by Linda Kage
“A beautiful mess,” Camille assured her, closing an arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “And you just go ahead and let it out, sweetie. We’ll cry with you if you want.”
“Too late,” I announced, dabbing at my wet eyes. “I already am.” Then I dove in to hug Isobel from the front while Camille kept hugging her from behind.
Backing away as if we had the plague, Gabby offered us two thumbs up. “You got this,” she said, avoiding anything that resembled huggable contact.
“Oh, don’t even think about getting out of this,” Camille growled, lunging to catch Gabby’s arm before she jerked her in to join the group hug.
I laughed when Gabby awkwardly smashed into me, her body tense with discomfort. Isobel was the next to break, sniffing through her giggles, and finally Camille joined in, before Gabby cursed all three of us and broke free.
“Not funny,” she muttered as she wiped at her arms like we’d given her cooties.
Watching her, Camille snorted. “I can’t wait until some guy you actually like and accept comes along and totally shatters your personal space. That’s going to be a hoot to watch.”
Gabby zipped a startled glance Camille’s way, and something in her gaze made me wonder…
“Or maybe someone already has,” I murmured, squinting suspiciously at her.
Gabby glanced at me and cringed with guilt.
“Oh my God!” Camille shrieked. “Someone has! Gabs! Why haven’t you said anything? Who? How? I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on us. You know I love a good romance story. What the hell, woman?”
Gabby could only offer her another apologetic wince before turning back to me. “I was about to tell you and Camille everything a few months ago, but then we got interrupted by Isobel’s brother, and… And well, I was waiting for him to say something to you, but I swear it’s easier to crack open a can of tuna with your bare hands than get that close-lipped bastard to talk about shit.”
I shook my head and confessed, “I am totally confused right now.”
“Yeah, so am I,” Camille agreed.
“Who is this him you’re referring to?” Isobel asked.
Gabby clutched her face as if nervous before returning her attention to me. Why me, and not the other two, I wasn’t sure, but it freaked me out. “I should start from the beginning,” she said. “The beginning that involves you, Kaitlynn.”
“Me?” I pressed my hand against my chest and shook my head. I didn’t understand.
But Gabby nodded. “Yes, you. There is so much you don’t know. So much he never told you. But you were never alone. I thought you should know that. He was always watching over you, making sure you made it through to the next day, like, I don’t know, some secret ninja fairy godmother, or something. After your dad died, he never would’ve let anything insurmountable happen to you.”
“Who?” I said, my eyebrows furrowed with all the bewilderment banging through me. “What in the world are you talking about, Gabby?”
“Well…” She drew in a deep breath. “It all started the night I kind of, sort of broke into someone’s apartment.”
THE END
Next in the Fairy Tale Quartet:
B & E Ever After
A Hansel and Gretel Story
About the Author
I think I was meant to be a crazy, lonely, cat-lady librarian, except it took me fifteen years of marriage and two daughters before I actually got the cat. I do work a fulltime day job in an academic library, but only as an assistant, so I didn’t actually make the cut to be a full-blown librarian. The crazy part stands, though I’d say my life is more hectic and chaotic and busy crazy than lonely, hermit crazy. And when my day gets stressful, this overly-sensitive, introverted girl…well, she simply zones out of reality. Just ask my husband and kids how many times they’ve tried to have a conversation with me while I was too busy daydreaming. Occasionally, I guiltily sneak off and jot down some of the things my mind comes up with when I’ve been avoiding reality. And even more occasionally those things become an entire book, and on rare occasions those books get published.
Based in southeastern Kansas farming territory, I write contemporary romance fiction. Some of my published works are The Forbidden Men series, The Trouble with Tomboys, The Stillburrow Crush, and Fighting Fate. And most of my stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. I tend to focus more on entertainment value and emotional impact, but I love to share my stories with people of similar interests. So I’d always be honored to escape for a while with you if you wanted to give my stories a try. Thanks so much for your time and try to have a spectacular day.
Big hugs, Linda
Find me online at www.LindaKage.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue