Dirty Little Midlife Mess: A Fake Relationship Romantic Comedy (Heart’s Cove Hotties Book 2) by Lilian Monroe

Author:Lilian Monroe [Monroe, Lilian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

14

Candice

It was important to me to get everyone together for this meal. I haven’t had a dinner party at my house for a long time. Since before Paul died. Setting up the table, getting Jen and Fallon over to cook with me, greeting people at the door, and seeing everyone talking and laughing—it feeds my soul.

I smile at the people around the table. So many of them are new friends, but it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Fiona’s sitting to my left, with Grant on the other side of her. Allie’s across from me, beside Clancy of course. To my right, Wesley’s uncle and his partner, then Eli, his head angled toward Dorothy.

My sister Iliana, the free spirit of the Viceroy clan, has breezed in for the weekend on her way to Europe. She’s currently leaning against Margaret and laughing about something, Probably some romantic, compelling story about her travels.

Directly across from me, Rudy winks. Agnes and Mr. Cheswick decided to go on an impromptu weekend away to Vegas, and I couldn’t bear the thought of him spending the holiday alone. Okay, fine. We’ve also had a bit of a flirtation going, and it…intrigues me. I’ve never been with a younger man. I met Paul in college and thought we’d be together forever. He died eighteen months ago, and it feels like a blink of the eye since he was sitting at this table with us.

Glancing at Rudy, I give the handsome, blond man a shy smile. He grins back, and my heart jumps. It feels too soon, but maybe…maybe flirting is healthy.

“Let’s eat,” I say, raising my glass. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”

A chorus of “Happy Thanksgivings” answers back, and everyone digs in. Jen and Fallon are masters, and their help was invaluable for this meal. They did a better job of cooking than I would, to be honest, and it let me organize everything else, even if there was incessant bickering between them. As I stare around the table, a weight lifts off my shoulders and I can’t keep the smile off my face.

“So, you’ve been staying at Wes’s, huh. Have you been enjoying the forest view?” Fiona grins at Simone, wiggling her eyebrows. “Forest view” sounds different when Fiona says it like that. “It’s a bit more luxurious than your old apartment.”

“I think my apartment is getting lonely without me.”

Jen helps herself to another scoop of mashed potatoes. “Not if Clancy and Allie keep crashing there.”

Simone, Fiona, and I freeze at once. Jen doesn’t notice. The three of us glance at each other, then at Jen, then back at each other. Simone’s face is red, her eyes full of panic.

Conversation dies around the table as the tension ratchets higher. I’m the first to speak. “What are you talking about, Jen?”

“Last weekend. Sunday morning.” She jerks her head at Clancy and Allie. “They were at Simone’s.”

I turn to Allie, who’s very, very focused on cutting her turkey into bite-sized pieces. “Allie?”

She looks up, cherubic innocence written on her face.

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