Hollywood Heir (Westerly Billionaire #4)(64)

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hello, my friend found a stranger she thinks would be perfect for you—can we bring him over’?” Bella rolled her eyes. “But I do want you to appreciate that I am opening my home to this insanity for you, which doesn’t mean I won’t have cameras set up in each room.”

Sage chuckled. “Come on, you like the idea of playing matchmaker.”

A telling smile spread across Bella’s face. “Okay, she seems like a very nice woman. If this guy doesn’t rob her blind or kill her in her sleep, it’ll be heartwarming to know I helped bring them together.”

Sage burst out laughing. “You’re setting the bar pretty low. Imagine that as a slogan for a dating site? ‘Find love through us—almost none of our couples rob and murder each other.’”

Bella shook her head and laughed along. “You make me sound horrible.”

Sage held up her fingers and pinched an inch of air. “Perhaps just a teensy-weensy bit pessimistic. Hey, do you have the rest of the day off?”

“At least a couple more hours, why?”

“I could ask John Kirby if we can meet him for an early dinner. You’ll be far less likely to tackle him when he reaches for any silverware if you get to know him first. He’s an incredibly sweet man.”

“You know, that actually sounds like a nice way to round off our day. I have a tough case to review tonight. Bring on Dog Man.”

Sage sent John a text. He replied that he would love to dine with them. Yes, Bella would breathe easier if she met him before allowing him into her home, but Sage was also glad to have something else to occupy her thoughts.

Waiting for Eric to make the next move in their relationship would not be easy. She wanted to call and ask him if he was planning that dinner. And if he was—when?

Would he contact her while he decided?

Would he wait until he had everything organized?

She clasped her hands on her lap and tried to look as if her heart wasn’t doing somersaults in her chest. There was a chance Bella mentioned—he might decide that what they had was not worth dealing with his family.

Or everything he’d told her could be either an outright fabrication or a creative exaggeration.

As a means of survival, she’d trained herself to reject negative possibilities. Because I need to believe that my parents love me? Have I given them that much control over who I am?

“They’re not coming back for you, Sage,” Bella had told her.

No, they’re not.

And she’s right—expecting a man to come with the perfect family to replace them isn’t fair.

She spent the next few miles asking herself some tough questions. By the end, there was one unshakable belief still standing: she needed to see Eric with his family—not to confirm who they were, but to confirm who he was.

She wished she could believe in him—take that leap of faith. Not being able to forced her to confront her own fears and flaws.

“Bella, I have to face that Eric might never call me again.”

“That’s a possibility.”

“And even if he does, none of this may work out.”

Bella shot her a concerned look. She turned her attention back to the road and frowned. “The average number of people killed or seriously injured in car accidents each year in London is about two thousand. There are over sixty pedestrian fatalities from vehicles, and thirty more will die by being hit by some random falling or thrown object. When you start to think about that, it’s scary to even leave your home. But ten or so people die each year in their own beds from some mysterious suffocation. Even before you get out of bed, there’s a chance you’ll start your day as a statistic.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Sage joked.

“What I’m trying to say is that one of the things I admire about you is that you don’t think like that. The sun shines on your face and you don’t fixate on the cancer or wrinkles it’s giving you. The world needs people like you.”

“The oblivious?”

“The joyful. When I look at things through your eyes, I remember that not everything is a battle. You remind me to look for the good in people, to give second chances, and to put aside what I’m afraid of long enough to appreciate the wonder of the moment. Don’t let any man change you. I don’t know if Eric will call you or not, but I hate to see you think he won’t. Have faith in him—not because he deserves it, but because you’ll be happier if you do.”

Sage smiled. She’d been wrong to think Eric was the first one to fully see and accept her. Bella would probably never be able to stop warning Sage to look both ways each time they stepped off a curb, but hearing the acceptance in her friend’s voice brought tears to Sage’s eyes. “Do you know how much I love you?” she asked.

“Right back at you. Should I tell you that I had a background check done on your John Kirby? He’s clean. Not so much as an outstanding parking ticket.”

“Whew,” Sage said with a laugh. “And yet you are still worried about having him at your home?”

“Do you know how many felons are first-time offenders?” Bella asked in a serious tone, then winked.

Sage’s mood lifted. She’d been feeling bad that she didn’t have family members she wanted to introduce Eric to, but he’d already met the one who really mattered.