“We’re prepared to offer you a healthy advance on your second book,” I hear over the line, snapping me back to the present. “We just need a precis for the shareholders, so if you can send it back with the contract, we should be able to take this thing to the next level.”
I try not to let my astonishment and happiness come out too much. I want to seem cool and professional. But as I agree to the terms, I’m dancing around the kitchen, and as Emmet stands at the door, his mouth stretches into a smile and his eyes widen.
“The publisher?” he mouths at me. He gives me a questioning thumbs up. I nod and thumbs up him back, phone cradled by my ear. He does his own happy dance and as I wrap up the phone call, he hugs me hard.
“Dillon,” he calls out, and then immediately covers his mouth. “Are the babies sleeping?”
“Probably not anymore,” I say and then the baby monitor squawks. Sounds as if they’re both awake.
“Come help me with the babies,” Dillon’s voice comes through.
We both run up the stairs to share the good news, and are met by Dillon changing Henry’s diaper.
“Can you grab Daniel?” he says, and I lean into his crib and pick him up. He snuggles right in, little face screwed up with the effort of being awake.
“Is he wet?” asks Emmet. He has a diaper ready in his hand.
“Man, you guys are on it,” I smile, and lay Daniel’s little body on the changing table, and Emmet takes over.
“Well, tell him,” Emmet prompts.
“Oh right! Dillon! I got a great advance for my next book!”
“Isn’t mommy the smartest?” Dillon croons to Henry. “Isn’t mommy the best writer of them all? She sure is! She sure is!” Henry laughs at his antics. Dillon picks him up and walks over, and Henry stretches out his arms to me. I take him and breathe in the sweet smell of baby, and Dillon kisses my cheek tenderly. “You’re a superstar, Bella. I’m so proud of you. And, I can start planning the book launch party.”
“Ahh! Thank you! I’m so excited.” I spin Henry around as he laughs some more, and soon we’re all dancing in the room, trading partners and babies, grinning and cheering.
I know it was a huge surprise to everyone that the first book did so well. It seems to be the ‘Eat, Pray, Love,’ of its generation, striking people at the core with the possibility of magic in their lives, once they accept their authentic selves.
I bet Hannah is furious, I think. It’s not the first time the thought has flitted through my head. We still haven’t talked, and we probably won’t ever again. She’s still pissed that she couldn’t lay claim to my book. Apparently all the leeway and clauses that she had placed in my contract were enough to disabuse her of the notion that my book belonged to her.
I never went over the terms that closely, but the things I thought she had given me as perks were really just measures to keep me at a contractor type status, and so her attempt to snowjob me and claim my work as belonging to the company had ultimately brought her down. I had the best lawyer money could buy, as well as the will of the people on my side.
I guess people did really fall in love with the person, the ‘character’ I let them know during the love story with Emmet. And since we all fell in love for real, they weren’t ever let down, except for the ones who can’t understand that love can exist between three.
Eventually TurnPost ended up settling the countersuit and left me with control over my words, which is all I ever really wanted anyway. The settlement was a benefit, but since marrying the boys, I don’t really have a need for any more money. Still, a portion of it took us on a vacation to Fiji and that’s nothing to scoff at. After all, I do like to contribute to the household, and give my husbands, who give me so much every minute of every day, a little magic back.
DELETED SCENE
Bella
Dillon leans on his arm against the wall, giving me one of those sexy, disarming looks that somehow slides its way down my body right into my panties. My knees give out slightly, and I shuffle a little on my feet to try to hide it. For some reason I don’t want him to know the effect he has on me.
“Maybe we should go upstairs,” he says softly, reaching one hand out to me. His forearm is strong, veiny, tanned. He’s rolled up the dark blue sleeve of his shirt to just the right point where I’m dying to see more. The collar of his shirt is open too, and hints of his chest are showing. I want him bad. I might as well just admit it to myself even if I don’t want to admit it to him.
Something buzzes in my back pocket. I’m so lost in desire for him that it takes me a minute to realize it’s my phone.
“Just a sec,” I say, as I look at the screen. It’s his brother, Emmet. The other
most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life. “It’s your bro. He wants to know what we’re doing.”
“Yeah,” Dillon, says, turning. He walks over to the bar cart and pours a couple drinks. “He said he’d try to come by if he finishes his meeting early enough.”
My stomach jumps. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? “He did?” I ask nonchalantly.
Dillon walks back over, a drink in each hand. “Yeah, sure. We like to share. Didn’t he mention that?” He hands me one. I take it with both hands and sip it gratefully. The brown liquid burns a little and then the fumes filter through my mind. It feels good.
“I-- I -- I think he might have said something,” I stammer. Fact is, even though I thought it might be a joke, I’ve been dreaming of nothing else but to be shared by these two twin brothers. But as a virgin, the whole sex thing is new to me, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself.