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Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

JOE GOT OUT OF THE truck and opened the passenger-side door. He took the framed postcard from her and stowed it in an empty duffel bag on the floor of the front seat, then pushed the front seat forward and strapped Maya into her car seat.

“Mr. Joe, I got a new princess dress,” Maya informed him, filling the awkward silence in the truck as they were crossing Tampa Bay on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

“It’s the most beautiful princess dress I’ve ever seen and you are the prettiest princess I’ve ever seen,” Joe told her. “I wish I had a crown like yours.”

“Boys don’t wear crowns,” Maya informed him.

“What about the guy on the Burger King sign?” Joe shot back. “He gets to wear a crown.”

“But he’s a real king,” Maya said. “Maybe you could be a pretend prince.”

Letty smiled at the image of Joe DeCurtis in a crown. She glanced over at him. He kept his eyes straight ahead.

“I thought Isabelle was taking us to the airport,” she said quietly.

“Didn’t think you’d mind a last-minute substitute.” He drummed his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel. “I’ve been kind of a dick to you, huh?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“That’s how my mother put it.”

“She guilt-tripped you into showing up today, didn’t she?”

“No! She, uh, cornered me as I was leaving work yesterday and, uh, enlightened me. It was my idea to show up today. I had to let Isabelle in on the plan.”

“Okay. Do you mind if I ask what the plan is?”

He took a deep breath. “The thing is … I want you. I just want to be with you, whether that means we get married, or we don’t, or whatever works for you. And Maya. And I get why you have to go back to New York. You can’t just erase all the stuff that happened back there. I realize now that you’ve got to deal with it, and you can’t pretend like none of it happened. I wish I could go with you and help you handle all this crap but … I know you don’t need to be rescued.”

She watched his face as he grappled with the right words, and noticed that they’d taken the exit ramp for the airport. Time was growing short.

“Maybe I’m the one who needed rescuing,” Joe said. “I’ve been single for a long time, and I got so used to thinking about what I need and what I want, and I’m a cop, you know? I’m trained to help people and do good and stuff. And I’m not used to having people question my authority. Or my motives.”