Page 68 of The Last Person
Our living room is filled with conversations and laughter, and my heart is happy. Will I need quiet later? Yes. I’ll need space from everyone. Except Ryan, whose arms are wrapped around me as we snuggle on one of the couches.
The whole Baker Girls tribe is here. Kennedy and Devon flew in from California, and everyone else came down from upstate. Kennedy is rocking a little baby bump—she’s a few months behind Hallie, whose bump is prominent now at six months pregnant.
Everyone is unbelievably happy as we all catch up and share stories.
My eyes land on Hallie, and seeing the peace in her demeanor as she sits with Wilson on the couch, his daughter Sophia nestled against her, warms my heart. She was so afraid to let love in, and now she’s happier than she’s ever been. We all are.
After Kennedy and Devon made things official, we started joking that the love bug was making its way through the group, biting each of us, and now, nearly a year after Mark and Frannie first met on a plane and turned all our lives upside down, here we are.
My life is so much better with all of them in it.
Jade leans against Justin and looks around the room. “Look at everyone all cozy and loved up with their partners.” She glances at Hallie, Wilson, and Sophia. “Or families. My romance author heart is happy.”
Justin’s gaze drifts to us. “So glad we meddled for the greater good.”
He and Jade high-five, but the room goes silent around them.
“Meddled with what?” Ryan asks.
“Us?” I mutter. “How did you meddle with us? You were the one who was encouraging me to try online dating. You helped me set it up.”
Ryan’s gaze snaps to her. “You did that?” Then he lets out a chuckle of disbelief. “Of course you did.”
“Did what? I’m confused. I don’t live for the romance and drama like the rest of you. Someone help me.”
“Hey, leave me out of this,” Mark says.
“You meddled with the apartment,” I point out.
“He did?” Ryan asks, gaze swinging to Mark, who shrugs.
“I pulled some strings.”
“So many twists to this story,” Kennedy says.
“Back to you two,” I say to Jade and Justin. “How was setting me up on a dating app meddling?”
Justin clears his throat and smiles, his southern drawl strong as he speaks. “Because we both knew you weren’t going to act on your feelings without reasonable certainty Hardy had feelings for you. But all Hardy needed was a little push.”
“So you used the idea of online dating not to help me find someone, but to get him to reveal his feelings for me?” I ask, incredulous. That’s so sneaky and underhanded. And probably smart if I’m honest. Minus the fact that it could’ve gone sideways if Ryan hadn’t admitted his feelings. “That could’ve backfired.”
“Seriously. That’s worse than Phoebe lying about the pregnancy test to Rachel onFriends. Risky,” Ryan says.
“We played the odds.” Justin smiles and winks at us.
“To be fair,” Jade says, “you were the one who believed that I, a romance author, would encourage younotto follow your heart and go for your happily ever after. That’s not on me.”
“Brilliant,” Hallie says, shaking her head.
“You’re only saying it because it’s not you they messed with,” I say.
“Obviously. But at least you didn’t have to deal with everyone nagging you about letting yourself fall in love,” she says.
“We didn’t nag you.” Kennedy smiles sweetly at her. “We just pointed out how dumb you were being.”
Sophia laughs. “They were being very silly. I knew from the beginning they were supposed to be together. Everyone should listen to me.”
Wilson groans a little. “You’re killing me, kid.”
