Page 115 of The Write Track
“I’m not done here,” Preston III argued. “I’m nowhere near done, in fact.” His eyes landed on Bella. “Nowhere near done,” he hissed.
I was ready to punch him. I didn’t care that I’d never been in a physical fight as an adult. This guy had it coming.
Preston II deflated his son like a leaky balloon, however. “You’re going home, where we’re going to have a very long talk. If you don’t, you can say goodbye to that company you insist on running even though I keep it afloat with my funds.”
Preston balked. “I’m not done!”
“You’re done!” Preston II practically roared the words. “Bella has clearly moved on. You were never going to be able to hold her down anyway. She was always too good for you.”
Bella smacked into me she was so surprised. “What? You hated me. Why are you pretending that you liked me?”
“I didn’t hate you, Bella.” Preston II pinched the bridge of his nose. “I simply knew it would never work between you and my son. Your spirit—that which he didn’t leech from you like a barnacle—was too bright, your worldview too pink.”
The smile he sent her looked legitimate. “You were always too good for him.”
Bella let loose a shaky breath. “Will you promise to keep him away from me? And my mother?” she added quickly.
Preston II’s lips quirked as he lobbed a glance toward Taffy. “Something tells me your mother can take care of herself. Yes, however. I promise to keep him away from you both.”
“Forever?”
“He’s going to have certain stipulations placed on him when we get home.” Preston II handed me a business card. “That’s my direct line. If something happens and he slips his leash, let me know.”
“I will,” I promised.
“I know. Bella is too soft. She might let him slide once or twice. I know you won’t.”
“Definitely not,” I agreed.
“That’s what I figured.” Preston II looked at his son and pointed toward the door. “Out.”
Preston sulked his way out. “This is so unfair,” he whined. “I’m telling Mom.”
“Oh, your mother is already aware of the situation. She has a few things to say to you as well.”
“This sucks.”
I pulled Bella into my arms, the rest of the conversation drowning into oblivion. “Are you okay?” I asked her as she wrapped her arms around me in return.
Her smile was what sunshine and ice cream were made of as she looked up at me. “I’ve never been better.”
I believed every word, even as I kissed them off of her breathless mouth.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
“Laurie is too dated,” I insisted as I sat with my back against Nathan’s chest, his hands on my expanding belly. “I think she’s a great final girl, but I don’t like that name for a baby. Maybe it could be a middle name.” I tried to picture that then shook my head. “No, I don’t like it as a middle name either.”
Nathan let loose a dramatic sigh. We’d been playing this game nightly for two weeks, ever since the doctor had confirmed our baby’s sex. We were having a girl. Since Bree and Brody were gearing up to welcome one of their own—the Bates and Cooper babies were going to be the best of friends, I just knew it—things had turned exciting in our little circle of the world.
“You’re being difficult,” he complained, his fingers playing with the rings on my finger. His mother’s ring was back where it had started, after taking a vacation for a grand total of three months after we’d left the camping retreat. That was how long it took Nathan to propose for real.
He’d done it in fantastic fashion, forcing all of our friends—and the other authors who attended the events on a regular basis—to dress up as various horror movie figures. Bree hadjumped at the chance to be Pennywise. Hayley, of course, had been more reserved, so she was forced into the Michael Myers jumpsuit. Brody had declared he wouldn’t play the game, but he’d eventually deigned to let Nathan turn him into Freddy Krueger.
Okay, Nathan hadn’t done it himself. He’d hired a movie-level makeup artist to do it for him. Then he’d positioned them all in Columbia Square, one of our favorite places to drink coffee and people-watch, and gone all out when he asked me to be his forever valentine.
Obviously, I’d said yes.
