Take the Chance (Top Shelf Romance #9) - Brittainy Cherry Page 0,73

Over the past few weeks, I’d forced myself to sit at my desk and write. I knew that was what Professor Oliver would’ve wanted me to do. He would’ve wanted me to not give up.

“Yes?” she questioned, stepping into the room.

My heart skipped. She looked exhausted—no makeup, messy hair, and absolutely everything I’d ever wanted.

“I, um, I have to send a few chapters to my editor, and normally, Professor Oliver would read them, but…” I grimaced. “Do you think you could read them for me?”

Her eyes widened and her smile stretched wide. “Are you kidding? Of course. Let me see.”

I handed her the papers, and she sat down across from me. She crossed her legs and began to read, taking in all my words. As her eyes stayed glued to the paper, my stare was stuck on her. Some nights I wondered what would’ve happened without her. I wondered how I would’ve survived without the hippie weirdo in my life.

I wondered how I’d gone so long without telling her she was one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.

Lucy Palmer had saved me from the darkness, and I’d never be able to thank her enough.

After some time, her eyes watered over and she bit her bottom lip. “Wow,” she whispered to herself as she kept flipping the pages. She was deeply focused as she read my words, taking her time. “Wow,” she muttered again. When she finished, she placed all of the pages in her lap and shook her head slightly before looking at me, and then she said, “Wow.”

“You hate it?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“It’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect.”

“Would you change anything?”

“Not a single word. Ollie would be proud.”

A small sigh left my lips. “Okay. Thank you.” She stood up and started walking toward the door, and I called after her once. “Do you think you’d want to be my plus one for Karla and Susie’s wedding?”

A gentle smile landed on her lips and she shrugged her left shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me.”

“I wasn’t certain you’d want to come. I mean…it seems weird to take a friend to a wedding.”

Her voice lowered and her chocolate eyes showed a touch of sadness as she stared my way. “Oh, Graham Cracker,” she said softly. Her voice was so low that for a moment, I wondered if I imagined the words. “What I wouldn’t give to be more than your friend.”

The day of the wedding, I waited in the living room as Lucy finished getting ready in her bedroom. My chest was tight waiting to see her, and when she appeared, it was better than I could’ve ever imagined. She came out like a spark of perfection. She wore a floor-length baby blue gown and had baby’s breath twisted into her hair.

Her lips were painted pink, and her beauty was louder than ever.

Each second I saw her, I fell a little more.

Plus, she held Talon in her arms, and the way my daughter, my heart, snuggled into this woman made me fall even more.

We weren’t supposed to feel this way.

We weren’t supposed to fall for one another, she and I.

Yet it seemed gravity had a way of pulling us closer.

“You look beautiful,” I told her, standing up from the couch and smoothing out my suit.

“You don’t look half bad yourself.” She smiled as she walked over to me.

“Dada,” Talon said, babbling and reaching out to me. Every time she spoke, my heart grew in size. “Dadadada.”

I’d never known love could be so real.

I took her into my arms and kissed her forehead as she kissed mine back. Lucy stepped forward, straightening out my bow tie, which she had picked out. She’d picked out my whole outfit. She was convinced my closet contained too much black, so she had forced me out of my comfort zone with a light gray suit and a baby blue polka dot bow tie.

We drove to Lucy’s employee, Chrissy’s, house before heading to the ceremony. Chrissy had said she’d take care of Talon for the evening, and a part of me worried. Talon had never spent time with anyone other than Lucy or me, but Lucy told me she trusted Chrissy, and in turn, I trusted Lucy.

“If you need anything, you have our numbers,” I told Chrissy as I handed her Talon, who seemed timid at first.

“Ah, don’t you worry, we’re going to have a great time. All you two have to worry about is having a great time tonight. Embrace