Page 19 of Meet the Surrogate

“What do you mean? How do you not have social media?” He handed me his phone and kept ranting. “I mean, sure it’s terrible, but how do you know when anything is happening?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the flowerbed captured in his phone. All black flowers, it was a gothic masterpiece. I might’ve even moaned when I zoomed in on a black dahlia that was more beautiful than any supermodel I’d ever seen. “Oh, God, Pete!”

Heavy footsteps came towards us quickly, startling me into sitting up. Wells appeared over us a second later, his face pinched in anger. His eyes were focused on Pete, but he spoke to me. “Care to join us for a meeting, Memphis?”

I hopped to my feet and dusted off my butt. “Look at this first, Wells. Pete planted an all black flowerbed. Isn’t it amazing? Look at this dahlia! I would kill to have this dahlia, Pete. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Pete took his phone back and shot a weary look at Wells. “Yep. Got it.”

I smiled up at Wells and bit my lip when he finally focused on me. His blue-green eyes reminded me of the ocean I’d seen in so many postcards from the coast. I loved the sharp angles of his face that he didn’t keep behind a beard. Even the dimple in his chin was hot. “Is this a good meeting?”

He looked like he lost a battle against a smile as he looked me over. “Maybe.”

I gripped his arm and waved to Pete. “I’ll see you later!”

Wells pulled me to the house and upstairs to a floor I’d never seen. I was breathing hard by the time we got to a set of massive double doors. He was practically running and my flats were working hard to keep up.

“Wells, I’m going to have an asthma attack if you don’t slow down.” I pulled my arm free of his grip and took a deep breath.

“You have asthma?” He looked concerned as he ran his eyes over me.

“No. Still. You shouldn’t make me walk so fast. My legs are shorter than yours.” I grinned up at him, in a good mood that wouldn’t quit. “What’s this room?”

He pushed open the doors and led me into a tall room that would’ve fit the entire guest house inside it. Every single wall was covered in bookshelves and every single bookshelf was full of books. From floor to ceiling, it was the library of every little Belle’s dreams. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“This is the library.” Wells gently pushed me inside. “We thought you’d like it.”

I rushed over to the closest wall of books and let out a happy little scream. “Wells! This is the best thing I’ve ever seen! This is my dream come true!”

A rolling ladder called to me and I wasted no time in climbing it and sending myself flying down the wall of books. A big hand on the ladder stopped me from hitting the opposite wall and crashing. I looked down at Remington and smiled, unfazed.

“If you’re not careful, I’ll have the ladders taken out, Memphis. You’re not breaking your neck in here.” He lifted me off the ladder like it was nothing and pushed it away. “Do you think you can tear your attention away from the books for a few minutes?”

I nodded hurriedly, but my eyes were already scanning the walls of books. The options were limitless. I could read a book a day for my entire five years at their house and never run out of things to read.

Boone looked up at me from a low club chair and winked. “Hey, nerd.”

I leaned against his chair and teasingly slapped his arm. “Better a nerd than a surgeon. You know what they say about surgeons, don’t you?”

Remington leaned against a big wooden desk in front of me and nodded. “Please, tell us.”

“Narcissists with god complexes.” I laughed when Boone grabbed my sides and tickled me. “Total sadists!”

He pulled me into his lap and narrowed his eyes at me. “This is why our marriage fails. Fuck statistics. It’s because you’re cruel to me.”

I patted his cheek and couldn’t help scratching my fingers through his beard. I loved the feeling. I also loved the way his dark blue eyes went a little sleepy when I did it. “Today’s cruel is tomorrow’s honest.”

Wells cleared his throat. “Not to break this up, but I have to ask the question. Why were you moaning the gardener’s name when I found you?”

I laughed until I noticed they weren’t joining me. Remington was staring out the window like he wanted to murder someone and Boone had gone stiff under me. Scoffing, I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “Seriously?”

Boone frowned. “Well? Were you moaning his name?”

“Yeah, I was.” I watched as their tiny little man brains combusted. “Want to hear how it sounded?”

Remington cut his eyes at me. “Memphis.”

“Oh, God, Pete! Oh, Pete!” I really put my all into it. “Oh, Pete, your garden is beautiful and your flowers make me want to rob you blind! Yeah, you fools. I was moaning over a flower bed. It’s an all black flower bed, if you’re curious. Absolutely stunning and I really would rob Pete blind if I could get my hands on those plants.”

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