without notice. He can go wherever I want to go."

She smiled at his dismissive tone. "Maybe you should ask him."

"We'll be there. What time?"

"Five thirty."

"Perfect. Have you spoken to your mom about Mark yet?"

"No. She's with her friends today. They're playing cards. Hopefully, I can speak to her before dinner, which could make this meal very awkward. Are you sure you want to put Micah through that?"

"He'll be fine. I'll get him up to speed and suggest my brother ask Mark pointed and personal questions. He's very good at that."

She heard the dry note in his voice. "I guess you've been getting a lot of those questions."

"Yes, and I'm ready to expand our group to include you, your mother, and Mark."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I want to see you tonight, even if we will have way too many chaperones."

She smiled to herself. "I want to see you, too." She ended the call and then punched in her mom's number to let her know that Dante and his brother would be joining them.

Keira arrived home a little after four, having finally finished Hannah's dress. She couldn't wait to show it to her. But it would be good to have a night to sleep on it and take one more look before she delivered it to Hannah tomorrow. When she walked into the kitchen, she tossed her keys and bag on the counter, noting an array of grocery items on the counter. It looked like Mark was planning to cook a feast.

The kitchen door swung open, and her mother came in with a vase of flowers in her hands and a very happy smile on her face. "Look what just arrived."

"They're beautiful. I assume they're from Mark."

Her mother nodded as she set the vase on the counter. She pulled out the card and read it silently, her smile broadening.

"Well, what does he say?" Keira asked. "Or is it private?"

"Beautiful flowers for my beautiful girl." Her mother lifted her gaze to Keira's. "He used to call me that in high school. When we went to the prom, he had the corsage sent to me earlier in the day, and he wrote the same thing: beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl. Not that I'm a girl anymore, nor am I beautiful."

"Wrong on both counts," she said, feeling it was now going to be even more difficult to douse her mother's joy with some cold, hard truth, but she couldn't keep putting it off. "Can we talk before the guys get here?"

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