Very Sincerely Yours - Softcover

Winfrey, Kerry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593333411 ISBN 13: 9780593333419

Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group, 2021

Inhaltsangabe

A charming and heartwarming new romantic comedy by the acclaimed author of Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey.

Teddy Phillips never thought she would still be spending every day surrounded by toys at almost thirty years old. But working at a vintage toy store is pretty much all she has going on in her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend. The one joy that she has kept is her not-so-guilty pleasure: Everett’s Place, a local children’s show hosted by Everett St. James, a man whom Teddy finds very soothing . . . and, okay, cute.

Teddy finds the courage to write to him, feeling slightly like one of the children who write to him on his show. He always gives sound advice and seems like he has everything figured out—and he pretty much does: Everett has a great support system, wonderful friends, and his dream job. But there is still that persistent feeling in the back of his mind that something is missing.

When a woman named Theodora starts writing to Everett, he is drawn to her honesty and vulnerability. They continue writing to each other, all the while living their lives without meeting. When their worlds collide, however, they must both let go of their fears and figure out what they truly want—and if the future they want includes each other.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Kerry Winfrey writes romantic comedies for adults and teens. She is the author of Love and Other Alien Experiences, Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It, Waiting for Tom Hanks, and Not Like the Movies. When she’s not writing, she’s likely baking yet another pie or watching far too many romantic comedies. She lives with her husband, son, and dog in the middle of Ohio.

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1

 

The night Teddy Phillips got dumped, she had expected to get engaged.

 

It's not that Richard had been too obvious, but there were signs. He was more distracted than usual, looked more nervous when she talked to him. Richard was usually confident, perhaps to a fault, so she found this charming. As if she'd say no! As if she'd say anything other than "Yes, I want to marry you and be with you until death do us part!" after which Richard would pick her up and spin her around.

 

Richard had asked her that morning if they could talk that night, so she decided to set the mood by making one of his favorite meals: spaghetti and meatballs. Some people might have called Richard a picky eater, but Teddy preferred to think of him as a selective eater. Really, why go through all the work of trying out new meals when you knew the five or so things you liked best?

 

Was she disappointed when she came home from her shift at work to discover that the apartment looked the same as it always had? A bit. But after six years together, she knew not to expect rose petals on the floor or Richard waiting for her by candlelight, down on one knee, asking her to make him the happiest man in the world. Richard wasn't showy about their relationship, and that was one of the things she liked about him.

 

But Teddy knew she could create a mood; after all, that was what she did in their relationship. Richard worked long hours as a doctor, and he didn't have time to do things like "decorate the apartment" or "buy coordinating throw pillows" or "prepare his own meals." That was what Teddy did.

 

A lot of people didn't realize, she thought to herself as she simmered the pork-and-beef meatballs in her special homemade tomato sauce, that being in the background was sometimes just as important as being in the spotlight. Sure, in their relationship, Richard was the one who stood out, the one who had the important job. But being in the shadows wasn't so bad. Someone had to make the shadows cozy; even shadows could use a diffuser or a comfy knit blanket.

 

And their town house was nothing if not cozy. Teddy was especially proud of the fall tableau she'd created on the mantelpiece of their gas fireplace as soon as she flipped the calendar to September. Pumpkins and a felt leaf garland were involved because, in her opinion, a house wasn't a home unless it was filled with miniature pumpkins in the fall.

 

Teddy dumped the pasta into the boiling water and set the timer. Humming to herself, she lit candles on the table, then took out her phone to choose some music. This was the first time she'd considered the question: "What music would I like to get engaged to?" She bit her lip, scrolling, and then found a playlist called "Best Music to Play During a Proposal." "Unchained Melody," "Can't Help Falling in Love." . . . Yes, this was perfect.

 

As the Righteous Brothers started playing, Richard walked through the door with a jingle of keys. Teddy spun around quickly and smiled.

 

"Um," Richard said, looking around in confusion.

 

Okay, so this wasn't exactly the reaction Teddy wanted. No matter.

 

"Hi, you," she said as the timer went off. She grabbed her strainer and carried the pot to the sink. "Just thought I'd make things special for tonight!"

 

Richard still hadn't moved from the doorway. After Teddy strained the pasta, she crossed the room and closed the door behind him. "How was work today?" she asked.

 

He blinked. "It was fine. This is just surprising." He sniffed. "Did you make . . . ?"

 

"Spaghetti!" Teddy said with a smile. "Your favorite!"

 

Richard frowned at her light gray cardigan. "Don't forget to soak that."

 

She looked down and saw a splatter of tomato sauce. Richard had once told her that bright colors made her skin look sallow, so now she mostly wore neutrals, and this J.Crew cardigan was one of her favorites. "Oh, shoot," Teddy muttered, then looked back at Richard and smiled. "Anyway, it's almost ready. Want to sit down?"

 

Richard nodded as Elvis's voice filled the room. "Uh, yeah. Let me go get changed."

 

A few minutes later, Teddy placed bowls of pasta, glasses of wine, and a loaf of homemade garlic bread on the table as Richard emerged from their room.

 

He sat down without a word, so Teddy followed suit. He took a bite in silence, so she did the same. He's probably worried, she told herself. Asking someone to marry you seemed like it might be a bit nerve-racking, although he must already know what her answer was.

 

Richard speared a meatball with his fork, then cleared his throat. "Teddy, there's something I need to say."

 

"Yes!" Teddy said brightly.

 

Richard paused and looked from the meatball to her. "What?"

 

It finally registered that he hadn't actually asked her anything, let alone proposed. "Sorry," Teddy said. "I . . ."

 

She sighed. She would have to make this easier for Richard; that was what she did, after all. She made things easier for a partner who worked so hard.

 

"I know you're nervous," she said, reaching across the table to grab his hand. "I know this is a hard conversation for you."

 

Relief washed over Richard's face. "You do?"

 

Teddy nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! You think I haven't noticed the way you've been distant? The way you've been working even more than usual?"

 

Richard slumped over. "Wow. Have I been that obvious?"

 

Teddy smiled. "Well, yeah, but it's okay. Because I'm going to answer the question so you don't have to ask it. Yes."

 

Richard's eyebrows shot up so high that Teddy was afraid they were going to hit his hairline. "Yes?"

 

She squeezed his hand again. Surely this was the moment he'd get out the ring. "A thousand times yes."

 

"Whew!" Richard let out a nervous laugh. "I can't tell you how much better this makes me feel. I've been stressing out over this for weeks, wondering how you'd react-"

 

Teddy shifted in her seat as her smile turned to a frown. "You . . . didn't know?"

 

Richard's eyes widened. "Of course not. But obviously you could tell something was off, too. Man, this has got to be the easiest breakup I've ever had."

 

Teddy pulled her hand back. "What?" she whispered.

 

"Not that there's much of a contest. My high school girlfriend toilet-papered my entire yard when we ended things, and she even used a ladder to reach the really high spots. That toilet paper stayed in the tops of the trees until it rained. Now that was a bad breakup."

 

Teddy stayed silent.

 

"I mean, to be fair, I did cheat on her. But still. It was a bit dramatic."

 

Teddy looked at the spaghetti sauce, now cold and unappetizing on her plate.

 

Richard shoveled food into his mouth. "I can't believe how hungry I am now that we got THAT over with. Why is CŽline Dion playing?"

 

Teddy realized, as regret washed over her, that she wouldn't ever be able to listen to "My Heart Will Go On" again without thinking of the time Richard unceremoniously dumped her over a plate of spaghetti. Not that she'd listened to it much since elementary school, anyway, but it was the principle of the thing.

 

"I can turn it off," Teddy mumbled, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

 

"I'm so glad you already knew I was going to ask you to move out," Richard said, his mouth full. "But I'm not surprised. You always...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593333411
• ISBN 13: 9780593333419
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 385
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@phaidon.com; gpsr@phaidon.com; ; Zähringerstraße 24; Berlin; 10707; Deutschland