Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1)(86)

My knees buckled and I had to grab onto Ethan to stay standing. Oh my god. That man.

“Hey, Seattle,” the lead singer said into the mic. The crowd cheered again. “Thanks for hanging out with us tonight.”

The drummer beat out a quick intro, and they launched into their first song.

Richard beamed at his son. Ethan and Grant still looked shocked, but they smiled and moved to the music.

Nora gaped at the men on stage. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.”

“It wasn’t my secret to share,” I said.

“They’re very good,” Hazel said, raising her voice to be heard above the music.

“Yeah, they are,” Nora said. “The drummer is exquisite. Do you know if he’s single?”

I shook my head. “Nope. They’re all married. Sorry.”

“Damn,” Nora said.

We all stood together, moving, swaying, clapping, and cheering as they played through their set. We hollered and punched fists in the air during the fast songs. Held our phones up like lighters for the slow songs. Watched as Shepherd played his heart out, lost in his music, letting the people closest to him get just a little bit closer.

They finished their set and the crowd roared. Richard cheered so loud Shepherd probably heard him all the way up on stage. Instead of staying back in the shadows, he came to the front with rest of the band. Lifted his arm in a wave.

“Thank you so much,” the lead singer said. “Until next time, good night.”

The stage lights went dark, leaving just the band members’ silhouettes. Music came on the speakers and the hum of conversation grew as the crowd around the stage broke up.

Richard touched my elbow. He was looking at something—or someone—near the bar. “Excuse me for a minute.”

He made his way to a small table. Dahlia turned and smiled. They shook hands and she gestured, inviting him to sit with her. He did, and I could practically see the sparks. The way they smiled at each other was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen.

A pair of cute guys had struck up a conversation with Nora and Hazel. This kind of fun, casual flirting was Nora’s catnip. She was clearly enjoying herself. Even Hazel looked interested. It made me wonder if she would decide her no-dating days were over.

“I’m glad you two are here,” Ethan said to Annie. “Grant and I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up?” Annie asked.

Ethan and Grant shared a smile. “I know this is personal, but we wondered if you were still looking for a donor.”

Annie’s lips parted and she blinked at him a few times. “We are.”

“Grant and I have been talking about it, and I’d like to volunteer,” Ethan said. “We’ve already decided we’re not having kids. We’ve always known that. But we thought this would be a good thing to do.”

“Plus, if it’s the physical traits you’re after, he looks a lot like Shepherd,” Grant said. “And Ethan is a brilliant architect. He’s smart and caring, not to mention gorgeous.”

Ethan shook his head, grinning. “Stop.”

I touched my fingers to my lips. They knew I was standing here, but this moment felt so personal. I didn’t want to ruin it by squealing with joy.

“There’s no pressure at all,” Ethan said. “I won’t be offended if you decide to go with someone else. I just wanted you to know, I’m willing if it’s what you want. And if this works out, we’d love to be around as the cool uncles, if you’re okay with that.”

Annie’s eyes glistened with tears. She glanced at Miranda. “I shouldn’t answer you without talking this over with Miranda first, but that’s the most amazing gift.”

“Yes,” Miranda said, clutching Annie’s arm. “We accept.”

“Are you sure?” Annie asked.

“I’m positive.” She stepped forward and wrapped Ethan in hug. “Thank you. I don’t even know how to thank you for this. Saying it isn’t enough.”

Next thing I knew, everyone was hugging everyone else. Grant hugged Annie. They swapped and Ethan hugged Annie while Grant wrapped Miranda in an embrace. Tears wet everyone’s eyes, including mine.

Especially mine.

We were turning into one big family. Maybe a quirky, slightly non-traditional one, but a family nonetheless. And somehow, that made it even more special.

Shepherd came out, a little sweaty, his hair a mess. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me and captured my mouth in a soft kiss.

He rubbed his nose against mine. “Hey, you.”

“Hey. You guys were great tonight.”

“Thanks for coming.”

I wound my arms around his waist and smiled up at him. To most people, Shepherd Calloway was a focused and unemotional businessman. But I was the lucky girl who got to see the real Shepherd. The guy on the inside.

That guy was all mine.





Epilogue





Everly





The night air was fresh as we walked across the Seattle Center grounds, my hand tucked in the crook of Shepherd’s arm. We’d had a nice dinner at a bistro up the street. Nothing fancy, but the food had been excellent. Since the night was so nice, we’d decided to take a little walk.