Page 63 of Falling for the Unexpected

“Trent, you good?” I heard Kyle ask. It was then that I realized he hadn’t said anything yet.

“I… honestly don’t know,” Trent answered. “She was married to my brother, that’s my niece. Besides, there’s a code about sisters.”

“I get it,” Kyle returned, solemn and adamant, “it’s a bit unconventional but, I care deeply for both of them.”

“I’m sure you do, it’s just going to take me some time to get used to it,” he said, clearly unsettled.

I had really wanted Trent’s acceptance, but I would take this. At least he wasn’t acting completely unreasonable.

“I can give you time. Just know this is serious. I’m not going anywhere,” Kyle stated to Trent.

Trent nodded and went back to eating his dinner. The rest of the night went smoothly even if Trent was a bit distant. We had dessert and then Ian, Erik, and Addie all started to leave.

Addie gave me a huge hug on her way out and whispered in my ear how happy she was for her brother and me. The fact that she accepted our relationship meant the world to me. It was obvious she’d already known about us and it was nice to know she’d been in my corner all this time. If anyone had a right to be weird about it, it was her.

I was walking back to Kyle, who was sitting in the living room watching television with Jim, when I noticed Trent standing on the back porch alone, drinking a beer. I changed direction and decided to go to him.

“Hey, can I join you out here?” I asked, not sure if he wanted company.

“Sure,” he answered, tipping his beer back to take another sip and staring out into the backyard.

“So I guess we gave you quite the shock at dinner, huh?” I chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood.

“You could say that,” he responded dryly.

My attempt at some levity was failing. “I know Kyle is your best friend, but I just wanted to let you know that I really care about him. I’m sure you think he could do better than—”

“What?” His tone was sharp. “You think my problem is that I don’t think you’re good enough?”

“Well, yeah,” I said, thinking it was obvious.

He stared at me. “Simone, you areamazing. Any man would be lucky to be with you. My brother was a complete idiot for letting you go.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not worried about you being good enough for Kyle. I’m worried about Kyle being good enough for you and Stella.”

That surprised me. Kyle and Trent were best friends. He should have known how wonderful his friend was.

“I don’t get it…” I started, stumped.

“Kyle is a great guy, but he’s never had a real relationship before. He had a pretty screwed up childhood, and even though their grandmother was great, he never really dealt with the loss of both his parents.” He sighed and took another sip of his beer. “I just don’t want him experimenting with you and my niece. He will make a great husband and fathersomeday, but I’m not sure he’s ready. I just don’t want him to hurt you guys as he tries to figure out how to be what you both deserve.”

“Oh…” That was all I could say. The fact that Trent was worried about us warmed my heart. However, I completely disagreed with his assessment of the situation.

I walked over to him and placed a sisterly kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. Thank you for wanting the best for me and Stella,” I said, my breath catching. To have so many people care about us was the best possible feeling. I was still getting used to it, though it got easier every day. “And I truly believe Kyle is the best for us. Just watch him with Stella. They are crazy about each other and I’ll let you in on a little secret”—I leaned in—“I’m crazy about him as well.”

Trent assessed me, and while he still had some worry in his eyes, he smiled at me. “Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you,” he said softly. He gave me a fierce hug. “And if Kyle gets out of line, I’ll beat his ass,” he added for good measure just like a proper big brother.

We both laughed and I knew that Trent would come around. Once he saw Kyle with Stella, he’d know everything was just how it should be.

A little while later, we were all saying our goodbyes. Marla pulled me aside, and at first I was a little worried about what she had to say. Jim had already made it clear that he was perfectly okay with the situation, even teasing Kyle about his duties with Stella. He was good-humored about it and laughed with Jim, holding Stella in his arms. It was obvious they had a bond. Even Trent seemed to realize it and was grinning.

“I just wanted to tell you that while I’ll always be sad things didn’t work out between you and Brad, I’m so happy for you and Kyle. You have both been through so much and deserve all the happiness in the world,” she said, her voice full of emotion. She hugged me tightly.

I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I hugged her back. This woman was exactly what I had always wanted in a mother and I could only hope I would be as wonderful of a mom to my daughter as she was to her children.

Kyle and I waved as we got into his car. We drove toward his house and I couldn’t get the smile off my face. I was so relieved with how Thanksgiving dinner had gone that I had totally forgot Kyle had a surprise for me at his house until we pulled into his garage.

“Are you two ready to see your surprise?” he asked, waggling his brows.

“Yay! Prize!” Stella shrieked from the backseat.