Page 105 of Gracefully Yours

Daniel plucked it out of my hand, slid it back onto my ring finger, and then kissed my knuckle. “That’s better. Now, do you think I could take my wife home so we can eat dinner? Or does she plan on hanging out in an empty studio all night?” He gave me a little smirk.

“Fakewife,” I corrected him. I needed the reminder, especially when he was acting this sweet. “And we can go. I’m ready.” I’d been working off my nervous energy, but now that he was here, it was suddenly all gone. Nothing seemed to really matter when I was in his presence. In his arms.

He grumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t quite catch before taking my dance bag from me after I’d tugged on a sweatshirt, and I followed him to the car.

Getting in to the passenger side, I connected my phone, turning on my Taylor Swift playlist, letting it play on shuffle.

Daniel’s hand rested on my thigh the entire time, a warm and comforting presence. Like he was reminding himself that I was here, that I was his. Or maybe it was the opposite entirely—that he was mine.

To my surprise, he didn’t drive home. We were—“What are we doing here?” I said, raising an eyebrow as Daniel parked in front of our local bookstore.

He smiled, those brown eyes sparkling with joy. “You can buy whatever you want.”

My eyes lit up. “Really?” He knew me all too well. I enjoyed going and grabbing new releases each week, as well as whatever pretty indie books my store was carrying. When I found them, I always liked to buy them, hoping they’d stock more.

I practically jumped out of the car, rushing in through the rain into the store.

“Have fun,” he murmured into my hair as he caught up with me at the front. “Go crazy. I’ll carry the ones you pick out.”

“Okay.”

As I browsed the romance section, he trailed behind me, observing as I deliberated over which books to choose. Each time our eyes met, I couldn’t discern the emotion behind his gaze. If I did, my heart might actually burst. Because he was so caring and thoughtful that he knew thatthiswas the surprise that would make me happy. Books—and the flowers that were resting in the car’s backseat. Not expensive jewelry or things I didn’t need. Just things that would put a smile on my face.

“I’m gonna go look over there one more time,” I whispered as Daniel moved into the fantasy section, giving me a brief nod as he looked over the options as well. He was carrying around my large stack of books—I might have overdone it, but he said to get whatever I wanted, didn’t he?

“Do you need any help?” While I browsed the romance tables, a bookseller startled me by asking if I needed help, as Daniel was engrossed in a science-fiction book across the store.

“Oh, no, I’m okay.” I gave her a small smile. “I come in here all the time.”

“Oh, great! Were you looking for anything in particular?” She gestured at the table in front of us. “Romance is my favorite genre, so if you need any recommendations…”

I shook my head. Partially because,no,and secondly because there was already a pile of books I’d grabbed. “I’ve actually already picked out a bunch,” I said, waving at Daniel. “He’s got them.”

She looked down at my ring finger, the wedding ring that sat on it, and then back up at me. “That’syour husband?”

I blushed. “Yeah.”Fake husband. Currently living out my favorite tropes. No big deal.

“Oh my god.” The girl grinned, pushing her glasses back onto her nose. “Please don’t let him go. I say this for us book girls everywhere.”

“I don’t plan on it. We’re actually... He’s my best friend. Since college.” I blinked, looking back over at him, catching his eyes as the corner of his lips tilted up.

“That’s so cute! How long have you been married?”

“Only a month, actually. It took us a long time to figure things out.”

Maybe too long. I’d often wondered why he’d never asked me out in college. But then again, maybe I was asking all the wrong questions. Maybe I needed to ask myself why I never asked him out in college.

Because I was a shy, sheltered girl with no dating experience and no idea what it was like to fall in love. But I had, hadn’t I? I’d loved my best friend since I was eighteen, and there was nothing that had changed that in all these years. Not when I’d tried to date other people, and not when I’d imagined him with someone else.

“Newlyweds!” She clapped her hands. “That’s so cute. Let me know if you need anything else, okay? I’ll be floating around.”

When she’d left, I wandered back over to Daniel.

“Everything okay?”

“Mmm.” I curled an arm around his waist. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, kissing my forehead. “You never do.”

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