You Make It Easy: A best friend's brother romance (Love in Everton Book 5)

by Fabiola Francisco

  “Does she like him?” Finn bends to whisper in my ear.

  “Looks like it,” I whisper back, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Averly says. “Before my ankles swell and I miss all the fun,” she pouts. This final trimester has been making her the most uncomfortable from what she’s told me, but having that baby will be so worth it.

  We follow her into the maze, each of us taking different routes and crossing each other along the way. I giggle as we run into Lia and Axel for the third time.

  “We should find a closed-off corner so I can steal a kiss,” Finn says, spinning me around and pulling me to him.

  “We can—”

  “Abbie!” Penny screams my name from behind us.

  Finn laughs loudly. “Later,” he promises before Penny breaks away from Gavin and runs toward us.

  “We can’t find the way out. Can you?” She bounces around in front of me.

  “Nope. How about you and your daddy help us?”

  “Yes!” She jumps and skips alongside us. Gavin apologizes, running a hand through his hair.

  “No need to apologize, man,” Finn tells him, clapping his back. I smile over at him in gratitude. He links our fingers and squeezes.

  When we finally make it out, Averly, Eli, Poppy, Harris, Sutton, and Faith are standing by the exit already.

  “Looks like the Bentleys are the only ones left,” Harris says.

  “Can we eat when they come out?” Poppy asks with a pretty please smile.

  “Yes,” I say enthusiastically. “I’m hungry,” I shrug when they all look at me with raised eyebrows.

  “You don’t feed your girl?” Harris teases Finn.

  “I do, but she builds up an appetite.”

  I turn around with wide eyes to face Finn and elbow him in the ribs.

  “Eeww,” Averly says. “Come on, guys,” she whines.

  “You’re the ones with the dirty mind. That maze is exhausting,” Finn points at the piled stacks of hay behind him.

  “Yeah, right,” Faith and I say at the same time. I look at her and laugh.

  When the Bentley family comes out, we make our way to eat, everyone heading to each stand that has the food they want to eat. Then, we meet at a picnic table where Knox and Harris have joined two together so we could all fit.

  Spending time with my friends like this is fun, but I love most having Finn by my side. He makes it all worthwhile. He’s taught me not to care about other people’s opinions and to focus on my own happiness. I can’t wait to see where our life leads and the adventures he’ll take me on.

  When I asked Finn for help with dating, the last thing I imagined was that I’d be here with him right now. I was searching and hoping I’d meet the man I’ve always envisioned, and he was right in front of me the entire time. I guess our timing wasn’t right until now.

  I know we’ll hit a few bumps along the way, but that’s what makes this journey all the more exciting. I’m focusing on seeing myself the way I am, without judgments, or comparing myself to others. There’s no point in that. Finn loves me for who I am—shy book nerd—and I’ll make sure to live up to that every day for him, but mostly for myself.

  It’s so easy to get swallowed up in the shallowness of life, to compare yourself to others, and bring yourself down. The truth is, no one else can be me, and there’s beauty in that.

  Finn reaches for my hand under the table, and I’m reminded of that night when he made the first move. It was so secretive, and he was so unsure of my reaction. I smirk and grab my phone, opening the dating app.

  BookishAbbs: Turns out, that jerk I told you about isn’t a jerk at all. He’s actually pretty perfect and I’m going to spend my life with him.

  A few seconds later, Finn fishes his phone out of his pocket and furrows his eyebrows. He taps the screen, and his eyes scan the words. A smile crosses his face.

  Mr.Cowboy: You don’t say? I guess we both got lucky then because I’ve found myself the most amazing woman who I’m also going to spend my life with.

  I read his words with an easy smile. There is definitely no one else for me. Mr.Cowboy is right, we’re both lucky, and I don’t take what I’ve found with Finn for granted.

  Reaching for his hand, I lean my head on his shoulder. I smile as I look around at my friends, new and old. The fun, the jokes, the love, it’s all part of my wonderful life.

  Finn kisses the top of my head and whispers, “I love you.” I nod against him, kissing his shoulder. I’ve found the one who gives me wild butterflies and secret smiles and comforting hugs. I was wrong when I thought he didn’t exist. He does, and he’s so much better in real life. Finn Cooper is the kind of trouble I want to keep in my life forever.

  …

  Thank you for reading You Make It Easy! I hope you enjoyed Abbie and Finn’s story. We’ll be heading back to Everton this fall!

  I am so excited to share Gavin’s story. He’s a guarded single dad with an adorable daughter you’ll fall in love with. Can you guess who his leading lady is? YUP, Sutton—America’s newest country sweetheart. Continue reading for a sneak peek of Then I Met You.

  You can also read a sneak peek of Make You Mine, Eli and Averly’s story in the following pages.

  …

  If you enjoyed You Make It Easy, you can return to Everton in the following books!

  Write You a Love Song: Knox and Ainsley, a country music romance

  Roping Your Heart: Axel and Lia, a friends-to-lovers, roommates romance

  Pretend You’re Mine: Harris and Poppy, a fake relationship romance

  Make You Mine: Eli and Averly, a hate-to-lovers, surprise pregnancy romance

  When Abbie invited us to go over to her place for dinner, the last thing I expected was to be staring at a country music awards show on the television. Thankfully, Finn is here to keep me company while Abbie and her sisters comment on every outfit. Penny listens, asking questions about the different fashion things they bring up. I wouldn’t be able to repeat them if they paid me a million dollars.

  “Do you want another beer?” Finn lifts his brows.

  “Yes,” I sigh, shaking my head.

  “Look at them!” Abbie yells before awwing.

  “Daddy, isn’t that your friend?” Penny calls for me.

  Staring at the screen, I see Knox and Ainsley dressed to the nines.

  “Yeah, that’s Knox.”

  “Ainsley’s dress is gorgeous,” Sienna comments, her eyes wide as she looks at the screen with envy.

  “It sure is. Red looks amazing on her,” Abbie adds.

  I turn to look at Finn again with raised eyebrows, thanking him for the beer.

  “I’ll never get women and fashion,” he says as he takes a seat on the chair across from me in the kitchen.

  “Me either, and I have a daughter to raise that will eventually be into all that.” I blow out a breath and chuckle. I can just imagine myself taking Penny to shop and vetoing every choice she picks out.

  “Maybe you’ll have help.” Finn’s smirk is devious when he lifts his chin toward the television.

  At the same time, Penny yells, “She really is famous! Daddy, look!”

  As if I hadn’t noticed Sutton has been away for a week, I come face to face with her on the screen while she’s being interviewed on the red carpet.

  I glare at Finn and shake my head. I bet Abbie’s been feeding him her ideas to get Sutton and me together.

  “I say you give it a shot.”

  “Finn,” I warn.

  “What? Are you going to stay a celibate man for the rest of your life? You’re young, Gavin. You deserve someone who will stand by your side, and Penny deserves a positive female role model to take her shopping for all those outfits you’ll forbid her to wear.”

  Expelling a deep breath from my mouth, I watch Sutton answer the few questions they ask her. She looks beautiful in a shimmery, long dress. It probably has beads or crystals or something. Her short hair is curle
d in waves and her hazel eyes are brighter than fireworks on the Fourth of July.

  She laughs at something the interviewer says, and that cute snort she let out at The Mad Batter hits my ears. I smile to myself as I watch her, thinking about what Finn just said. As if on cue, she looks at the camera, and it feels like her eyes find mine through the transmission and broadcasting waves.

  Truth be told, she’s been on my mind more than I care to admit, especially when I don’t see her around town like I’ve grown accustomed to.

  I’ve asked myself over and over if I can trust another woman. If I’m ready to live that aspect of life again, and if Penny would understand it. It has been the two of us her whole life. She’s never known what it means to have a mom, and up until now, she hasn’t asked many questions. Our situation is her normal, and she’s happy that way, for which I’m grateful.

  Then, a spunky blonde with a career filled with instability starts making rounds, and it’s like a joke from the universe. Penny admires Sutton, but she’s in and out of town. And me? Well, I’m not a blind man despite how scarred my heart is. She’s gorgeous, kind, and loves my kid. What more can a man ask for?

  When the pizza arrives, we eat by the living room as we all continue to watch the awards show, including a performance by Knox and Sutton that wows the crowd. As the song finishes, I look away from the TV and catch Abbie’s smiling face. She winks and nods once as if saying, Go for it, cuz.

  Maybe a brokenhearted man can learn to trust again.

  Preorder Then I Met You today!

  I put a hand on my hip and glare. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been calling you, and you wouldn’t answer.” Eli stomps his boots on the small porch to shake off the snow.

  “So, you showed up here?” My eyebrows move up on my forehead as I stare at him. “Oh crap, is everything okay with the renovations?” My voice becomes high pitched.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Eli scratches the side of his head. “Everything’s fine. I thought maybe… Never mind.” He shakes his head, dropping his hand to his side. His eyes flicker down and then up to my face again before looking into the cabin.

  “Good. Um…do you want to come in?”

  “Uh, yeah, sure. You’re probably cold.” He avoids my face, looking somewhere over my head. I glance down, horrified that I’m wearing an almost transparent shirt sans bra—because why would I wear one when I’m stuck in here alone—and grab my coat from the hook next to the door. I put it on and do up the buttons, making sure he can’t see anything else.

  My neck heats, and my cheeks flush, but I walk into the cabin, leaving the door open for him to follow.

  “If everything is okay, why are you here?” I shake my head, confused about him just showing up when he knew I came here to disconnect from everything.

  “You didn’t answer your phone,” he repeats.

  “The service is crap out here, especially with the snow, and Finn doesn’t have Wi-Fi.”

  Eli looks around the cabin, assessing my mess. I place the wine glass on the coffee table and cross my arms over my chest.

  “You don’t have the fireplace on,” he states.

  “So? The heater is on.”

  “Do you know how to set the fireplace?” He begins grabbing logs.

  “Of course I do. Drop that. I didn’t light it because I would roast in here if I did. I’m not incompetent.” I stalk toward him, grabbing a log from his arms.

  “No one said you were, but fireplaces can be tricky to set up.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” I run my hands through my hair, my nails scraping my scalp before I tug at the roots. “Eli, drop that. I don’t want the fireplace on.”

  “It will keep the place warmer better than the heater,” he argues. “Especially if the electricity goes out with the bad weather. You won’t freeze.”

  “You’re such a pain. Why do you feel the need to always tell me what to do? Or better yet, to point out when I do something wrong?” My voice grows louder.

  “Averly, I’m just trying to help. Stop being so stubborn.” Eli squats in front of the fireplace, arranging the logs.

  “I don’t need your help,” I say, grabbing my wine glass and walking the few steps to the kitchen to fill it up again, more than half the bottle gone already.

  By the time I turn around, Eli’s lit the fireplace, the flames coming to life as the wood catches. I lean against the wall, tucking my arm under the one holding the glass and taking a sip of wine. It does look beautiful, a soft glow lighting the cabin.

  “I could’ve done that.” I lift my brows.

  “I never said you couldn’t.” Eli turns around to face me.

  “I grew up on a ranch, getting my hands dirty. I’m not afraid of using them.”

  “I’d like to see that,” Eli mumbles.

  I cock my head and glare at him. “Oops,” he smirks. His smile should be illegal. Every time he directs it my way, whether arguing with me or genuinely smiling, my body heats. There’s nothing better than a man with a gorgeous smile.

  I shiver and push off the wall to sit on the couch. “I’d offer you some wine, but there’s only about a glass left in the bottle.”

  “You drank the rest?” His eyebrows lift.

  “I’m locked in here—no Wi-Fi or TV, so I can’t watch Property Brothers and drool like I had planned,” I bite my lips, realizing I said more than I meant to. My eyes widen, and Eli laughs.

  “You got a thing for contractors?” He arches an eyebrow, staring into my eyes with a crooked grin.

  I stare at him blankly for a few seconds and then grab my book, staring at the pages instead.

  “Are you going to ignore me?”

  “You showed up uninvited. I had no plans of entertaining anyone.” I lift my gaze to look at him and find him staring at me intently.

  I sigh and drop the book on my lap. “Why are you here?”

  “You wouldn’t answer, and I thought something had happened. The weather’s pretty crappy.” Eli walks closer to the couch.

  My eyebrows pull together. He was worried about me? Before I can speak, Eli is standing in front of me. He squats and brushes strands of hair that have fallen from my messy ponytail behind my ear. I tense, holding my breath as my eyes search his.

  I’m not sure what this shift between us is about, but I can’t deny it.

  “Tell me to leave,” Eli whispers, his breath fanning across my cheek. I’m frozen, my heart racing. “Come on, Averly, kick me out.” I’d almost think he was taunting me if it weren’t for his dilated pupils and shallow breath. No, Eli Hastings is hitting on me.

  My lower body clenches, and I try my best to sit still, so he doesn’t notice the effect he has on me. I take a deep breath and lean back a bit, trying to break the spell he has on me.

  “The weather is terrible,” I give a lousy excuse.

  “Do you want me to go?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit.

  “I want to stay.”

  Continue reading Make You Mine today!

  Standalones

  Perfectly Imperfect

  Red Lights, Black Hearts

  Twisted in You

  Memories of Us

  All My Truths & One Lie

  Promise You

  Love in Everton Series

  Write You a Love Song

  Roping Your Heart

  Pretend You’re Mine

  Make You Mine

  You Make It Easy

  Then I Met You

  My Way to You

  Rebel Desire Series

  Lovin’ on You

  Love You Through It

  All of You

  Restoring Series

  Restoring Us (Complete Series)

  Resisting You (Aiden and Stacy Novella)

  Sweet on You Series

  Sweet on Wilde

  Whiskey Nights

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  First, thank
you so much for reading Finn and Abbie’s story! It means the world to me that you have taken this journey to Everton. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

  A huge thanks to the team of people who work nonstop to help me make each release the best if can be—Amy from Q Designs for the perfect cover, Brittany from The Blurb Whisperer for always making my blurbs that much better, Bex from Editing Ninja, and Cary for the beautiful formatting. Thank you ladies for being a part of this book. Your patience, feedback, and support mean the world to me.

  Christy and Rachel, where would I be without you? Distance means nothing when you have an unconditional support system. #soapythighsforlife

  Brittany and Cary, thank you for the chats, the support, and being a part of my tribe.

  Veronica and Miriam, you’ve been there from the beginning, and that means the world to me. Thank you for your support and friendship!

  Ally, you are the best ever. Thank you for all you do. I can’t say enough how much your support and help means to me.

  Joy, thank you for always being there for me to chat and work things out.

  Savannah, your knowledge and wisdom have been a gift, and your support and confidence mean so much. Thank you for the guidance, chats, and gorgeous teasers.

  Fabiola’s Fab Reads, you’re the best group a girl could ask for. Thank you for being a part of my writing career and sharing everything from your fave reads to your life updates. We’re a community.

  A huge thanks to my review team and master list for stepping up each time, sharing my work, reading and reviewing, and being there for me.

  To all the reviewers, bloggers, authors, and bookstagrammers that have shared my work and supported me, thank you. I couldn’t do this without you.

  A couple of months ago my Facebook and Instagram accounts were disabled, and I had to start from scratch. So many of you—some without knowing me—came together to share my new accounts and support me. I’ll never get over how united this community is. Although we may have our differences as times (because who doesn’t?), I couldn’t imagine being part of a better community than this one. From a sour experience came even more book friends!