Peggy lets out a sob as she kisses each of her kids, and Martin follows closely behind her. When they’re done, Ford holds up his glass. “Now, I want to thank you again for coming out, for supporting our parents, and for being such big parts of our lives. Something Cooper, Palmer, and I realized over the last twenty-four hours is how much stronger we are when we’re a team, and we wouldn’t be a team without the tough love from our parents and the people they surround themselves with. So please raise a glass with us as we toast Peggy and Martin.”
“To Peggy and Martin,” everyone says.
We all take a sip, and Cooper grabs the mic from Ford. “As promised in my initial email invite”—a few people jokingly groan—“I know, I know, not my finest moment. But there are some yard games down by the dock, which will be the fun. There’s music, so don’t be afraid to bust a move, and there’s plenty of food. Also, shout-out to Nora at Cake It Bakery for making a replica of our parents’ wedding cake on such short notice.” Cooper looks Nora in the eyes. “I get kilig every time I see you, babe.” Then he hands the mic back to the DJ and winks.
Oh my . . . Cooper Chance.
I turn to Nora as the music starts up again. “What does ‘kilig’ mean?”
She pulls up her phone, does some typing, and then smiles to herself. “Butterflies in one’s stomach.”
“Oh man, you stand no chance.”
Nora shakes her head. “Nope.”
“Larkin, can I speak with you?” Ford says, appearing at my side and startling me.
“Oh, sure, yeah.” I stumble over my words. He takes my hand in his, and we walk over to an outdoor seating area that surrounds an already-lit firepit. He guides us to a small love seat and sits us down.
He doesn’t let go of my hand, and he’s not shy about sitting close to me either. I can feel myself trembling, and he must notice, because he holds me even tighter.
“How are you doing?” he asks.
“Okay,” I say, my voice a little shaky. “Nervous for some reason.”
“Don’t be nervous.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “But I do have some bad news.”
“What kind of bad news?”
“I’m going to have to replace you as my assistant.”
“What?” I say, panicking and trying to pull away, but he doesn’t let me. “Why? Because of what happened between us?”
“No, of course not. I’m promoting you.” When I give him a confused look, he continues: “If I’ve learned anything over the last twenty-four hours, it’s that my siblings know a hell of a lot more than I gave them credit for. Because of you, I stepped back from dictating and instead I listened. Palmer said you’ve outgrown your position and you could be more valuable elsewhere. She couldn’t have been more right.”
I swallow hard. “She said that?”
He nods. “What I also learned is that my knowledge of the industry is vastly outdated. I’ve been stuck behind the desk for far too long, which means I know business. I know it inside and out. That’s where you come in. I really want to focus on products that we endorse. I don’t want to carry just anything in the store; I want to carry things we approve of as a company, products we would use. Which means I need someone to lead that research team. I think you’d be the perfect fit. You would report directly to me, you would have a team to work with, and you would be more involved with what your dad loved—the adventure of the outdoors.”
“Are you . . . serious?” I ask, tears springing to my eyes.
“Very serious. You mean so much to me, Larkin, which brings me to the second part of this. I want to date you. I don’t want you to be my therapist, and I sure as hell don’t want you to make it your mission to help me find myself. That’s not your job—”
“It is,” I say, gripping his leg. “That’s what it means to have a partner, to share those vulnerable moments.”
“Yes, but that’s not how I want to start this relationship. It’s why Cooper gave me the name of his therapist, who is going to refer me to someone they trust so I can be healthy for you and put time into us—not have you put time into me.”
I nod, understanding what he’s saying, and even though I want to help him, I love that he’s creating this boundary, making space to work himself out.
“I like you a lot, Larkin, and I’m confident that we’ll grow and flourish, just like what my parents have. But I want to start it out right, which means you’re not going to be my assistant. You’re not going to get me coffee, and you’re not going to be my pseudotherapist. And you’re sure as hell not going to be the referee between me and my siblings. You’re my girl. You’re the one I want, and hopefully you still want me.”
I smile and reach up to his cheek. “I don’t think I could ever not want you, Ford.” Bringing him close, I place a small kiss on his lips and then pull away with a sigh. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“I’m sorry I went behind your back with Cooper.”
He shakes his head. “You were right to do it. I didn’t give him the chance he deserved. He actually showed me the logo, drew it out for me. I hired him on the spot. Him and Palmer.”
“Stop. Seriously?”
He nods. “I wasn’t bullshitting when I said we’re stronger as a team. It’s true. I need them, but I need you more.”
“You have me,” I say, letting him pull me into a hug. “You have me for as long as you want me.”
“That’s forever. I hope you’re ready.”
“I’ve never been more ready in my life.” I press my lips to his again and revel in his embrace.
Everything I want, right here. I couldn’t ask for more.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
NORA
“You have a way with words,” I say as Cooper walks up to me, an undeniable swagger in his step.
He looks so good: a heavy five-o’clock shadow graces his handsome face, and he’s wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He definitely makes my heart trip in my chest.
“Yeah?” He takes my hand in his. “Does this mean you’ll come sit down by the dock with me?”
“Are you going to show me your romantic prowess and whisper sweet nothings into my ear, promising a future with you in it?”
“Nah, was going to pay you for the cake, push you in the water, and then walk away.”
“Well, sign me up for that,” I joke as he laughs and tugs me toward the dock. When we reach the end, we take a seat and stare out at the setting sun. “You know, you three really outdid yourselves. Did you even sleep last night?”
“Nope.” He sips from his champagne flute. “We had a lot of shit to work out, and we’re all still raw, but we’ve promised to keep working on our relationships with each other.”
“That’s a vast difference from dinner the other night, which was a pleasure to be at, by the way, in case you didn’t know,” I deadpan.
“Yeah, and the way it ended was great too.”
“Yeah, about that.”