Chapter 36
KENSEY
Ifelt Tiana’s arms wrap around me before I even registered she was moving.
The hug was tight, maternal in a way that made fresh tears spring to my eyes.
I’d known Tiana for more than half my life.
She’d attended a few of my high school events and sat right alongside my parents like it was normal.
But this felt different. This felt like she was welcoming me into the family in an official capacity.
“I’m so happy for you both,” she whispered against my hair. “I’ve been hoping for this since you two were teenagers.”
I pulled back, wiping at my eyes. “Really?”
“Oh, yes, everyone knew. Everyone except you two, apparently.” She laughed, her hands cupping my face. “Drew looks at you like you hung the moon. He always has. I’m just glad he finally told you.”
“It took us both a while to understand these feelings.”
“I know you’ll be good to each other. You already have been for years.”
My own mother appeared next, practically shoving Tiana aside in her eagerness to get to me for round two. I found myself passed between the two women like a beloved object, both of them crying and laughing at the same time.
“My baby’s coming home,” Mom said, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re really staying?”
“I’m really staying.” Saying it out loud made it feel more real.
Dad pulled me away from Mom and wrapped me in one of his signature bear hugs. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” he murmured. “For following your heart.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I squeezed him back, breathing in his familiar aftershave.
When I finally extracted myself from my parents, I noticed Mom’s cast was covered in signatures I didn’t remember seeing before. I grabbed her arm, turning it to get a better look.
“Mom, who signed your cast?”
She grinned, clearly delighted I’d noticed. “Oh, you know, just some people I met today.” She pointed to a large, swooping signature near her wrist. “That’s Jack Montana. He does those action movies. Lovely man. And this one here is from that director friend of Tiana’s.”
“You’ve been collecting celebrity autographs on your cast?”
“It’s not every day you get the opportunity.” She looked completely unrepentant. “Besides, it makes the whole broken arm thing feel more worthwhile.”
I shook my head, laughing despite myself.
The crowd around us gradually dispersed as people returned to the event.
But the core group—the LA Blackwells and their partners—gravitated toward one of the larger seating areas we’d set up near the food trucks.
Someone had claimed an entire section of tables, pushing them together to create one long surface.
Drew kept his hand in mine as we walked over. Callum and Victoria had already settled in, along with Cleo. Hollis and Micah appeared moments later, arms loaded with plates of food from various trucks.
“Got tacos, got barbecue, got some kind of fancy grilled cheese situation,” Hollis announced, setting everything down in the center of the table. “It’s not what I would call healthy, but it’s a celebration.”
“I have drinks.” Micah deposited an assortment of bottles—craft beer, sparkling water, and what looked like more green smoothies. “Dig in, people. We earned this.”
Beau and Jeremy, Drew’s other brothers, joined us, squeezing in at the end of the table. The whole group was there, the siblings and their partners, all of us crammed together in the middle of the sidewalk sale we’d worked so hard to pull off.
I grabbed a taco and settled into the chair Drew had pulled out for me. He sat beside me, so close our thighs pressed together. His hand found mine again under the table, fingers lacing together like he couldn’t stand not touching me.
“So,” Callum said. “You’re really stepping down?”
“I am,” Drew confirmed. “Edith’s taking over. She’ll do a better job than I ever could. I’ll still be involved with the family business, just in a different capacity. Something I can do remotely when needed.”
Victoria leaned forward, her eyes bright with interest. “What does that mean for you two? Are you staying in LA or what?”
I glanced at Drew, then back at Victoria. “I’m staying. I’ll be looking for teaching positions here. There are some really good schools in the area.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said warmly. “Have you thought about which schools you might want to apply to?”
“Not yet. I need to get my head wrapped around the whole thing first.” I took a bite of my taco, grateful for the distraction. “But I’ve got time. The school year doesn’t start until September.”
“If you need any connections, let me know,” Victoria offered. “I know people at a few of the private schools through my charity work.”
“Thank you. I might take you up on that.”
Hollis raised his beer bottle. “I think we need another toast. To Drew and Kensey, who finally figured their shit out.”
“Hollis,” Tiana warned. “We’re in public. I know I saw a guy from TMZ here. That’s going to be printed.”
“What? I’m being sincere!” He kept his bottle raised. “To new beginnings and not being idiots anymore.”
Everyone laughed and raised their drinks. I clinked my water bottle against Drew’s beer, feeling absurdly happy despite the chaos of the last twenty-four hours.
“I can’t believe you quit your job for me,” I said quietly, just to Drew.
He turned to look at me, his green eyes serious. “I didn’t quit for you. I quit because I wanted to. And because it was the right thing to do. Now I want to do something different. My priorities have changed. I want the freedom to be where I want to be.”
“And where do you want to be?”
“Wherever you are,” he said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
My throat tightened. “That’s really corny.”
He leaned in and kissed my temple. “Get used to it.”
I listened to the brothers bicker back and forth, feeling more relaxed than I had in days.
This was what I’d been missing in New Jersey—not just Drew, but this whole dynamic.
The easy banter, the inside jokes, the feeling of being part of family.
I didn’t have a big family, but I missed my parents.
I missed stopping by for dinner or grabbing coffee with my mom.
The conversation flowed easily, jumping from topic to topic. Someone brought up the yacht party and the disaster with Hollis and Micah forgetting the women’s names. That led to a debate about whether Jessica and Jennifer were actually that similar.
I watched the dynamic between all of them, the easy way they teased each other. This was what family looked like. And I was going to be part of it. The thought made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
All the cousins and their wives were weaving through the crowd toward our table. The New York contingent had apparently decided to join the party.
“Room for a few more?” Sebastian asked, already pulling up chairs.
“Always,” Drew said, shifting closer to me to make space.
Sebastian settled in across from us, his eyes moving between Drew and me. “So I hear congratulations are in order. On multiple fronts.”
“News travels fast,” Drew said.
“It does when it involves you stepping down from the store.” Adrian’s tone was neutral, but I caught the hint of curiosity underneath.
“Edith will do great,” Drew said.
“I’m sure she will,” Briggs said with a nod.
“And you’re moving back into the investment world?” Sebastian asked.
“That’s the plan.”
Adrian leaned forward, his expression interested. “We’ve been expanding the portfolio. Could use someone with your talent. You made your first billion before you were twenty-five. I think you’re going to make all of us a hell of a lot richer.”
“Let’s hope,” Drew said with a smile. “We’ll talk more once I get settled into the role.”
Adrian nodded, seemingly satisfied. “We’ll set up a call next week. Get you up to speed on what we’re working on.”
Drew’s hand squeezed my thigh under the table.
He was handling this transition with way more grace than I would have.
Giving up the store, restructuring his entire career path, all while sitting here having casual conversations about it with his family.
I had yet to put in my notice and I was already freaking out.
The conversation drifted again, this time toward the event itself. People were complimentary about how smoothly everything had run.
“The credit goes to Kensey too,” Drew said, gesturing at me with his beer bottle. “She made sure no detail was missed. She gave up her summer to help us.”
“Is that right?” Mandy looked at me with renewed interest. “You have event planning experience? Because I’m a wedding planner.”
“Oh, I don’t really have any experience,” I admitted. “I’m just good at organizing things. Comes with the teaching territory.”
“She’s being modest,” Drew cut in. “She was incredible.”
I felt my face grow even hotter. “I just helped where I could.”
Hollis, who’d been scrolling through his phone, suddenly looked up. “Drew, speaking of investments. You should look at B. Well. I’m serious.”
Drew raised an eyebrow. “Your company?”
Hollis set his phone down. “I know it sounds like I’m pitching you at a family dinner, but I’m not kidding. This is going to be huge.”
“I’d need to see the business plan,” Drew said. “Projections, market analysis, all of it.”
“I can get you everything.” Hollis looked more serious than I’d seen him all day. “I’ve put a lot of work into this. It’s not just some vanity project.”
“Alright,” Drew agreed. “Set up a meeting. We’ll talk about it properly.”
Hollis grinned and raised his bottle again. “Thanks.”
We stayed a couple more hours before we could leave without looking like we were ditching our responsibilities. My parents had left hours ago. I was a little jealous. My feet hurt once again and I was so ready to just sit and let the day wash over me.
“Ready?” Drew asked.
“So ready.”
We held hands and walked to where his car was parked. I was going to have to sell my car back home. Buy a new one. No way was I paying to have it shipped to LA. There was so much to do but I didn’t want to think about any of it.
“Now that you’re moving back, are you still going to live with your parents?” Drew asked.
“I’ll find my own place once I get a job,” I answered.
“Have you ever thought about teaching where we went to school?”
I laughed. “That would be great, but those jobs are extremely competitive.”
“They’d be dumb to not hire you. And if all else fails, I’ll donate a bunch of money and name a building after you. Then they have to hire you.”
“How about I try it the old-fashioned way first? I’m not sure I want to teach the kids of the parents who used to bully me, you know? I think I might like one of the city schools. They always need good teachers.”
“True,” he agreed.
“I don’t know. I have to see what’s out there.”
“You know you don’t have to stay with your parents. I have a giant house and my bed already smells like you. You’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want.”
“Maybe we start with a drawer. Part of your closet. I don’t think we should rush this.”
“Kensey, I don’t think it’s rushing. Not in our case.”
“Soon,” I said. “But I’d love to spend the night tonight.”
“Now you’re talking,” he said.
On the drive home, I reached over and put my hand on his leg. He parked in the garage and I thought about what it would be like to come home to his beautiful house every night. A girl could do worse.
“Want to take a shower?” he asked.
“With you?”
He winked. “I’ll wash your back.”
I laughed. “I’ll wash your front.”