I loved the homey feel of the restaurant. When I first went there with Max and Charlie I almost cried at how comfortable I felt. Carla hugged me like I was her long lost granddaughter. I loved my own gran, but I felt like I’d missed out by not having a bigger family. It was part of what drew me to Brett.
I shook my head. I wasn’t going to think about Brett.
The food was delicious and the music was wonderful. I drank and laughed and cried when I toasted my brother. “Max has always been there for me,” I began. “When our dad died, Max stepped up and took care of everything. I was only two, so I couldn’t do much anyway, but as I grew up, I realized how much Max was always there for me. Over the last few months I’ve had a chance to get to know my big brother as an adult and he’s even more amazing than the kid I idolized my whole life. Charlie brought out a whole new person in Max. He’s always been very positive, but Charlie made him invincible. I’m thrilled to have Charlie in our family, and to be welcomed into her family-“ Someone cheered, probably Carrie. I smiled. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you guys, and even though Max was the one who got married, I got a whole new family too.”
I raised my glass in a toast to my brother and new sister. Smiling and cheering with everyone else when Max dipped her back into a passionate kiss.
I wiped my eyes, pretending my tears were happy tears for my brother and Charlie. In reality they were for me. I missed out on having someone kiss me that way. I missed out on a marriage full of love and devotion. I missed out on someone who wanted nothing more than to share his life with me.
I was glad Max had found that in Charlie. He deserved love after how much he’d given us his whole life. He needed someone like Charlie who would take care of him as much as he took care of her. Maybe one day I’d find the same. When I was ready. I knew, without a doubt, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than what Max and Charlie had, what the rest of my new friends had with their husbands.
The rest of the reception passed quickly. I talked to everyone and drank a glass or two of wine, but when Charlie and Max left, I was happy to follow them. I said goodnight to everyone as we all piled into cars and headed home.
Home.
Not that I really had one. I was sharing Max’s home. He’d handed me keys without hesitation, but it wasn’t my place. Before that I’d lived in Brett’s home, and before Brett I lived with Mom and Grams. I’d never been on my own. But I needed to learn how. With Max moving out, his house would be mine alone. I felt guilty living there so Max couldn’t sell it, but he’d never said anything about it. I knew he never would.
Maybe I should start looking for my own place. SkinnyCakes was doing well enough that I could be on my own. While Max and Charlie were on their honeymoon, I needed to work on finding a new place to live. A place that would be mine. Only mine.
I let myself into Max’s house, smiling. I felt better knowing I was moving on. I was taking care of myself. I was going to be okay. The pain of my divorce had dulled. I was no longer weighed down by the guilt I felt knowing I couldn’t keep my husband happy. I accepted that it wasn’t my fault he’d strayed, it was his.
I flipped on the lights in the kitchen and reached into the fridge for a bottle of water. After all the people I’d spoken to, I needed to soothe my parched throat. I’d just tipped the bottle up to my mouth when I heard a sound. I dropped the bottle to the floor, splashing all over my dress, when I saw him sitting there in the dark. I screamed and he lunged at me.
“Shh, Abby, don’t scream. Please. I need your help,” Brett said.
Thank You!
Thank you so much for reading Fluffy & Fabulous. I adored Charlie and had to find someone who would see her for how wonderful she was. When Max walked into my head I knew he was the only one for Charlie.
Reviews are huge for writers, especially new ones like me. I’d love for you to leave a review of Fluffy & Fabulous wherever you buy books. And please check out my other titles!
Abby just might get her own book, but I haven’t figured her out yet. If you want to read more from me, jump into one of my other series, listed below. Four new books from the Paradise Park series will be out this summer (2016) and four from the Better In Bed series will be out in the fall (2016). I hope you’ll check them all out!
Big & Beautiful series
Chubby & Charming (free everywhere)
Lush & Lovely
Shapely & Stunning
Bulky & Beauteous
Fat & Fine
Plump & Pretty
Husky & Hot
Fluffy & Fabulous
Paradise Park series
Playing By The Rules (free everywhere)
Back In The Game
Stuck On The Sidelines
Change On The Fly (coming May 24)
In The Dirt (coming June 21)
Nothing But Net (coming July 19)
Icing The Kicker (coming August 16)
Better In Bed series
Wait For It
Work For It
Fight For It
Visit me at http://www.MaryEThompson.com to sign up for my newsletter and get a FREE novel of your choice!
For even more great stuff, find me at:
http://www.Facebook.com/AuthorMaryEThompson
http://www.Pinterest.com/METDaisy7
http://www.Goodreads.com/MaryEThompson
http://www.Twitter.com/AuthorMET
http://www.Instagram.com/AuthorMaryEThompson
About the Author
Mary E. Thompson grew up loving to read, like a good little girl. Many nights she would fall asleep with the flashlight still turned on as she hid under the covers trying to finish the last few pages of a book. As an adult, the light from her ereader means she doesn't need a flashlight, but she still stays up way too late to finish a book.
When Mary's not reading, she's playing with her two kids or living out her own real life romance novel with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, especially when it's paired with peanut butter, and has been known to have a bad day just because there's no chocolate in the house.
Mary grew up in Buffalo, New York and swears she's the only local to never ski or snowboard. Soccer was always her sport, with a couple adventures white water rafting and skydiving to keep things interesting. Mary moved to South Carolina for college but missed Buffalo every day. Yeah she thinks she's crazy, too. She somehow convinced her South Carolina born and bred hubby to return to Buffalo to raise their kids and live out their lives. He’s still not sure what he was thinking.
Fluffy & Fabulous Page 21