Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

THREE MONTHS LATER…

I sat on the edge of the counter, legs spread wide, and licked delectable chocolate mousse from my spoon. Hugo held tight to my hip, pressing me to his middle. The hunger in his eyes flared with every involuntary moan that escaped my lips.

"You're magic," I said. "Everything you cook is pure pleasure to eat."

His fingers flexed into my flesh. "I aim to please."

"You please me quite thoroughly," I said, my breath coming quicker. "Always."

If he kept looking at me like that and touching me like that, there was a whole lot more I was going to want to do on this counter than eat mousse.

Maybe.

I felt proud of myself for sitting here. It was progress on letting loose a little. I wasn't entirely sure I was ready to let loose enough to get naked on the counter, even knowing that the girls were in good hands with Summer at the zoo, with zero chance of anyone walking in on us. I'd still know what happened on the surface where food was prepared. Plus—I glanced down at the empty mixing bowl on the counter beside me—this bowl and spoon weren't going to clean themselves.

I pulled my gaze back to Hugo, who had an adoring look on his face.

"What?" I asked.

His grin widened. "Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes at him, giving him my sternest look. He kissed my nose, and I giggled.

I said, "I think we should have sex then go out back and play in the grass as rabbits."

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do," he said. "But we have time sensitive plans."

"We do? That's news to me. Like surprise reservations?"

"Something like that."

Again, I narrowed my eyes at him.

"We'll do your plan after," he said. "And I'll wash these dishes first."

"I love you so freaking hard. You know that, right?"

"I love you, too."

"If we left without washing the dishes, it might have given me a coronary."

"I know. It's not worth the risk." He held out his hand.

I grinned and handed over the spoon.

He lingered a moment before retreating with the dishes, leaving a cold shiver everywhere he'd been touching me.

The doorbell rang.

"Expecting someone?" I asked Hugo.

"No."

"Me neither." I hopped down from the counter and went to check who was here.

"Maybe it's a package."

"I didn't order anything." I opened the door and found two familiar faces staring at me with big, nervous smiles—Nick and Tyler.

Nick was holding a plastic shopping bag. He said, "Hi, Daisy."

"Hi." I crossed my arms. "What are you doing at my house?"

Nick thrust the bag at me. "You like chocolate, right? We brought chocolate."

"Thanks?"

"It's an I'm sorry gift," Tyler said.

Well, this was unexpected.

"You're sorry?" I said, dumbfounded.

"We thought about what you said. We've been…less than professional. If you'll give us another chance, we'll do better," Nick said. "We promise."

I looked at Tyler.

He nodded emphatically. "Chet disappeared. He sent a text that didn't sound like him at all, that he was leaving town, and he's just gone. We're lost. You guys were like…our parents."

They were both older than me.

"We're lost without him and you," Nick said. "Please, please take us back. We'll do anything."

It wasn't like I'd found another podcast with nearly as much potential as the BroFOs. At some point I was going to have to do something. Savings and managing our prior work could only last me and the girls so long. Plus, Chet really was the worst of them, fueling all of the bad behavior.

Maybe I could make this work.

"I'll think about it," I said.

"That's all we ask."

"Please say yes," Tyler said.

I raised my brows.

"After you take as long as you need." Nick elbowed Tyler. "Thank you for seeing us."

It wasn't like they'd given me a lot of options, since they'd shown up on my doorstep.

"You can go now," I told them.

They backed away before turning and running to the car they'd parked on the street.

I sighed and looked into the bag.

It was a half-eaten box of chocolates from Valentine's Day, which was months ago. I gave it a score of one out of ten as far as apology gifts. But it was also some effort, which was new.

When I returned to the kitchen, everything was cleaned up.

"I caught a bit of that," Hugo said. "What are your thoughts?"

"They might be tolerable without Chet," I said. "But if one of them calls me Mommy, I'll lose it."

Hugo grinned. "You'll figure out what's best. You always do."

I loved that he saw me that way.

"We have to get going," he said.

"For our reservations," I said, half in question.

"Mmm," he said, in a non-answer.

I was left to question what exactly we were doing, but if he wanted to keep it a secret until we got there, I didn't want to ruin that for him. Whatever it was would be wonderful, I was sure.

"There's something I need to pick up at my place first," Hugo said as we headed for the door.

"Okay." I followed him to his place.

As soon as we stepped inside, Ivy ran over and slammed into my legs and squeezed me hard. "Mama's here!"

Surprise hit me equally as hard as Ivy's little body. The girls were supposed to be out of town.

"Get back here, Ivy." Citra's voice sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

Was something wrong? Were they back early because something happened? "What's…."

I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Someone was hiding behind a potted plant. Someone else was behind the curtain.

"Surprise," Hugo said.

A chorus of voices exclaimed from around the room, "Surprise!"

Davey and Brianna stepped out from behind the curtain. Summer and Citra popped up from behind a chair. A man with a very Hugo-like build and a firefighter t-shirt stepped up beside Summer.

Citra hurried over and gave me a quick hug.

Most surprising of all, were my two best friends.

"This is so sweet, but it's not my birthday," I said, surprised and confused. I looked specifically at my two best friends who I hadn't seen in forever because we could never get the timing right. "I can't believe you're all here."

"We wanted everyone to be a part," Citra said.

"A part of what?"

Hugo sank down on one knee.

This wasn't happening. Maybe he dropped something. My chest swelled and tears of joy pricked at the corners of my eyes. I wasn't the kind of person who got a storybook happily ever after. I was the kind of person who fought for my own version and accepted that it was the best reality could offer.

Yet here I was.

Hugo pulled a ring from his pocket. "Daisy Walsh, will you marry me?"

Cheers filled the room.

I found it impossible to speak. This was too good to be true.

"You have to say yes and get Hugo out of my hair so Amir can move in here with me," Summer said with a laugh.

"You have to say yes so Hugo will keep cooking for us," Ivy said.

"You don't have to say yes unless you want to," Citra said. "But if you do want to, it's what we want, too. You deserve to be happy."

"Yes," I said.

He slipped the ring on my finger. Then he kissed me.

The contact made my heart flutter even faster than it already did. His lips were sweet and soft and filled with promises he didn't need to speak out loud, because from my lips to my toes I could feel how much he loved me.

As soon as Hugo stepped back, everyone crowded around to get a look at my ring. I tilted my hand from side to side, admiring the stunning sparkles.

"It's gorgeous," Tess said, as she hugged me. "I'm so happy for you."

"He's gorgeous," Erika said, as she hugged us both.

"I can't believe you two are here," I said. All of this was so freaking surreal, I could hardly believe it.

"We wouldn't miss it," Tess said.

"With your job, Tess…." I said, unsure how to finish that thought.

"My new boss is a horrible humanish being," she said. "It's like he lives to torture me. But he can get bent if he doesn't understand why I have to be here for my best friend's engagement."

Humanish being? I'd have to ask more questions about that later.

"I'm so glad," I said. "And Erika, the news never stops—and what about the boys, how did you escape your responsibilities?"

"Carson." She seemed to try to swallow a lump in her throat that had well lodged itself there.

Carson, her ex-husband? Something had changed there. I needed more info from both of my besties about these situations, because there was a lot they weren't saying.

"Kiss her again! Kiss her!" my girls cheered.

"Kiss her!" everyone joined in the chant. "Kiss her!"

Tess and Erika parted to let Hugo through.

His kiss wasn't earth-shattering. It was world-defining, because he and my girls were my world. What we had was more than enough. I'd spent a lifetime underestimating my ability to craft the perfect life for me. I really could have it all.

For Brianna and Davey's story, check out Midlife Magic in Marshmallow!