Jack’s gaze moved between us. “This is some kind of pervy role playing you two do, isn’t it?”
“See!” Rob’s hand shot up. “Told you they’re the perviest.”
“We are not pervy,” Jane said.
“Are too,” Emily replied.
Jane grinned. “Fine. I’ll take that title.” Then she kissed my mouth.
Predictably, my body leapt.
We started to play. Owen was a little intimidated by all the trash talk and threats of bodily harm at first. But it wasn’t long before he was getting the hang of the game. He’d even started to cheat, pilfering a handful of fifty dollar bills while Aly went to town on her second club sandwich.
When Owen shamelessly used that money to buy Park Place, Rob clapped him on the shoulder. “You make me proud, lad. You learn the ropes faster than most.”
“I mean, I was a con for a few years.” Owen shrugged. “If I don’t win, I deserve to be thrown in jail. Figurative jail. Monopoly jail, I mean.”
There was a beat of uncomfortable silence. My pulse skipped. Then the table burst into laughter.
“I want to pick your brain,” Rob was saying, leaning into him. “I mean, really. There’s got to be a better strategy to rip this lot off. My brothers, they’re not very smart, you see, but the ladies—they’re the ones to watch out for.”
Emily grinned, wagging her brows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Owen laughed. I did, too.
I looked down when Jane put a hand on my thigh. She was wearing this expression—small smile, content, clear eyes—that made my heart beat a little faster.
“Happy?” I murmured.
Jane nodded. “Happy. You?”
I looked around the table. Josie was snoozing on Kit’s shoulder. Somewhere, a dog was barking; another was humping Aly’s leg underneath the table, but she could care less because she was still working her way through that second sandwich. Owen was showing Emily how to hide Monopoly money up her sleeve. He tried on his excellent British accent, which made her laugh and then try on her accent, too. But no matter what she did, the Georgia girl in her would always shine through.
It was pure chaos.
And it was beautiful.
Just like the woman sitting next to me, her hand creeping dangerously close to my crotch.
“Happy,” I said, leaning in. “And horny. I say we own our title and take a little bathroom break.”
Jane bit her bottom lip. Then she turned to the table. “Excuse me. I’m, um. Going to get more wine,” she said loudly.
She got up. A second later, I followed her out.
“Glad you’re finally getting a room!” Owen called out after us.
Jack laughed. “Thank fuck.”
We returned a few minutes later to find that the dining room had gone dead silent.
Jimmy was standing in the doorway. His eyes were hard. His face was red.
Aly was standing beside him. Clearly the one who’d answered the door and brought him in here.
Doubt elbowed its way into my chest, making my heart thump. I’d arranged this whole thing out of a heady sense of optimism. But now I wondered if that optimism had been misplaced. Misguided. Could Jimmy ever really forgive this family that had shunned him all these years?
And could Jane’s family really welcome him with open arms after he’d tried to steal from them?
Maybe being in love had blinded me to the sad reality of the situation. Everything seemed possible now that I was with Jane.
But I couldn’t not do something. I couldn’t erase past hurts. The fact that Jimmy had been deprived of a father. But I could try to mend fences. At the very least, I could get these people in the same room. Would they change? Who knew.
But change was possible. I was Exhibit A. So I had to try. For Jane. For Jimmy.
And yeah, for Owen and me, too.
I’d found my family. Found my better. And I wanted to pay it forward.
“Jimmy,” I said, keeping my arm curled around Jane’s waist. “I’m glad you came.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped.
“This was a mistake,” he said. “I should go—”
“Stay.” Rob leapt out of his chair. He offered Jimmy his hand. “Please. We’ve been looking forward to your visit. I’m Rob.”
I waited, heart in my throat, while Jimmy stared Rob down.
And then I let out a breath when he took Rob’s hand and shook it.
“Jimmy,” he said.
“Jimmy,” Rob repeated, looking him in the eye. “It’s a pleasure to have you. Our only regret is that this hasn’t happened sooner. Please, come sit. What can I get you to drink? A beer?”
Jimmy’s eyes flashed with surprise as he let Rob lead him to a seat at the table. He looked around. Saw the scattered remains of our sandwiches on the plates. Baby Josie clapped, smiling at him shyly from her perch on Kit’s lap.
“A beer,” Jimmy said. “Yes. Okay. Thank you.”
Rob dashed to the kitchen and came back with a beer, which he set in front of Jimmy. Then the introductions began. Kit, Emily, Jack, then Jane. Then the dog, who promptly went to town on Emily’s chair leg.
“On behalf of our family, I want to apologize for the way you’ve been treated,” Kit said, bouncing the baby on his knee. “Obviously we came into the picture long after everything went down. If I could go back and fix things, I would. But I can’t. What we can do is try to make things right going forward.”
Jimmy cleared his throat. His face was still red. He grabbed his beer and took a long, uncomfortable pull.
Kit and Jack exchanged glances.
“We understand if you want nothing to do with us,” Jack said. “No one deserves to be treated the way you were. But we’d like to make you part of the family if you’ll have us.”
Rob rubbed a hand over his hair. “Not much to recommend us, I’m afraid. Jack’s a cheat, Kit’s a prude, and I’m—”
“A jackass?” Jane offered.
A ghost of a smile played at Jimmy’s lips. His brow was furrowed, like he still couldn’t quite decide what to make of these people.
“Sounds about right,” Rob replied. “Better than being a wild card, like you.”
“Hey,” Jane said in mock offense. “I’m not a wild card. I’m good at cards. I love taking your money.”
“Speaking of.” Kit looked hopefully at Jimmy. “Would you like to stay for a round of Monopoly? As long as you know how to cheat, you’ve got a fighting chance of winning.”
Jimmy’s eyebrows leapt. “Cheat? At Monopoly?”
“It’s a Thorne family tradition,” I explained.
“Really just an excuse to get pissed on Sunday afternoons,” Rob said.
Jimmy’s gaze darted around the table. He looked more confused than ever. I bit back a smile.
They’re not at all who you think they are, I’d told him.
The Thornes were proving my point beautifully.
Jimmy took another sip of his beer.
“All right,” he said after a beat.
My heart leapt. Owen shot me a smile. And Jane wrapped me in a hug.
“He still hasn’t said much,” I murmured in her ear.
“We have to start somewhere,” she whispered back.
After we’d said our admittedly awkward goodbyes, I walked Jimmy to Primrose Palace’s back gate.
He was quiet for most of the walk. Kept his gaze focused on the brick pavers at his feet.
He’d been quiet for most of the game we’d played, too. He’d kept looking around the table. Taking it all in. I remembered doing the same thing when I’d come to Sunday lunch the first time. The commotion, the cursing, the affection—it was overwhelming. I got it.
“So,” I said, drawing to a stop a few paces from the gate. “What did you think?”
Jimmy slipped his hands into his pockets. “I honestly don’t know what to think. I never would’ve imagined…” He shook his head, averting his eyes.
; “They’re good people, Jimmy,” I replied. “See how they couldn’t be more different from your father? I can’t make this decision for you, obviously. Only you know what you’ve been through. But if you’re willing to give them a chance, I don’t think you’ll regret it. Kit told me he’d love to sit down with you, one on one, to talk everything through. I’m sure you have a lot to say.”
Jimmy swallowed. “I do.”
“Then say it. You’ll never get this opportunity again.”
“You just want me to do all this so I’ll forget about all that money you owe me,” he said, eyes flicking to meet mine.
I grinned. “Well, yeah. Where are we on that, by the way?”
My pulse skipped as I waited for his reply.
Jimmy’s eyes were still on mine.
“I think we can work something out.”
I let out a breath. “Something as in my brother and I are finally free? No more debt?”
Jimmy looked around the palace grounds.
“We’ve already paid that ten grand off how many times over,” I pressed. “It’s been years, Jimmy. I’m busting my ass to make it work, but...”
He looked at me.
“All right.”
Relief crashed through me, a tidal wave many years in the making. I closed my eyes against the force of it, my shoulders falling back from my ears.
“Thank you,” I breathed.
Jimmy cleared his throat. “I should be off.”
“Right.” I opened my eyes. “Of course. See you next Sunday? Same place, same time.”
He hesitated. Then he sighed.
“Yeah,” he said. “Maybe.”
I smiled. Like Jane said, it was a start.
I headed back to Jane’s apartment, where she was waiting for me with Owen.
“So?” she said, eyes wide.
I grinned. “I think the damn thing just might work.”
She clapped her hands, then threw them in the air before crushing me in a hug.
“Never would’ve believed it,” Owen said, shaking his head. “Jimmy making amends with the royal family over beers and board games. Might be your best job yet, Charlie.”
I inclined my head in a mock bow. “Thank you. I take great pride in my work.”
“What about you, Owen?” Jane said. “What did you think of the family?”
It was his turn to grin. “It was definitely a different experience coming to the palace this time around as myself and not Bastian Winks.”
“Bastian Winks.” Jane shook her head in mock disappointment. “I should’ve known right then you guys were up to something.”
“Hey, the cap was pretty convincing,” I offered.
Jane laughed. “Not really.”
Then she slipped an arm around Owen’s waist and pulled him into a half hug. “Seriously, though. I hope you had a good time this afternoon. I’ve talked with everyone, and it’s not weird for us if it’s not weird for you, yeah?”
Owen was blushing again. I bit back a smile. A smile, and a familiar tightness in my throat. Jane wasn’t just making an effort with my brother. She was actively accepting him into her life, even after the stunt he’d pulled.
She was treating him like family. And that made me feel a kind of happiness and completeness that was new. Overwhelming. Sweet.
My heart twisted. Mom would be so proud. So happy that we were happy. That we’d found good people to spend time with, despite the not-so-good things we’d done in the past.
“Yeah,” he said after a beat. “I really appreciate that. I know I’ve said this before, Jane, but I really am sorry. About everything.”
She grinned up at him. Gave him a light pat on his back. “I know. But think about it this way. If you hadn’t helped your brother con me—well, none of us would be together right now, would we? Without you, Charlie and I would’ve never met. Without you, we would’ve never gotten to the Fox and Hen, which meant we would’ve never had the best first date in the history of first dates.”
“True,” Owen said, smiling.
Jane turned around to look at me. “Without you, Owen, Charlie and I would’ve never found each other. So thank you.”
“For what?” he said, disbelievingly. “Stealing from you?”
“For bringing us together. Even if it was in a fucked up way.”
We laughed at that.
He slid his hands into his pockets. “Thank you, Jane, for having me. And for loving my brother so well.” He kissed her cheek.
Then I pulled her to me and kissed her mouth.
This was it. The good life. The better.
I’d found it, finally. I’d found her.
And I was never, ever going to let her go.
Epilogue
Jane
January
Glancing at the clock above the waiting room door, I reached for Charlie’s hand.
He glanced up from the paperback he held in his other hand. A well-loved copy of Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
“You all right?” Charlie asked.
“Just anxious,” I replied. “It’s been an hour. Seems like a lot of pushing, doesn’t it? I hope Aly is okay.”
We’d gotten the call from Rob while we were still in bed. Aly had gone into labor yesterday morning, but they hadn’t wanted us to come to the hospital until she’d started pushing. Kit and Emily were on their way. Jack was mysteriously “indisposed”, and had promised to be here as soon as he could.
So it was just Charlie and I in the meantime.
“She’s in good hands,” he said. “How about I get you something to eat? A tea, maybe?”
I gave his hand a squeeze. “That’s all right. I think we should stay put in case there’s news.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Charlie nodded. His eyes met mine. “I’m nervous, too. And excited.”
“You’re a great uncle.”
He arched a brow. “I’m an uncle?”
My heart clenched. God, he was handsome. Still disheveled from sleep. He was at his scruffiest—hair all over the place, beard a little too long, eyes soft and tired. Even though he wasn’t bartending anymore, he’d been working night and day now that Kids’ Kitchen, the name he’d given his program, had really taken off. If he wasn’t teaching classes, he was out and about, raising money and networking with other educational start-ups.
I was so proud of him. So happy that he was happy. He was giving back to the community in a way he’d never been able to before.
I was also happy that he’d agreed to move in with me last month. We’d found Owen a new flat around the same time. This one was on the second floor—no more walking up four flights of stairs!—and much closer to Primrose Palace. He still ran The Sandwich Shop, with the help of two university students Charlie had been able to hire with the money he’d saved bartending. Charlie popped in every now and again when he had time. And Owen still brought sandwiches to Monopoly Sundays.
“Of course you’re an uncle,” I said. “You’ve been an incredible uncle to baby Josie. We’re so lucky to have you.”
He grinned at the compliment. “Thank you. I kind of love it, you know? Being the uncle I never had.”
I squeezed his hand again.
“Almost as much as Kit and Emily love it when you hand her back to them all riled up.”
Charlie shrugged. “Hey, that’s what uncles do, right?”
“You could go a little easier on the sugar, Uncle Charlie,” Kit said.
He and Emily swept into the room, coffees in hand, smiles on their faces.
“How exciting is this?” Emily said, wrapping Charlie in a hug. “So what are we thinking? Boy or girl?”
Charlie offered his hand to Kit. “I’m thinking girl.”
“You’re hoping it’s a girl,” I said.
“Josie’s kind of ruined me for boys, I think,” he explained.
Kit smiled. “She is pretty cute.”
“She’s got Charlie wrapped around her finger,” I replied.
�
�Oh, completely,” Charlie said, pulling me close.
We all looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was Owen and Jimmy, both breathless.
“We’re not too late, are we?” Owen asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. We’re still wa—”
“She’s here!”
Rob’s head appeared over Jimmy’s shoulder. His eyes were wet with tears, face lit up with excitement.
My heart dipped. Charlie pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Congrats! So it’s a girl?” he asked.
Rob nodded, allowing Kit to pull him into a hug.
“Healthy baby girl. Eight pounds, twelve ounces. Still need the Queen’s approval for the name, but we’re thinking Elizabeth Jane.”
A lump rose in my throat.
“Really?” I said.
Rob grinned. “Really. Just hold off on teaching her the ins and outs of whiskey until she’s eighteen, okay?”
Everyone laughed.
I cried.
“Okay,” I managed, taking the tissue Em held out.
It was our turn to go see the baby—mine and Charlie’s. After washing our hands in a bathroom down the hall, a friendly nurse led us to Aly’s room.
I started crying all over again when I saw her propped up on the bed, the baby in her arms. Rob was standing beside her. He slid the baby’s tiny foot between his fingers, rubbing his thumb over the sole.
They both gazed down at her, pure awe and happiness on their faces.
“Want to hold her?” Aly asked, smiling.
I looked at Charlie.
“You go first,” he said.
I took him up on his offer. Elizabeth—her parents were already calling her Lizzy—was tiny and warm. Holding her in my arms, I pulled back a little so I could see her face. She had Aly’s nose, her mouth, too. But then Lizzy opened her eyes, and I saw that they were brilliantly blue, just like her father’s.
Charlie rubbed my back.
“She’s beautiful,” I said.
“Takes after her mother,” Rob said. His voice was gruff. “Thank God.”
I really started crying when I passed the baby to Charlie. He was a little awkward with her. His arms were stiff, shoulders up by his ears as he tried to stay very still.
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