Read Online The Best of Fools (Jane Austen Book 2) by Marilyn Grey - Free Book Online

Hans Zimmerman and James Newton Howard. Some girls fangirl over Chris Pinetree or whatever and I obsess over film composers. Or any composer really. If I were ever to fall in love it would definitely be possible for me to fall in love with a composer before even meeting him. Okay, I take that back, but I guess what I'm trying to say is I adore classical music and film scores get me a little too excited. Hence the reason I play them when I feel like burying my face in my pillow and screaming my head off.
    Donovan's car wasn't parked anywhere around yet. Whew. Some peace and quiet for a bit would be nice, especially while I researched how to heal a crushed toe without the hospital.
    I opened the back door and hummed along with the music, using my hands like a composer. For a second, I forgot about my toe, closed my eyes, and let the music fill me as I stepped inside and pretended I was standing in front of an orchestra with welcoming ears behind me.
    I got pretty into it, if I do say so myself. Someone tapped me. I opened my eyes, hands still hanging in mid air, and saw dozens of eyes staring back at me with a "SURPRISE!" banner hanging over their heads. Donovan laughed as I took the headphones out of my ears, my other hand still hanging in the air to complete the song.
    "Surprise," Mom said, walking toward me with open arms and glassy eyes perched right above her red nose. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you move. We were planning this and I wanted to make sure everything was prepared in time." She hugged me and sniffed. "I'm so proud of you, Janie."
    "I ... I don't know what to say." I squeezed her back. "Thank you."
    She let go, then Granny wrapped her arms around me and stepped on my toe.
    "Ahhhh!!!!" I howled into the air and hopped on one foot.
    Granny stepped back, shaking.
    "Oh, shi—I mean, shoot. Shoot." I strained my neck while my friends and family looked at me like I was as nuts as I apparently was.
    Granny trembled and looked back and forth. "I ... I ...."
    "No, Granny," I said. "You're fine. I just hurt my toe. I'm sorry I scared you." I breathed in and out as the pain shot up to my thigh.
    "Are you okay?" Donovan teetered between a laugh and genuine concern.
    "My toe," I said between clenched teeth, pretending to smile for the others still staring at me. "Make them eat. Make them do something."
    "All right everyone." Donovan clapped. "Let's go ahead and eat. Mrs. Austen created some fantastic food you're all gonna love." He gestured toward the dining room, my dining room, which now had a table sitting in the middle of it where I planned to put the table I just bought. And the couch. The couch I just bought was sitting in the living room along with a coffee table. The entire place was now filled with my favorite furniture.
    Dad and Mom lingered near me. I exhaled. Dad glanced at my foot. I shook my head as though it were nothing. Mom knelt down and peered up at me with those motherly eyes. I waved my hands.
    "It's nothing," I said. "Just a little bruise."
    "When did this happen?" Dad said. "It looks brutal."
    "It's okay. Really." I nodded toward the living room. "You guys did this? The furniture?"
    Mom blushed as she stood up.
    "How did you remember which furniture I liked?" I couldn't tell them I just bought every last one of those things. Man ... could've saved myself a toe.
    "I just know you," Mom said.
    "She pays attention." Dad pulled her into him and kissed the top of her head. "She's always paying attention to you guys."
    My. Freaking. Toe. Was. Now. Radiating. Extreme. Pain. To. My. Brain.
    "Excuse me," I said, trying not to limp away. "I just need to use the bathroom real quick."
    Away I went. Pretending as though everything was normal as best as I could. All of these sweet people here to see me, to welcome me into my new place. I didn't want to let them down.
    Autumn crossed her arms and stood in my path. "Care to explain?"
    I shook my head and bit my lip. "Toe. Smashed it."
    "Why didn't you go to the