Shame on You

My dad huffs and continues reading.

“Of course I need to read it. I’m not signing something I haven’t read.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Buddy, just sign it!” Uncle Wally argues.

“This is the form to change the name of the business to Buddy Wally’s Bail Bonds! You’re a fucking lunatic!” my dad yells before throwing the pen at Uncle Wally’s head.

“I’m going to punch you right in your arthritic hip, you old bastard!” Uncle Wally shouts back.

I swear to God, nothing ever changes around here. Rolling my eyes, I look away from my dad and uncle and see Griffin perched on the edge of my desk laughing at the scene unfolding in front of him.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him in anything other than jeans and a T-shirt. His black dress pants and blue button-down shirt are a sight to behold. He’s so gorgeous it takes my breath away.

And he’s all mine.

After Tinkerdoodle was returned to her owners and McFadden was taken back to jail, I promised to give him regular updates on the state of Tinkerdoodle’s well-being. It’s the least I could do for him since he shot off a guy’s hand for me.

Steve/Sven spent several days in the hospital to repair his mangled hand and is currently behind bars awaiting trial. Considering the amount of pot they found in his basement, minus the amount that Gunnar smoked all in one day, he’s going to be in prison for a very long time. Paige has been considerably quiet about the fact that she has to find a new hairdresser now, which makes me wonder all over again what the hell is going on with her lately. That case with the cheating spouse should have been a piece of cake. I am absolutely going to talk to her about it. After tonight, of course.

With a deep breath, I step away from the wall and walk out into the room. The past few weeks have been a mess of activity, and Griffin and I haven’t had any time alone. Since I got to punch him in the face that day on the farm, he told me it was only fair that I make good on my part of the bet. Hence the real reason why I believe everyone decided to congregate here tonight.

The arguing stops abruptly and everyone turns in my direction. I’m suddenly rethinking this whole idea as everyone in the room stares in fascination like I’m a zoo animal.

Griffin is the only one who moves as he pushes off my desk and walks over to me with a look of shock on his face.

“Jesus, have I mentioned lately how gorgeous you are?” Griffin asks as he takes in my short, red strapless dress and four-inch Jimmy Choo heels, courtesy of Paige. “You should wear dresses more often.”

I smile at him and wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“If you wouldn’t have ditched me two days before prom, you could have seen me in a dress long before this,” I tell him.

“That was twenty years ago. Are you still holding a grudge about that?” he says with a laugh.

“Sorry, dude. I hate to inform you, but according to chicks, there is no statute of limitations on their anger over being ditched right before prom,” Bobby tells him with a raise of his glass.

“Fine. I am deeply sorry for not taking you to prom. Seriously. You have no idea how sorry I am,” he tells me softly.

I swallow hard and stare up at him, not even caring that I’m about to cry like a girl.

“It’s okay. You’re forgiven. And I’m deeply sorry for never noticing,” I tell him in a rare moment of sweetness from myself. “I love you, Griffin.”

He closes his eyes and lets out a sigh of relief before pressing his forehead against mine.

“Shame on you, Kennedy O’Brien, for making me wait so long to hear those words,” he says with a chuckle before leaning down and kissing me while everyone in the room whistles and cheers around us.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


First and foremost, I’d like to thank my agent Jane Dystel for her unwavering support and belief in what I do.

To my editor Krista Stroever, thank you for making my first experience in traditional publishing an easy one, and for totally getting my humor!

To Donna and Chas, thank you for all of your hard work trying to organize my chaotic life. Without you, my email would be filled with spam and I’d never know what day it is.

James, Madelyn, and Drew, you love me even when I forget what day it is and don’t shower or move from my spot on the front porch for days at a time. I love you more than anything else in this world, even if I call you by the wrong names.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to all of my fans will never suffice, but it’s the best I can do right now. Your e-mails, Facebook posts, and all-around awesomeness amaze me every single day. You are the reason that all of this is possible, and I will be forever grateful that you took a chance on me.

There are entirely too many blogs out there that I owe my thanks to, but just know that I love and appreciate all of you for your constant support.





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