Rhett (Signature Sweethearts)

by Kelsie Rae

  I nod my head in understanding. “That was really sweet of him.”

  He huffs and catches himself just short of rolling his eyes. “Hey now. I know he’s a good guy and all, but I don’t think I’m ready to hear you compliment your ex.”

  My face scrunches slightly as I try to muffle my giggles. “I think I like seeing this jealous side of you.”

  He drags his nose along the column of my throat before nipping at my jawline. “There’s a lot more where that came from. Come home with me, Indie. I need you.”

  “You didn’t even need to ask.” I grab his hand and drag him to the front of the shop.

  “You two are on shop duty! There’s a tray of muffins in the oven! Don’t forget to close up!” I shout over my shoulder as Sophie and Natalie hoot and holler behind me. Apparently, my happiness seems to have distracted Sophie from her sadness, and I’m glad I was able to brighten her day with my escapades.

  Rhett and I rush to his apartment where I finally learn the magnitude of epic make-up sex.

  And holy hell is it good.

  Epilogue

  Indie

  It’s been two insanely awesome weeks of pure love and absolute happiness. Rhett never called Bill to tell him of his change of plans when we had our misunderstanding, so he’s still able to stay in New York—with me—and will start his new job next month. I feel like the happiest—and luckiest—girl on the planet.

  Rhett wanted to give his current employer enough time to transition his clients to other recruiters, and they’ve been insanely grateful for his extended help.

  Nathan, on the other hand, booked it to California a week after the job offer. I think he was running from a particular blonde who made him question his man-whoring ways. But what do I know? His absence broke Sophie’s heart all over again, leaving Natalie and me to pick up the pieces. I’m not sure if we’ll ever really know what happened during their little one-night stand, but it definitely left a lasting impression on one of my best friends.

  For better or worse.

  We’re headed over to my parents’ house for dinner, and I’m anxious as hell.

  My parents live in New Jersey, in the same quaint little two-story home I was raised in. The shutters look freshly painted, the house is a soft blue color, and there are red and yellow leaves scattered among the dry grass. My mom is quite the gardener and likes to keep her yard in tip-top shape, so I’m a little surprised to see the stray leaves sprinkled along the pavement. It must’ve been a blustery day today, and I have no doubt they’ll be cleaned up by tomorrow.

  My hands tremble as I grasp the doorknob and enter the house. I’ve never introduced a guy to my parents. Ever. I’ve never needed to. They knew Tony before we could walk, so when we started dating, it didn’t come to anyone’s surprise.

  Rhett, however, is a different story.

  My mom has warmed up to the idea of him over the past couple of weeks, but I’m still nervous now that they’re finally meeting for the first time. And let’s not get started on my dad. He’s always been protective of his only child, but I’m pretty sure that if I like Rhett then he will too. All he’s ever wanted was for me to be happy, and Rhett makes me happy so . . . I should be fine, right?

  “Hey, sweetheart!” my mom calls from the kitchen. I wipe my sweaty palm on my jeans before gripping Rhett’s hand and leading him down the hall and toward the kitchen.

  “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad!” I shout with Rhett trailing behind me.

  He seems as cool as a cucumber and is completely relaxed, while I’m freaking out on the inside. I wish I had his confidence.

  My mom dries her hands on the kitchen towel when she sees us. “Hey, you!” She walks over to Rhett and plants a friendly kiss against his stubbled cheek, shocking the hell out of me. “You’re right on time! Will you grab the salad, Indie? And, Rhett, be a dear and get the casserole from the oven, will you? The hot pads are right over there.” She points to a drawer in the maple cabinets.

  Rhett releases the death grip I have on his hand and does as he’s told, acting as if he owns the place, while still being respectful.

  What the––?

  “Your father is upstairs, but he’ll be down in just a minute. Now shoo! I want to eat while everything is still warm.”

  Awkwardly, I grab the salad and a stack of napkins before heading into the dining room. The space is decorated with family pictures, and a large oak table sits in the center surrounded by chairs.

  My dad comes down the stairs and shakes Rhett’s hand without an introduction before pulling him into a fatherly hug.

  I’ve stepped into some kind of Twilight Zone episode, I’m sure of it. My gaze bounces between the two men in my life as I try to come up with a reason for their lack of awkwardness.

  “Uh . . . don’t you guys need an introduction?” I squeak.

  Rhett shrugs before slyly winking at me, and my dad gives me a hug hello before saying, “There’s no need for that, sweetheart.”

  My mom interrupts us by insisting we all take our seats around the table. We enjoy a carefree dinner while laughing and talking like Rhett’s presence isn’t out of the ordinary. Like he’s always belonged here. With me.

  When my dad cracks an inside joke with Rhett, and he busts up laughing, I throw my napkin onto my plate and cross my arms. “Okay, people. Enough. What the heck is going on? Do you guys know each other? Scratch that. How the hell do you guys know each other?” My gaze bounces between all three culprits.

  My parents look a little guilty, but Rhett looks right as rain, his arrogant grin on full display.

  Leaning back into his chair, he puts his hands behind his head and looks pointedly at me.

  “Is there a problem, Indie?” He smirks.

  “Well no, but . . .” I pause, heaving a sigh of frustration. “Why are you all so comfortable around each other?” I look at my parents. “Why didn’t you give him the usual interrogation that all parents give their daughter’s boyfriend? Isn’t that the normal thing to do?”

  They look at each other before answering me. The place is far too silent for my liking.

  “Honey, we’ve already had the interrogation,” my mom says gently, looking at me as if she’s scared I’m going to throw a plate or something.

  “Wh-when?”

  “When I came down last week,” Rhett pipes in.

  “Huh?”

  “I knew how nervous you were about me meeting your parents, so I decided to get it over with without you. I also needed to have a private conversation with them and couldn’t have you here to do it.”

  My brows furrow. “Private conversation?”

  What the hell is he talking about? Gah! I hate being out of the loop!

  Slowly, Rhett stands from his chair before dropping to one knee in front of me. My hands cover my mouth as my jaw hits the floor.

  This can’t be happening.

  There’s no way.

  “Sunshine, I love you. I love you so damn much. We haven’t been dating for long, but I think we’ve both learned a few things from our past experiences. The first one is that when you know, you know.” He shrugs like it’s as simple as that.

  A tear slides down my cheek, but I stay silent.

  “And the second is, why should we waste time when we want to spend the rest of our lives together? Aren’t we done wasting time? I asked myself what I wanted in this life, and the answer was so clear that it became the easiest decision I could ever imagine. The answer is . . . you. I want you.” Another tear escapes, blurring my vision. I never imagined this would happen so soon. I never knew I wanted it to. I think it’s because the guy I always assumed I’d end up with wasn’t right for me. And deep down, I always knew it. Even if I didn’t want to face that problem head on until the right guy gave me the courage to do so.

  But this? The relationship I have with Rhett is nothing less than a fairy tale. We’re not perfect, but we’re perfect for each other. It’s so right that it hurts sometimes, and I would be lucky to call him my hu
sband.

  “Indie, will you be my wife? Will you be my partner in crime? Will you love me until the day you die?”

  My heart races inside my chest as I voice my answer. “No,” I breathe. His face drops instantly before I rush on. “I’ll love you for a lot longer than that.” He stands before pulling me into his arms and kissing me deeply. I pull back when I remember that my parents are five feet away, watching.

  Oops.

  Embarrassed, I peek over at them and see their faces glowing with pride.

  “I am so happy, sweetheart. This is all I’ve ever wanted for you.” Tears are sliding down my mom’s cheeks too. She hits Rhett playfully before admonishing him. “Look what you did to me, Rhett. Now I’m a blubbering mess because of that proposal. Shame on you!” She wags her finger at him like she used to when I was a child and in trouble. The sight makes me chuckle.

  He laughs good-naturedly before pulling her into a friendly hug. “Sorry, Claire.”

  He definitely isn’t sorry.

  My dad stands and walks around the table before holding me tightly and whispering in my ear, “You picked a good one, Indie.”

  “Thank you,” I murmur back, basking in their acceptance.

  He steps away and looks into my eyes. “This. What you have with Rhett? That’s what true love is, and I’m so happy you finally found it.”

  I bite my lower lip to keep from sobbing then squeeze him tightly in return. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  We spend the rest of the night talking, laughing, and planning a destination wedding to a Maldives beach where I can be surrounded by close friends, family, the love of my life, and the warm ocean breeze.

  It’s inevitable.

  The End

  Dear Reader

  I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on a total newbie. For giving me the opportunity to share this story with you. For rooting for the little guy. I couldn’t do this without you!

  I would also be very grateful if you could take the time to leave a review on goodreads or amazon. It’s amazing how such a little thing like a review can be such a huge help to a new author!

  Turn the page for a

  Sneak Peek of Sophie

  Releasing December 2018

  Chapter One

  Subject to Change-Copyright Kelsie Rae 2018

  Sophie

  I'm late. It's not exactly surprising since I'm rarely on time to anything, but this particular circumstance isn't my fault. I swear! Indie sent Noogie and me a text this morning insisting we meet her at a little cafe.

  Noogie is my best friend and other half, Natalie. She earned the nickname Noogie when my older brother, who’s secretly in love with her by the way, gave her a noogie in front of a bunch of hot guys in high school to prove that he looks at her like a little sister. Dumbass. Anyway, Indie’s text was adamant that Noogie and I meet her for brunch. It's a good thing I love that girl though, because I did not have time for this today!

  It's been a few months since Natalie and I moved to New York and fate led us to a cute little bakery called Get Baked. That’s when we met Indie-pie, the third amigo to our little trio. Yup. She’s my boss. Her tiny shop is where we found our calling in life as worker bees in Indie's bakery hive.

  Natalie and I were getting our nails done at a cute little salon on 8th Avenue when the message from Indie came through. We hightailed it onto the subway after tipping our nail technicians and are finally entering the fancy schmancy restaurant named Charmant.

  The food is good, don't get me wrong. But the warm decor holds memories I'd prefer to forget. Memories of an enemy disguised as a friend. Memories of a womanizer in a gentleman's attire. Memories of the best night of my life . . . followed by the worst morning possible.

  Releasing a sigh of defeat, I scan the familiar surroundings while Natalie informs the hostess that we’re here to meet someone.

  Noogie grabs my arm, shaking me from my morose thoughts, and we follow the hostess through the dining area to our table. By some miracle, we're led to a seat outside, and I count my blessings as I take in the foreign environment.

  Anything to keep me from remembering him.

  "Hey guys!" Indie greets us from her seated position at the high-top table. The hustle and bustle of New York City is nothing more than a gentle hum here on the terrace. Twinkling lights are strung along the railing with potted plants placed in the corners. The decor is almost enough to transport you to a little town in France, and I grudgingly admit to myself that the place still has charm, even if Weiner tainted it all those nights ago.

  "Hey!" I return, rushing over and throwing my arms around her.

  I'm a hugger. Through and through.

  She returns the gesture, squeezing me tightly and chuckling lightly.

  "I'm so glad you could make it!" Indie continues as Natalie and I take our seats.

  "Of course we made it! Who turns down Sunday brunch?" Natalie teases as she unfolds the white linen napkin, placing it in her lap.

  “She’s got a point,” I agree before doing a little shimmy in my chair. "Now bring on the mimosas!"

  We all laugh in unison as the waiter hands us our menus. After eyeing the options, I decide on a big-ass omelette with extra cheese and hashbrowns on the side.

  I’m hungry. So sue me.

  Once the waiter leaves, Natalie and I turn our attention to Indie.

  "So . . . what's up?" I ask bluntly.

  "Umm . . ." Indie pauses as a Cheshire grin practically splits her face in two. "I have news."

  I quirk my brow in response. "And?"

  "And . . ." she continues, "I'm getting married!"

  Squealing commences, and I finally figure out why the hostess placed us outside. She could tell we were going to be a rowdy crew, and we just proved her right.

  Sneaky bitch.

  Indie met a guy a few months ago, and they’ve had a whirlwind of a relationship. Their engagement is insanely abrupt, but I can’t blame her for wanting to tie Rhett down. The guy’s a catch. And so is Indie. Rhett’s no dummy. He definitely listened to Miss Beyonce and put a ring on it.

  "I cannot believe you're getting married!" I announce as Natalie nods her head in agreement.

  We both lean across the table and sandwich Indie in a congratulatory bear hug that would make a grizzly jealous.

  "Wait––" Natalie stops abruptly then pulls away and stares at Indie intensely.

  "Yes?" Indie asks, trying to keep herself from smiling at Natalie's crazy antics. That girl could make a mob boss tremble in his Armani suit. "I'm going to be your maid of honor right? 'Cause we both know I'm your favorite."

  I shove Natalie playfully in the shoulder before arguing, "Whatever! We both know I'm the fun one! Who would you want to plan your bachelorette party? Me"––I point to my chest–– "or Miss Nun over there, who's never even seen a penis?"

  Natalie had been taking a sip of her mimosa when I started presenting my case, and the orange juice spews from her nostrils by the time “penis” rolls of my tongue. I throw my head back in laughter as the sticky liquid drips down her chin.

  "Sophie!" she screams, grabbing the linen napkin and dabbing at her face. Her cheeks are a soft pink color, which is saying something considering her naturally olive skin tone. It usually hides her embarrassment quite nicely.

  I, on the other hand, am as pale as a ghost and can be seen blushing from a mile away.

  Lucky brat.

  "What?" I shrug, feigning innocence. "It's the truth!"

  "Yeah, but you don't need to go blabbering about it during brunch!" She grabs my freshly-made mimosa from in front of me then continues her little rant. "You ruined my drink, Soph, so I get yours!" And with that, she downs the whole thing in a few gulps, leaving me to pout at my loss of bubbly beverage.

  Indie watches the entire interaction with light amusement. In fact, she's practically glowing from happiness, and I couldn't be more excited for her.

  Indie had been in a looong relationship
with a butthead named Anthony before she finally met Rhett. He showed her what true love really is, and if anyone deserves a fairy tale, it's her.

  "I was actually going to ask both of you to be my maids of honor, but your banter is pretty entertaining. Maybe I should make you two duke it out." Indie leans back in her chair then crosses her arms over her chest while silently challenging us to continue our argument.

  Noogie and I look at each other, silently communicating a truce before informing Indie that we'd both be honored to be her maids of honor.

  "Good! I was hoping you'd say that, 'cause we have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it!" Indie replies cryptically.

  My eyes narrow in suspicion.

  "What do you mean not a lot of time?"

  She picks up her fluted glass and takes a long sip of her mimosa. "Umm . . . one week?"

  Natalie and I exchange shocked glances before turning back to the bride-to-be. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" we ask in unison.

  Indie chuckles awkwardly before clearing her throat. "Umm . . . one week?" she repeats while playing with the butter knife on the white linen tablecloth.

  "Dude!" Natalie and I shout. "How in the world are we going to plan a wedding in one freaking week? Aren't venues booked out for years in New York?" Natalie asks, trying to be the voice of reason.

  "Maybe. But we're not getting married in New York," Indie replies before placing her lips between her teeth like she’s afraid we might strangle her. Her indigo eyes bounce between the two of us, trying to gauge our reaction.

  "Are you pregnant?" I blurt out. Why in the world would she rush her wedding like this? I mean come on, it only happens once. Doesn't she want an epic wedding with her dream photographer, and her dream caterer, and her dream wedding dress?

  One week? It isn't possible.

  Thankfully, Indie doesn't take offense to my word vomit and pats my hand on the table like a loving grandmother. "No, I'm not pregnant," she states patiently. "Rhett and I are just really excited to start our lives together. We both know what it's like to waste our time, and we don't want to do that. You might think we're crazy," she chuckles after stating the obvious. "Hell, pretty sure everyone will think we're crazy. But . . . we want this. We want this bad. So, will you guys help me achieve the impossible? Will you help me plan a flawless wedding in less than a week? Will you fulfill your duties as maids of honor and help me get shit done?" She stares at Natalie and me like we're superheroes, and I know I have no choice but to agree to her insane timeline.