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FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 37- Lincoln
Hannah had been gone more than fifteen minutes, and I was beginning to wonder if my family had been too much for her. Four boys, plus the assorted family friends we’d invited to help Mom celebrate, could be a lot. Of all people, I understood that.In the winery’s big tasting room, Mom’s birthday celebration had already turned into a party, despite the early hour. Mom was seated at a stool in the center of the long counter, and Robin sat next to her, the two of them cackling about something. Mom’s oldest friend and our next-door neighbor, Janice, sat on her other side, joining in but also deeply engaged in conversation with El about something, while Boston, Dalton, and Sophia were off to one side of the room. We’d invited a few of Mom and Dad’s other friends from the area, and all the little tables in the tasting room were full of happy faces, locals enjoying a mid-morning celebration of one of the nicest people in town—my mom.I stood across the counter from Mom and the ladies, sippin
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 37.1
She put one foot up, but then stopped, and the ringmaster leapt down to give her his arm. She leaned on him heavily, her thin spindly limbs shaking as she climbed to the stage, where she spun and gave us another grin, clearly something she’d perfected in her days as the Rubber Woman.“Why do I feel a little scared?” Hannah whispered in my ear. “Me too,” I assured her.The elderly Rubber Woman was surprisingly limber, I had to give her that. She began by doing a slow dance that involved kicking her leg up and catching it with her hands, then pulling it behind her neck before pirouetting around on the standing leg. She moved gracefully, and soon was on the floor, going through a series of splits and backbends in time with the music. For a few moments, we all sat enthralled—she was really very good.But as she reached her grand finale, which involved bending backwards and essentially crawling through her own legs to grin at us upside down, her weight on her elbows, the grin turned into a
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“I think those circus performers could have used fewer drinks,” I mumbled.Mom looked absolutely thrilled, despite the questionable quality of the circus we’d put together for her, and as we all went back inside, she stepped between Hannah and me, putting her arms around us both.“Thank you so much, kids. That was just fantastic!” She squeezed Hannah close and added, “Now Hannah, you come sit with me. I have a million questions for you.”“Mom,” I warned.“Lincoln, go chat with your brothers. I want to get to know your girlfriend better. Come on, Hannah.”I kissed Hannah on the cheek as Mom took her to the end of the tasting counter and they sat on stools facing one another. Hannah looked happy to be chatting with my mother, so I didn’t interfere, and part of me loved seeing them together, which sent my mind whirling forward, considering questions about how well Hannah might fit into my family if we were to continue our relationship.“Mom giving Hannah the twelfth degree?” Dalton asked
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 38- Hannah
“And then the plan was to head back to Los Angeles. You know, back to the real world.” Pam’s face fell at that pronouncement and I realized how it sounded. “Well, at least that was my original plan. Now . . . well, now I’m not so sure.”I twirled the empty mimosa glass in my hand, wishing Lincoln and I had more time together before his mom interrogated me over my plans. Things were too new. I knew my old plan wasn’t going to work now that I’d found Lincoln, but I hadn’t settled on a new plan yet either. Which was super weird for me. I always had a plan for my life. That was the only way to get the things done that I cared about.“Oh honey,” Pam put her hand on my arm to still my fidgeting. “You don’t have to have it all figured out yet. I see how my son looks at you, so of course I’m going to encourage you to stay, but I also care about you, independent of Lincoln. Take the time to know what you really want before making any decisions. Listen to your gut and you can’t go wrong.”I til
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 39- Lincoln
I knew I should drive away. Hannah had told me she didn’t want me to stay, and even though every ounce of me was screaming with a protective instinct I didn’t even know I had, I needed to respect her wishes. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her here with the muppet. Not until I knew she would be okay.Maybe that was ridiculous. She’d been married to the guy, after all—a thought that sent my stomach twisting uncomfortably. But she’d been quiet about the marriage and what exactly had gone on. All I knew was that he was a moron if he’d chosen anything or anyone over Hannah, if he’d been willing to let her go. I had no way of knowing, but I was willing to put money on that being the reason he was here. He’d realized his mistake, realized he’d given up the most beautiful and kind woman in the world, and he wanted her back. My stomach turned again at the idea.I watched through my windshield as the muppet stepped down from the driver’s side of the truck, dismayed to see that he was h
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 39.1
Confusion flooded me. I was sure I’d never felt this way, but starting out pretending had muddied everything up. “But once we stopped faking it, it was hard to trust what was real,” I blurted, not realizing my mistake until Mom’s face had blanched.“Faked what?” She sat up straight, her I’m-not-mad-I’m-just- disappointed face in place already.“No, nothing.”“Faked what, Lincoln?” She still had the power to freak me out. Did moms always retain that power? “You and Hannah faked what?”A noise escaped my throat that was halfway between a throat-clearing and a cry of desperation, and I was reminded of the time when Mom had learned about how I’d taken the salamander out of the tank in fifth grade and planted it in the desk of a girl who’d made fun of my little brothers at the bus stop. Only this time, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be proud.“You and Hannah faked being together?” Mom was smart, she was working it out without me even saying anything.“Only at first,” I tried.“Why?” she as
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 40 - Hannah
Everything felt wrong. Wrong hair color, wrong height, wrong vehicle. Liam, with his expensive cologne shoved up my nose from three feet away, even smelled wrong. But I’d told Lincoln to go and now I was stuck with Liam in my Aunt Betty’s house, looking around in disgust.“You’re living here now?” He said it like I was living in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere.I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the state of the house, but it wasn’t horrible either. Lincoln had been helping me fix it up. With an injection of cash, I could even make this place charming again. I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the Formica counter hoping it would hold my weight.“Yes. I live here. My beloved aunt left it to me.” Okay, that was stretching it since I hadn’t even met her, but the woman had left me all her worldly possessions. What was that if not love? “Why are you really here, Liam?”He dragged his gaze from the green refrigerator that kept up a constant knocking sound with a little
FALLING IN LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING 40.1
Tall, Dark & My Boyfriend: Just checking in. Everything okay? Text me if you need help. I can be there in minutes.I wanted to cry reading Lincoln’s message. How was he so sweet? He hadn’t looked at Aunt Betty’s house with disdain. He’d just brought his tools over and helped me fix it. The contrast between him and Liam was so stark, I couldn’t seem to find the words to write back to Lincoln. I guessed Lincoln and I were more alike than I’d originally thought. How did I explain to him why I’d been so naïve? So dumb?So I did what every girl did in times of turmoil. I tuned out real life, headed to the freezer, and found a pint of rocky road ice cream to soothe the hurt. I also found a bottle of vodka in the back I hadn’t put there. If there was ever a time for a drink, it was when your ex showed up and tried to stir the pot of your new life. I poured a shot in a glass and raised it to the ceiling.“Cheers, Aunt Betty.” Then I slammed it back.Voices on the front porch woke me the next
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