Page 41 of Stone
“Stone may have closed off a lot of himself to survive in prison, but he wants what we all want—to be loved, to be needed, and tobe seen. I’ve never seen him act the way he does with you. The look on his face sometimes when he’s staring at you is incredible. It’s as if he’s been given the biggest gift that he wants with all his heart but that he’s scared to believe can be his. If you want forever with him, spell it out and ask him to make you his,” Harry assured her.
“Now, you… you could be a writer when you’re not tattooing,” AJ declared with all sincerity and no sass.
“Agreed,” Lilah said.
“The question is, if we provide the fortieth birthday party for the triplets and arrange for your daughters to be covered after the party—can you tell Stone how you feel and what you want?” Rachel challenged gently.
She’d been quiet while everyone else was talking, but Naomi knew from being around her at Broken Hearts Brewing that she was someone who listened well.
“I can. I will because for me to have what I want, I have to be willing to put myself out there,” Naomi promised firmly.
“Woohoo! We’ve got a plan. Now who wants some drinks and snacks while we catch up?” Willa asked.
Naomi adored these women, though some of them she’d only met a couple of times. It was a large compound, and there was always something going on, but today, they’d all dropped everything to help her out. She had found her home. Now, she needed to cement her happiness because Stone was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
As everyone stood up to get drinks and food, her sisters came over to her. Tori wrapped her arm around her and the other girls all did too.
“You can do this, Naomi. You’re strong and amazing. We’re on board with Stone, and once again, I want to apologize…”
“Stop, Tori. You’ve all apologized, and I’ve forgiven you. Now, once I get this settled with Stone, which one of you is next for your happily ever after?” Naomi teased.
“Well, I’m tired of looking for Mr. Right. I’ve decided it’s time to have some fun with some different Mr. Right Nows. I’ve made a list, and I’m going to be a serial dater for a while and see what’s out there,” Tori announced.
“Since we’re sharing, I’m going to concentrate on what the girls called my secret business. I love classic cars and motorcycles. I make customizations that people can purchase online. Now, here, I don’t have to hide who I am. Jesse has offered me space in her garage, but I have money. I’m thinking of buying one of the empty buildings downtown,” Chloe shared.
“And is there anything between you and Mr. No Kids?” Lilah prodded.
“He’s hot in an alphahole kind of way, but I want kids someday,” Chloe admitted.
Naomi understood that. Chloe had always been the one having dolls and feeding her babies and changing them.
“Since I’m not doing advertising for our waste of space of a father, I don’t know what I’ll do. I have money, so I might help in some of the businesses until I figure out what I’m going to do with my life. I’m forty-two and starting over, but it feels good,” AJ mused, a rare look of peace settling over her face.
Naomi stared at the women she’d grown up with and thought about how much their lives had changed since they’d taken those ancestry tests back in January.
“I don’t think I’ve thanked you, Tori, for suggesting we take those tests. We never would have found our family at Bluff Creek if we hadn’t. What made you decide to suggest it?” Naomi asked. She’d always wondered why Tori had come up with the idea. It had been so out of character for her.
“It was one of those days where I was thinking,Is this all there is to life?Working at a company I hated for a father I despised. I was daydreaming and hoping that maybe someone was out there who would take me away from the drudge that life had become,” Tori quietly confessed, while not looking directly at any one of them.
Naomi hadn’t realized Tori had been so dissatisfied because she’d never shown it.
“I, for one, am thrilled you did,” Naomi said, kissing Tori’s cheek.
Tori blushed, “Thanks.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Stone hadn’t been this excited in years. He took the last turn onto the street where Nelson’s Honkytonk Saloon & Bar was located. The karaoke night had come together along with the combo birthday party for Naomi that only the Nelson cousins, Locks, Ben, Finn, and he knew about.
Afterward, he was hoping for some alone time with Naomi, but they’d see. He wanted to take it at her pace, but he hoped she loved her early birthday party that she didn’t have to share with either Chloe or Lilah.
He backed the bike into a parking space, holding his hand out to help Naomi off the bike. She took her helmet off and leaned over to flip her hair. When she flipped it back up, he just stared at the woman he couldn’t believe was his.
He took her hand and walked her in. Hennessy had promised that he’d keep an eye out so everyone was ready. Stone held the door open and let Naomi go first.
“Happy Birthday, Naomi!” rang out from the crowd.
Naomi bounced up and down, looking around the room. “It’s for me? No one else?”
