“Come on over here, honey.”
She shuffled around her brother and Angie and stood with them. She felt him take her hand. This is it, she thought.
“I want to thank everyone for coming today. It was important to me and Danny that you all be here to share this. We’re very big on family here and it just wouldn’t feel right to take this next step without you. So thank you.” He turned to her, and slowly lowered to one knee. She stared into his eyes, filled with love and knew that he could see the same in hers. It was like they were mirrors reflecting back all the emotions they felt for each other and always would.
“Let’s see if I can do this better than my brother.” She let out a short laugh, as did their family. “Hannah, I’ve waited almost half my life to have you in my arms again. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I didn’t think of you, wish you were here with me, and love you with all my soul. You’re a part of me. You’re a part of my son. I love you and I look forward to spending the rest of my days walking on the beach with you. Watching football with you. And even sipping Dr Pepper out of a licorice straw with you. Hannah, will you marry me?” He held up a rather large square-cut diamond ring in a platinum setting and slipped it on her finger. It was beautiful.
“Yes, Adam. Yes a million times. I love you,” she said as she knelt down next to him and kissed every part of his face. She heard cheers and sniffles as she kissed her man, the one who got away, and found his way back to her.
She heard Danny clear his throat with a dramatic effect. She smiled against Adam’s lips, blushing.
“We’re not done yet, Dad.”
“Oh, sorry, bud. I got a little carried away.” He rose to his feet and held out a hand to Hannah, who got up and stood next to him.
“It’s my turn,” Danny said, looking at Hannah. She stared at him with the same smile she always had when she thought of him. He made her just as happy as his dad. “When Dad asked me if I would mind if he asked you to marry him, it felt like waking up on Christmas morning. I was really happy. Then I asked him, if I could ask you to be my mom.” His smile reached all the way to his glassy eyes. “When I was growing up, I would always look at the picture my dad kept of you hidden in his wallet. I would dream that you were my mom and someday you’d come back for me. And then that dream became real. You’re here, and I’d like nothing more than to call you my mother, for real. So what do you say, can I call you mom?”
Her heart was overflowing with every happy emotion one could ever think of. He held out a necklace to her. It was an open circle made of white gold with three names engraved on it. Adam. Hannah. Danny. In between each of the names were their birthstones. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
She cupped his cheeks in both her hands. “Honey, I’d be honored to be your mother, for real. I’ve considered you my son from the moment your dad told me about you. You’re stuck with me. With both of us.” She hugged him so tight she had to remind herself to let him go so he could breathe. He helped her put the necklace on. She reached for it, hanging on her chest and brought it to her lips. She faced him again. “I love you.” This had to be the best day of her life. She couldn’t imagine anything topping it.
But then, Danny did it again. He topped it. With only five, quickly spoken words. “I love you too, Mom.”
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for investing your time—and maybe, your heart—into reading More Than A Friend Request. I really enjoyed writing this feel good short story with such a sweet happily ever after. My own HEA started with an email. Thankfully, my hubby and I got it right the first time and didn’t have to wait fifteen years.
I’d like to ask you a huge favor. Please post a brief comment, full review, or just a rating on BN.com, Amazon, Smashwords, and/or Goodreads. It will mean so very much to me and the success of this book. And, I truly enjoy reading your thoughts and feedback.
You can visit me on my website (www.juliepbooks.com), Twitter (@juliepbooks, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Julie
More Titles by Julie Prestsater
Adult Romance
Against The Wall
Young Adult
So I’m A Double Threat
Double Threat My Bleep
Double Time
You Act So White
Acknowledgements
I’d like to express a million thanks to Andrea Soule and Heather Fueger. Andi, thank you for reading this novel in advance and writing my blurb. She is a master blurb-writer. Heather, thank you so very much for volunteering to proofread. Your attention to detail is amazing. Not only are these women helpful with my novels, they’re also a lot of fun to tweet and share book recommendations with and they have become my friends.
Like always, I must thank my family—my mom, husband, kids, siblings, and the rest of my huge familia! I’m so very grateful for all your kind words, your encouragement, and your endless support.
Credits
© 2012 Julie Prestsater
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of a reviewer using brief passages.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, and real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Photo: © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com
Visit Julie on the Web at www.juliepbooks.com.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Dear Readers
More Titles by Julie Prestsater
Acknowledgments
Credits
More Than A Friend Request Page 11