Page 160 of Heart Strings & Hotlines
Thane takes my hand as I step back from her.
“Ophelia,” he says. He’s composed himself, but the affection for this woman is still all over his face. “Do you require anything? Would you like me to get you a plate of food or a drink?”
She waves him off as if he’s an annoying gnat. “You don’t need to be taking care of me today, my boy. You do enough of that every other day. My niece is getting me two plates so I can try a little of everything. And all I want is to watch you be happy today. No one deserves it more than you.”
Thane squats in front of her, then wraps her small frame in an embrace that takes her by surprise, causing tears to spring from the corners of her eyes.
“Thank you for showing me kindness when no one else did. Thank you for encouraging me to have a relationship with Kara. And thank you for teaching me that I am worthy of love, even if it took me decades to figure out. If I hadn’t had you in my life, I don’t know that I’d be capable of loving Charlotte and Kara the way that I do.”
She pats his back, and I wipe away a tear of my own.
“That’s nonsense, Thane Wilder. You’ve always had a great big heart in there, it simply took finding the right woman to unlock it. Now get out of here before you make me ruin my makeup. I haven’t worn makeup in thirty-five years, so I want to make the most of it.”
“You look beautiful,” he says.
“Oh my. A wedding and a compliment.” She winks at me. “Lottie dear, you’re more than an angel, you’re a bona fide magician. Now take him out of here before he makes me cry again.”
Thane chuckles, pats her knee, then stands to his full height. “I…” He tugs on the back of his neck. “I’m really glad you’re here. Thank you for coming.”
Her smile makes all the lines in her face more prominent. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You’re a good boy, always have been.”
He nods but doesn’t look away immediately. After a few seconds pass where it feels as though he’s memorizing her face, he takes my hand in his and leads me to our table.
As soon as we’re seated and facing the crowd, my brother clinks on his glass, and is soon followed by everyone else.
“What’s he doing?” my husband asks.
I lean into his side. “We’re supposed to kiss every time someone clinks their glass.”
His gaze heats instantly and a wicked smile appears. “Perhaps your brother isn’t so bad after all.”
He lowers his lips to mine and promptly devours my mouth like no one’s watching. He leaves me breathless, and when we finally part, it’s to a chorus of cheers.
Staring out over the crowd of happy faces, I know I’ve found my happily ever after.
All it took was a hotline and one very special man to hold the frayed strings of my heart and make me whole.
* * *
Thane
It only tookBoone another month to finish the house, but it felt like a lifetime. He’s under the assumption that we’re buddies now, and every night after he’d finish working, he’d seek me out, even when I was hiding, to talk about stupid shit like sports or town gossip.
Even now that the house is done, he shows up unannounced and drags me off to get beers and play poker. The only reason I agree to those nights is because they’re all idiots and I can count cards, so I win every single time.
There’s a small amount of satisfaction in taking their money, even if I do drop it off at the library every time.
“Thane, there’s a package for you.”
Lottie’s voice is still my favorite drug.
I stand and exit my office, and find her at the front door, struggling to hold up a bunch of hangers. “Oh, great. My shirts.”
“Your shirts?” She laughs. “How many did you order?”
“Fourteen.” I take the hangers from her and tip the delivery guy as she inspects my purchases.
“They’re all…pink.”
