Page 138 of The Proposal
“Hi, Blakely.” Rory Brewer steps inside, offering a hug but nervous, I think, that I won’t accept it.Of course, I do. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Absolutely not,” I say, pulling out of her warm, motherly embrace. “Come on in.”
“I’m not staying long. I just wanted to come see you face-to-face and ensure things are okay between us.”
I smile at her.
As terrible as Renn’s father is, she’s the opposite. He’s disgusting and vile. She’s genuine and kind. It’s hard to believe they ever worked as a couple. I can only figure that Reid must’ve changed a lot over the years—for the worse.
“I’m happy you came by,” I say. “I’ve been wondering how to break the ice and hoping it wouldn’t be awkward between us.”
“Why should it be awkward? My soon-to-be ex-husband is to blame for this—not us. We must stick together. Family always comes first.”
Does that mean she sees me as family? She accepts our marriage?
“Reid and I had problems long before you came along,” she says. “Nothing like what he did to you, or I would’ve left him years ago. But he crossed a line with you. It’s unacceptable. So please know you are welcome at my home any time you’d like to swing by. You are as welcome as my other children. Brock, too. He’s also a part of our family now.”
I smile. “Thank you, Rory. You will never know how much that means to me.”
She pulls me in for a quick hug. “And you will never know how much it means to me to see a smile on my son’s face. I can never thank you enough for that.”
She takes a step back. “Let your husband know I was here, please. I’d like to have a family dinner again soon. Maybe we can sync schedules?”
“I’d love that.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Rory.”
She lets herself out quietly.
I make my way slowly back to the others.
“My soon-to-be-ex-husband is to blame for this—not us. We must stick together.”
I can’t imagine the pain Rory must be experiencing. Yes, she said her marriage hadn’t been great for a while, but her life has still been upside down. And she must love him on some level. That must hurt. Still, she radiates peace and … strength. Maybe even joy.
Mom would have loved her.
Her strength, kindness—her resilience. She puts family above all else. Differently than my mother, but the same, too.
For many years, I was afraid I’d never find the person I was supposed to be with.Or if I was going to marry at all. I felt like time was passing me by—that there was a window of opportunity and, if I missed it, I’d be out of luck.And alone.
I didn’t realize that my timetable isn’t necessarily the same as the universe’s.
Renn—the bad boy troublemaker extraordinaire, my brother’s best friend.The man who said he’d wanted me from the first day he laid eyes on me. Someone my mom knew and loved. And now the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.
Seems we just needed to wait until the time was right. Maybe, if we’d gotten together earlier, it might have failed. Between Australia and the United States?
No. Our time is now.
I grin, making my way back into the living room. I stop in the doorway and take them all in.
Renn’s by the fireplace, laughing at something Brock said. My brother’s on the sofa next to Ella, rubbing her shoulders. Ella glows as she basks in Brock’s attention.
How did I get here? How did this happen?
How did I get so lucky?
