Man of My Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page B

over Cara’s head because her sister took her favorite crayon while they were coloring. Instead of reprimanding her the way a normal mother would, I busted out in laughter at the sight of a stunned Cara with drops of juice trickling off of her curly blond hair. Every set of sisters aren’t necessarily meant to be best friends. Sometimes mine are, but most days they fight like WWE wrestlers.
    Grace’s son Brandon, on the other hand, is an angel. He was born right in between Cara and Charlie, and when the three of them are together, we can’t separate them without prying their tiny grips off each other. I don’t know what’s making Grace wait to have another. Then again, she hears me complaining about being outnumbered all day so it’s probably my fault.
    I want to change the direction of the conversation. We came out to get away from the kids, not talk about them all night, but before I have the chance Eric steals Declan’s attention with an ear full of questions about Eric’s recent guitar lesson. It seems Eric has all the time in the world for new hobbies, but, by the looks of Grace’s ragged nails and frayed cuticles, she can’t get away from her son long enough for a quick manicure once in a while. But, if I know Grace, and I do, it’s okay. She would say that these are the things we forgo as doting wives and privileged, stay-at-home moms. There is no ‘me time’ anymore. It’s a sad price to pay, but so worth it.
    “Well, looks like we’ve lost them to their rock star fantasies.” I say, nudging Grace. It’s just a matter of time before Declan and Eric are doing their best air-guitar impressions.
    It’s cute though. I’m happy that my best friend’s husband and my husband are friends. Grace gave me her blessing the second she heard about how Declan sang to me on our first date. We lucked out, all around, when we found out that Declan grew up not far from the town Grace and I called home. It meant everyone would stay intact, parents, siblings and best friends wouldn’t have to trek it ‘cross country for holidays and special events. I’d hoped then that Grace would meet and marry a local guy too. So, when she met Eric, who happened to have grown up four blocks away from us, I was ecstatic, only worried that our happy tricycle of a friendship would be headed for an uncomfortable overhaul. But Eric fit right in and the rest is history.
    “You know, there’s a karaoke bar right up the street. We can head over there after dinner.”
    I’m so glad Grace makes the suggestion—maybe Declan won’t dismiss her the way he did me earlier with his threat of ‘just dinner and home.’ I peer at him with expectant anticipation, and for a second I think he’s about to agree, but he purses his lips and the hopefulness vanishes, just like that.
    “Nah, Grace. Not tonight.”
    Not tonight. I wonder how many more times I’ll have to hear that irksome phrase before my suspicions that something’s not kosher eats away at me.

 
     
    “You’re such a loser, Mia. Every other college sophomore is spending their spring break in Mexico or in some other hedonistic, drunken foam party. Why, for the love of Zack Morris, are you home with your parents?”
    Grace nagged over Christmas break to no avail to get me to book a trip to Cancun in hopes that if I went, her parents would cave in and let her go too. But even though my parents had no problem with it, Declan and I chose this week to drive back and forth to our hometowns to meet each other’s friends and family. I can’t help but stare past Grace, at the clock, mentally counting the hours until he arrives here tomorrow.
    “You’re just mad you don’t get to flaunt around in a bikini while MTV films you making a fool of yourself. That’s not my scene and now that Declan and I are serious, it’s not something he’d want me to do.”
    Grace transforms from a rag doll slumped on the side of my bed to one of those Grenadier guards outside Buckingham Palace.