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Shit.She was not going to end up like her mother. Her mom never dated after her father left. She never even opened herself up to the possibility. Cora Wells believed in true love, in fate, in soulmates. Until her last breath she’d maintained that Mason Wells was her one and only love, and she’d died alone. Well, her daughters were there, but where was her one true love? He was in another country in prison for a murder he, allegedly, didn’t commit.
In what world was that fair? That her mother should have to be sick and die without the love of her life by her side? Viv had always prided herself on not needing a man. Then, all around her, her sisters started falling in love. Real, true, fated, once-in-a-lifetime, soulmate love and she’d started to have FOMO.
But where had that gotten her? A lot of really bad dates and hooking up with a man who she couldn’t stop thinking about who had a kid.
She’d been obsessing over every conversation she and Glenn had had. Every word he’d spoken to her. And when he showed up in the doorway of the bathroom he’d told her he didn’t have the right to need her, but he did anyway. It was the same phrasing her father had used for not contacting her and her sisters.
And that pissed her off. If the men in her life would just do what they were fucking supposed to do, they would have all the rights. But they didn’t. And she was the one left abandoned and heartbroken.
Taking a breath, she decided it was time to take back some control in her life. She marched into her walk-in closet, thank you Nonna, and pulled out her old faithful. It was the dress that she put on every time she wanted to feel equal parts sexy and classy. It was a red, strapless, floor-length gown with a slit that went nearly up to her hip.
She’d originally bought it as a go-to Jessica Rabbit costume, which she’d worn several times, and it never ceased to impress. This baby had never let her down and she hoped that the good juju it had would come through tonight.
Jessica Rabbit, for the win!
* * *
“Daddy,I want to go to the ball with you.” Bree said sadly as she sat at the kitchen table while he finished washing out her bowl of macaroni and cheese.
“I know, Peanut. I wish that you could go, too. Believe me.” The last thing that Glenn wanted to do was put on a penguin suit, but since one of his cousins was the chief of police and the other one was the fire captain, and this ball was basically their biggest rivalry slash fundraiser for the year, he knew he couldn’t sit this one out.
Thankfully, the gym had bought a table so he hadn’t had to pick sides of where he was going to sit. He was happy about that but what he was most happy about was that after tonight he could finally talk to Vivien.
They hadn’t really spoken over the past week, and it was driving him fucking insane. They’d waved and said hi but that was it. Things were different between them, there was a distance there that had never been there before, not even the first time they saw each other and he couldn’t speak. Something was off with Vivien. He knew that he’d fucked up, he just wasn’t sure what he’d done.
He wondered if it had upset her that Bree had interrupted them, but he knew her, she wouldn’t be mad about that. So then what? He’d replayed over and over every conversation they’d had trying to find a clue as to her behavior and he couldn’t figure it out. He’d had to stop himself so many times from marching over to her house and demanding that she tell him why he felt like she was looking at him like he was a stranger, but he didn’t because he realized he might just be paranoid.
From what people had told him the Hometown Heroes Ball was the event of the year in Hope Falls. And he knew that she was organizing it alone. He wasn’t about to bother her with his insecurities when the truth was, she might just be busy and distracted and her behavior had nothing to with him.
But after tonight, they needed to talk. He’d been giving a lot of thought to what Zoe had said and his ex was right. He’d made the decision not to have women coming in and out of Bree’s life because he’d wanted to protect her. But if he did that, it would mean robbing her of seeing what a healthy relationship looked like in her home.
His parents had given him the best example of what a loving relationship was. It was part of the reason was he’d known that he’d never looked at anyone the way his dad had looked at his mom. Until he met Vivien.
He loved that woman. And he hoped that if he had done something wrong, it wasn’t too late to fix it. But he had to know one way or another.
Lucky had asked him if he had an answer, but the truth was he hadn’t even given it any thought. All his brain power had been spent on Vivien. He couldn’t make that big of a life decision with the state of mind he’d been in.
His doorbell rang and he thought for a minute that it might be Vivien. When he opened it, he saw it was his Uncle Sean and he was wearing a tux with tails and a top hat holding a rolled-up paper with a ribbon around it.
“I would like to extend this invitation to the Lady Aubrey.”
Bree rushed to his side and giggled when she saw her uncle. If Glenn had to guess it was the hat.
His Uncle Sean dipped his head and handed Bree what looked like a scroll. Bree took it, unrolled it, and started to sound out the words.
“Lady Aubrey your prrress…”
Then the anticipation got too much for her and she pushed the paper into Glenn’s hands. “What does it say, Daddy?”
“Lady Aubrey your presence is requested at the first annual Royal Ball of Cousins. Please wear your fanciest princess dress. Your carriage awaits.”
Bree didn’t even look to Glenn for approval. She just started jumping up and down and ran into her room.
“Carriage?” Glenn asked his uncle.
Uncle Sean shrugged and turned to the side. Sure enough, there was a horse drawn carriage sitting out on the street. Glenn had seen the same carriage giving rides down at the Riverside Recreation Area.
Connor and Sienna were seated in the back and Peyton and Paige, who were both wearing princess dresses, were climbing into it with the help of Matt who was already dressed in his tux for the night.
“Your aunt told me the kids were all upset that none of them could go tonight,” Uncle Sean explained. “So I printed out some invitations, put up string lights in the backyard, and called Marty and asked for a favor.” He motioned to the man sitting in the front of the carriage holding the reins. “It’s a slow night for him since everyone in town is going to be at the ball. We’re going to pick up Lexy and Laney next. Your aunt is home cooking up a storm.”
Glenn felt his chest constrict. His uncle reminded him so much of his dad. Both men were quiet, hardworking, behind the scenes men with hearts the size of Texas.
Glenn remembered one Christmas Eve when it didn’t snow, and he and Gabe had been so upset when they went to bed. Gabe was even crying. They woke up Christmas morning and their dad had rented a snow machine and the entire backyard was covered in snow. After everyone opened presents all the kids in the neighborhood came over and played.
It was one of Glenn’s best childhood memories, but he had dozens that were just as great because his parents had been so amazing. He wished so badly that they would have still been around when he had Bree.
She would never know her grandpa or grandma, but Uncle Sean and Aunt Rosalie were the next best thing. Glenn decided then and there that he was going to take the job. That he was moving to Hope Falls and whatever did or didn’t happen between him and Vivien was irrelevant.
This was his home. This was what he wanted for Bree. This was his future. He just hoped that Vivien wanted to be a part of that future.
