AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shook my head, knowing doing that was when it hurt.
“You need to dance for the world just because you love it. You need to let yourself love Luke and show the world how much, because that kind of love is rare and amazing. You have to do it for you.”
“He’s in India or Ireland or some other country for the Living Dangerously film. He got what he wanted. Besides, you’re telling me all this now? I’m all primped to be a bachelorette on a TV show, remember? I’ve got to pick one of the three bachelors. I’m going to Hawaii with him.”
The trailer door swung open and Sierra stormed in. “Um, Mom, there’s a guy here to see you.”
I flicked my gaze to Mallory, and I knew she was thinking the same as me.
Luke?
But no. The man who came in was in his early thirties, six feet tall, sandy blond hair, and an equally sandy blond beard. He wore navy pants and a white dress shirt, as if he’d recently removed a suit coat and tie.
He looked to Georgia, then Mallory, then me. “Aspen Lane?”
I nodded.
“Mark Rasche with the FBI.”
49
LUKE
* * *
I knocked on Aspen’s door, my parents behind me. My heart was in my throat, my palms sweating. This was it. I needed to make sure she was okay. That Theo had talked to her about the money. That I was wrong. That I was standing on her doorstep as Luke so I could try to get her to know me. Me, with my parents as backup. I couldn’t be any more Luke than with my mother holding my baby book.
“Hello, there!” Mrs. Waddle stuck her head around the corner from the front porch.
Oh boy. I hoped she wouldn’t send me packing a second time. I needed Aspen.
“Hi, Mrs. Waddle,” I called. “These are my parents.”
She disappeared. I looked to my parents who stared at me with amusement. Then Mrs. Waddle came around the corner of the house to greet us. No broom, thank fuck.
“Welcome to Hunter Valley. You must be very proud of your son,” she said.
I frowned, not sure why she was being so nice. Besides the broom, the last time she almost whacked me in the nose with her front door when she shut it in my face.
“I’m Janet and this is my husband, Tom,” Momma said.
Dad took Mrs. Waddle’s hand. “Beautiful home you have here.”
“Thank you. You’re here to see Aspen,” Mrs. Waddle replied.
“Yes,” I said, sighing. Finally!
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Did you tell your parents what you did, young man?”
Three sets of parents eyed me like I’d burned the carpet again. I wanted to kick the dirt and tuck my head. But I didn’t. “Yes, ma’am. I did.”
Not every detail, of course, but that I had fucked up and I wanted to make things right.
“That’s why they’re here. I want Aspen to get to know me and my family’s an important part of my life.”
She eyed my parents skeptically. “Are these your real parents or are they on the show?”
Pops laughed. “Real parents. I don’t know where Luke got his acting skills from.”
