Page 158 of How to Prevent a Fumble

She nods vigorously before hopping off the bed. “You look good in anything, mom.”

I nearly snort. If her shit eating grin means anything at all,she’s buttering me up for something. “What do you want, Bub?”

“Nothing!” she throws her hands in the air, her eyes widening.

I’m not convinced.

Deciding to give up on my quest for a dress until after I do my hair and makeup, I get ready quickly, not wanting to put this off any longer. I was given a specific time I need to be in the car headed to wherever I’m going, and if there’s one thing I amnot,it’s someone who isn’t punctual.

Pulling a comb through my curls, I head back to my closet, picking the first dress I see. A mid-thigh length light blue dress that happens to do wonders for my curves while also still covering everything it needs to. If this is for any type of PR, I need to be careful with what I wear. Not that Leo would object to something else, but I know his publicist would.

“Are you ready, Bub?” I call to Elara, and a second later her head pops around the corner, a huge smile on her face.

The two of us make our way down to the garage, where there’s a car waiting. We climb in, and I ask the driver where we’re going.

“I’m not allowed to disclose, ma’am,” he says politely, his eyes never leaving the road.

Sitting back into the cool leather of the seats, I grab Elara’s hand, a knot of anxiety growing in my stomach. I have no idea what’s happening. If it’s something involving our deal, I would assume he’d have told me, right? We’ve always been open about these things. When it comes to our contractual obligations, we’ve always had perfect communication. So why have I heard nothing today?

Sighing, I close my eyes, leaning my head back.

The trip takes about ten minutes, if that. The traffic is light since it’s the middle of the day. Our only hangup was a couple school buses trying to turn into the aquarium.

When we finally pull up in front of the library, I’m a little confused.

When Isla and Owen are standing outside, huge smiles on their faces, I’m fully perplexed.

“What in the world?” I mumble, my hands shaking as I reach for the handle of the door. The driver beats me to it, though, hopping out and swinging the door open for me.

Stepping out, I scowl at my brother. “What the hell is going on?” I nearly growl, my annoyance clear.

He shrugs with a smile. “Not sure, was just told to be here and be dressed nice,” he tells me, gesturing to Isla and her shit-eating grin.

Elara walks past me, her hand slipping into mine as she pulls me along. “Are you in on this?” I hiss.

She doesn’t answer.

We walk in through the doors, and the smell of flowers instantly overwhelms me. Two large, gold urns stand in the middle of the room, overflowing with the most beautiful blue hydrangeas. Petals scatter the ground leading up to them, and at the very end of the path, between the urns, stands Leo fucking Warner.

And he’s never looked so god damn handsome.

Dressed in a black suit and white dress shirt, Leo shoots me the most dazzling smile I’ve ever seen, his hands fidgeting in front of him before he stuffs them into his pants, his head dipping just a little. His hair is messy, but in a way that makes it clear it was tousled by someone who knew what they were doing, because if Leo Warner is anything, it’s messy.

He’s nervous.

Why is he nervous?

“This is an elaborate setup for a new story,” I tell him.

His smile falters just a little as we reach him. He takes my hands as Elara moves off to the side.

“I want to start off by making sure you know that this isn’t actually at the request of the publicist,” he tells me seriously,his voice deep and echoing through the large space. “They actually don’t even know this is happening.”

I’m even more confused.

“Are you okay?” he asks, squeezing my hands as my chest heaves with anxiety.

I nod, swallowing my nerves.

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