Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Mila scoffed and flicked back her long braid, which was still wet from her surf session earlier that morning. “She did not.” Then she looked kind of thoughtful, and Erin could tell she was accepting the fact that their mom had beat her to it. “It’s kind of spooky how Mom can see things.”
Tessa smiled. “It’s because she loves you all so deeply. She’s the heart and soul of your family. And I think she and Howie have such a strong marriage that she understands how love works.”
“You’re not doing so bad yourself,” Mila teased. “You’ve got a glow about you that says ‘I’m married to a hot movie star and getting lots of great sex.’”
Tessa laughed and blushed a little, but she didn’t deny it. “Speaking of being a newlywed, Crystal says she’s got the edited video from our Scottish wedding. Archer wants to screen it tonight at our place at seven.” She leaned over and reached for both Erin’s and Mila’s hands. “We want you all there.” Then to Erin she said, “You and Jay.”
Erin’s nerves quivered again. She shrugged a little miserably. “I don’t know. It depends how things are going at your house.” She slipped her phone from her jeans pocket and stared glumly at the blank screen. No message from Jay. She saw Tessa surreptitiously check her phone as well. Nothing from Arch either.
Mila kept up her attempts at distraction as the three women ate their pastries and finished their coffee, but Erin couldn’t focus. Not until she knew everything was okay between Jay and her family.
Usually she was sorry when their coffee dates ended, because she so enjoyed her time with Mila and Tessa. But this morning she was almost relieved when Mila stood and said, “I’ve got to show a house.”
Then Erin felt released, as though she could do what she’d been wanting to do for the better part of an hour—run back to Jay’s place to wait for him. She hugged Mila and Tessa good-bye and told them she hoped, all being well, that she’d see them both that evening.
By the time she walked back to Jay’s, she was almost out of breath. She let herself in and immediately smelled fresh coffee brewing.
He was home.
She rushed to the kitchen, where she found him standing by the sink with a mug of fresh coffee, all in one piece. He turned as she entered and by the happy, relaxed look on his face she knew that everything was okay. She grinned and ran toward him and he caught her, pulling her into a bear hug and then lifting her up onto the counter.
They kissed and then she broke away. “So it went well?” There was still a note of worry in her voice, because she knew how much Jay cared about Arch and how hurt he would be if the relationship were permanently damaged because he was in love with her.
There and then, Erin decided that if Archer gave Jay any more grief, or even hinted at finding a new agent, she might have to talk to him about finding a new sister.
“It was tough,” he admitted. “Not exactly what I’d call a slam dunk.” He paused and looked a little embarrassed—not an emotion she was used to seeing Jay exhibit.
“What happened?” she asked with some mounting trepidation.
Finally, he said, “The only way I could get them to believe I was truly in love with you was to send them our screenplay.”
She almost laughed as the tension broke. “That’s why you’re looking so green around the gills? Because you sent them a screenplay?”
“It’s so personal. It’s the first time I’ve ever put down my feelings on paper that way.”
Erin smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. There’s no way my brothers are going to sit and read an entire romantic screenplay that we wrote. No offense.”
Jay lifted a brow. “Oh, how wrong you are, short stuff.”
Jay was serious. Her eyes widened. As if reading her thoughts, he nodded slowly.
“You aren’t seriously telling me Archer Davenport is planning to read that screenplay.”
“I’m seriously telling you he must’ve started it the second I left. He texted me just as you came in. He says he wants to talk Smith into playing the lead.”
She couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing. The two dogs, hearing the hilarity, had to get in on the act and raced in from the garden.
“Well, it is a very good story,” she said at last.
Jay looked up at her on the counter, his eyes twinkling, full of love. “And it has a happy ending,” he reminded her, and then leaned forward to give her a long, deep kiss.
It took a minute before she could come up for air. “The best kind,” she agreed. “The kind that lasts forever.”
Epilogue
Damien Davenport was having a hard time wrapping his head around his kid sister and Jay Malone becoming an item. Sure, he could see they were crazy for each other. First Erin had turned into some kind of sisterzilla, jumping up at the breakfast table and telling him to sit his butt down. Demanding that her whole family stay out of her business. It was a side of Erin he’d never seen before and, he had to admit to himself once he got over the shock, she had a point. He was kind of proud of her. He’d been so accustomed to thinking of Erin as their vulnerable kid sister who needed protecting that he’d never noticed she’d become a grown woman making her own choices. It was pretty clear his brothers had felt the same way.