Page 365 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
I press a hand to my stomach. A limo is fine. A limo isno. big. deal.
Seconds later, a knock sounds at the door. I nudge Summer out of the way and open it with trembling hands. It isn’t Flint on the other side, but a serious-looking man in a dark suit with a thick, white envelope in his hand.
“Audrey?” he says.
When I nod, he hands over the note. “From Mr. Hawthorne. Regrettably, he’s unable to join you this morning, but he hopes this will make up for it.”
I ignore the disappointment blooming in my heart and yield to the curiosity urging me forward as I open the envelope and pull out a gold-edged notecard.
Beside me, Summer whispers, “Do you see that? Even his stationery looks rich.”
I roll my eyes and tilt the card so onlyIcan read it.
Audrey, So sorry I’m not there this morning. Something came up—an urgent production meeting for my next project—and since I’m signing on as a producer for this one, it seemed risky to ignore it. In the end, the women in my family assure me it’s better this way, and you’ll enjoy what I have planned more without me tagging along. I hope they’re right, but I still don’t want to spoil the surprise, so if you’ll allow me this one indulgence, will you trust Charles and get in the car with him? (Older, balding, wearing a dark suit? If anyone else handed you this envelope, do not, under any circumstances, get in the car.) If your sisters are free, they’re welcome to join you. If they already have plans, don’t worry. My sisters are waiting for you at your destination. I hope it’s a great day. And Audrey—please don’t protest. After all you’re doing for me, this is the least I can do in return. — Flint
I look up and meet Charlie’s eye. “You’re Charlie?”
He nods.
I look at my sisters, nervous excitement making me trembly and unsteady. Lucy’s eyes drop to the quivering notecard. She steps forward and reaches for it. “Can I?”
I nod, and she pulls it from my hands. Summer steps up beside her, and they read it together. “Oh, wow,” Lucy finally says. “How are you feeling, Auds?”
“I don’t know.” I press a hand to my stomach. “Overwhelmed?”
“K, listen,” Lucy says, slipping an arm around my waist. I’m not generally great at surprises, something that has been truelong enough for my sisters to have seen me freak out more than once. It’s not a huge deal. I usually just need a minute to adjust. “It’s a surprise, yes,” Lucy continues. “But it looks like Flint has done every possible thing to make sure you’re comfortable.” Summer appears on my other side, bracketing me like my sisters so often do.
“Do you trust him?” she asks.
“I do,” I say, realizing I don’t even need to think about it. Idotrust Flint. Maybe weirdly, considering how little I know about him, but I feel certain he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally make me uncomfortable. He’s been so cautious about all of this, about making sure he’s not pushing me into anything. “I’m sure it’s going to be okay,” I say, as much to reassure myself as my sisters. “So, um, do you guys want to come with me today?”
“Are we leaving Silver Creek?” Lucy asks, though I don’t know why she thinks I know the answer to her question. I don’t have a clue what’s about to happen. “I’m on call, but if we’re staying in town, I could maybe come.”
We turn together and look at Charlie. “You will not be staying in Silver Creek,” he stoically says.
“Boo,” Lucy says. “Then I’m out.”
“I can’t go either,” Summer says. “I have hours of depositions to read. Though, if I stay up late tonight, I might could…” She cocks her head as if considering, but Lucy protests before she can say anything else.
“No!” she says firmly. “If I can’t get out of work, you can’t get out of work, either.”
Summer scoffs. “That is not how this twin thing works.”
“It is too how it works,” Lucy says. “You don’t get to have fun without me. Especially not movie star fun.”
“It won’t be movie star fun if Flint isn’t even there,” I say.
“It will beplanned-by-a-movie-starfun, which can only mean it will be expensive and amazing,” Summer says.
“And we’ll hear all about it when Audrey gets home,” Lucy says pointedly, and Summer sighs. “Fine. But if we didn’t know Flint’s family will be with her, I’d leave you in a second if it meant Audrey not being on her own.”
“Of course you would. And I’d want you to go. But that doesn’t matter now, does it? We’re both staying home today.”
“Fine, yes,” Summer concedes. “We’re both staying home today. Geez. Overreact much?”
I reach out and grab my sisters’ hands. “Thanks for looking out for me, you guys.” I smile, wanting to reassure them. There’s still a slight edge to my nervousness—there always is when I’m facing the unknown—but the much larger part of me is excited.Happyexcited. My sisters don’t need to worry.
I look down at my jeans and the white, V-neck T-shirt I borrowed from Lucy because she insisted it was better than all the science pun shirts I tried to put on before she intervened. I lift my gaze to Charlie. “Do you know where I’m going today? Am I dressed okay?”
