Page 52 of Tempting the Heart

I shook my head without a clue what he was talking about. “No. What earring thing?”

“I’m sure I told you. My mom was into naming all her girls after strong girls like Mae West, Emily Dickinson, Amelia Earhart, and Audrey Hepburn. Well, she also got all of them a little keepsake when they were born. Me too, actually. Something that was supposed to guide us through life and love, but in my mom’s eyes it was mostly for love.”

“What does that have to do with a mayflower?” I asked, shaking my head.

“She always wears mayflower earrings. That’s what my mom got her.” He frowned. “Haven’t you noticed?”

“Seriously?” A shiver went through me. I’d only nicknamed Mae after a Mayflower because I couldn’t think of anything else that started with Mae, and I thought it was cute like her.

“You know? The little bell-shaped flowers she always wears?” He smacked me on the head. “Those are Mayflowers. I thought that was why you called her that.”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

Brad groaned and shook his head. “Great.”

I laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just text me if you need anything. I’m meeting my sisters at Mae’s coffee shop to go over tonight’s plans, but seriously… if you need any help with your parents, call me.”

Brad got into his car as I let out a slow, deep breath. He was right. I needed to let go of the idea of Mae. We’d hit a dead end, and we didn’t need to circle back to a beginning that only promised heartache.

Chapter Fifteen

Mae

“Brad, why in the world do you think you should have a say in who I kiss?” My brows shot up as I stood in front of my brother and sisters.

We’d all gathered for coffee and to talk about the logistics of tonight’s dinner for my parents and who would do what while they were away.

But my frustration boiled over when Brad smirked in my direction, and I asked him what the look was for.

“I don’t have a say in who you kiss, obviously.” His smirk only grew.

“Wait a second,” Audrey piped up, looking between Brad and me. “What’s going on here?”

“I kissed Tyler yesterday when he came over for dinner.”

Audrey’s green eyes grew twice their size. “He came over for dinner and you kissed? How could you not tell me this?”

“Same,” Emily said, laughing. “Aren’t you supposed to tell your sisters these types of things?”

I cocked my head and noticed Amelia pretending to cool down her latte, but she didn’t say a word.

“I didn’t bother to say anything because it happened spontaneously.”

Amelia chuckled. “Right. Most kisses do.”

“And it’s not going anywhere,” I added. “The moment the kiss happened, we knew it was a mistake.”

Brad looked surprised. “So that part is true?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

My brother shrugged. “That’s what Tyler said too.”

“He did?” Disappointment pounded through me.

There I went again, hoping for the impossible.

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