Page 147 of Shortcake
Conrad cleared his throat as a fleeting look of hope washes over his face, and said, “You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love… I love… I love you, Addy Evans. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”
He loves me.
I fought the smile from curving my lips and said, “That wasn’t in the book.”
“No,” he admitted, his expression lightening at the sight of my smile. “But the movie did thatsowell. My mom always said it was the only time in the history of books that the movie did it better.”
I tsked and shook my head. “Oh. Fighting words.”
“I’m so, so sorry Addy,” Conrad said, looking down at me with serious, furrowed brows. “You were right. I was scared. Harper knew it, you knew it. My whole life, no one has stuck around. No one has chosen me. It’s only been me, my mom, and Harper against the world and this year, we lost one of our musketeers. I didn’t think our little family would ever feel complete again… And thenyoucame along. This fiery, windstorm of a woman.”
His Adam’s apple moved down his neck with the pause he took. “I didn’t even realize I was falling in love with you until it was way too late. And then that fear took over. That stupid fear. I couldn’t stomach the idea of getting close again, only to lose you, too. And Ican’tlose you. I love you, Addy. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me… tous. I think maybe my mom sent you to me. Like she knew you were the missing spice in our lives.”
And just like that, all the anger, all the frustration, and all my resentment drained from me.
My chin trembled as a tear fell down my cheek. “I love you, too, Conrad.”
With a tug on my hand, he pulled me into him, crushing his lips to mine. I kissed him like he was my lifeline. Like he was my oxygen.
We pulled away and took a long moment to stare into each other’s eyes before I called out, “And because I know you’re listening out there, I love you too, Harper!”
With a shrieking giggle, Harper charged into the room and launched herself at us, hugging us both tightly.
“Now we can eat!” she said, rushing toward the set table in Conrad’s office.
I cringed. “Please tell me you two ordered pizza.” After living with them all summer? It was clear that I was going to be in charge of cooking most meals.
“Nope,” Conrad said and lifted the top off the plate. Beneath, there were three steaks, seared to perfection. Tomato caprese salad. And… I blinked because my eyes must have been deceiving me. Because there on the side, it looked like a red wine reduction sauce.
“You… you cooked. And I mean, cooked more than just steaks on the grill. That’s a sauce! You made a sauce?”
Conrad’s proud smile was so brilliantly handsome that it knocked the wind from my lungs. “I did. The school of Youtube.”
From behind Conrad’s desk, Harper pulled out a plate of white chocolate chip strawberry cookies. “And tada! Though, I burnt the bottoms a little, but we can just scrape that off, right?”
I covered my mouth, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you both learned how to cook!”
“It’s only fair, right?”Harper said, beaming as she spooned some sauce over my filet. “If we’re going to be a family, dinner is a shared responsibility.”
Locking gazes with Conrad, I lifted my brows. “Did you bring any Brawny paper towels tonight?” I teased him.
“Paper towels? We can do better than paper towels.” He snapped a cloth napkin off of the seat before pulling the chair out for me.
The truth was, Conrad had my heart from the very beginning. From the moment I only knew him as my Brawny man. There was no denying I loved him. No denying he was it for me.
“So what do you say?” Conrad asked, gesturing for me to sit. “Will you join our family, Shortcake?”
I slid into my seat and smiled. “There’s nothing in the world I want more.”
And for the first time in my whole life… I didn’t hate the nickname, Shortcake.
Epilogue
Addy
Several months later…
Pressing my nose to the window, I watched as the New York City skyline came into view. We had an annoying three-hour layover at LaGuardia airport in New York. Not long enough to get out of the airport and actuallydoanything.
