Chloe’s mouth opens and she takes a breath as she looks to Gage. “I realize this.”
Logan shakes his head. “How the mighty have fallen. I guess it’s official. Chloe Bishop doesn’t give a rip about her people.”
I shake my head. “As long as she’s balls deep in Gage Oliver, the rest of the world can go to hell in a handbasket,” I say it low enough, but judging by the fact Chloe is turning a ripe shade of crimson, I’m betting she heard.
Logan glides an arm around my waist. “So, Chloe, how does it feel to give up your morals for a man?”
“Ask Laken,” she grunts. “You might say I took a page out of her book.”
Coop’s chest expands in defense of the love of his life. “She’s not doing any such thing. Laken and I are strictly friends.”
My stomach turns hearing poor Coop make such a proclamation.
He takes a breath as he glances to Laken as if he dreaded what comes next. “In fact, Laken is attending tomorrow’s event with Wes. And if you don’t mind, Gage, I’d like to ask Lexy Bakova to be my date.”
The entire room seems to still and Laken’s eyes enlarge with a newfound rage.
Okay, now I see where this is headed. Get Laken good and riled up and she’ll come running faster than a locomotive. Coop is brilliant in just about every realm of his life.
Gage grunts, “Anything for you, Coop.” He says it curt and somewhat sarcastic, and it makes me wonder why Gage would bother. It’s almost as if Coop is irritating him on some level. Come to think of it, whenever Gage is out in public, Coop is by his side. I’ll have to make a note to inspect this further. It wouldn’t be the first time Coop was up to something.
Gage takes a breath as he looks from Logan to me. “So, when’s the big day?” He glares at Logan a moment. “I suspect you’re going to make an honest woman out of her.”
Logan blinks with a bored sense of disbelief. “I’ve already done that. I’d like to think it’s still in effect.” A wry smile comes and goes because his bold statement just made my relationship with Gage seem insignificant, but I won’t hold it against him. Gage is flashing his horse-sized balls all over the place these days. He deserves to be taken down a notch. “But yes”—Logan clears his throat—“we’re going to have a wedding. A big one.”
A riotous scream of what I’m thinking is joy escapes my mother. “Holy mother of God! This is the best day ever!” Another cry of elation bleats from her lungs. “Skyla! Don’t keep us in suspense. When’s the big day? There’s the décor, the guest list, the venue, the food. There’s so much to think about. I need to know what I’m up against. Oh, how I’ve wanted a big grand wedding for you more than you realize.”
Gage hangs his head a moment as if he had in some way let my mother down.
“You did pull off a humdinger in the Transfer,” I say to her, but in truth the words were to make Gage feel better. I’m not sure why I did that. Most likely for the old Gage, the one that Logan and I loved more than ourselves.
She waves it off. “I’m much more eager to serve the masses right here on Paragon. Unless, of course, you’re thinking a destination wedding, Fiji, Hawaii, the Caribbean!”
“Oh no.” I shake my head at Logan. “I’m marrying the love of my life at Whitehorse. The house he built for the two of us.”
“Hear that, Gage?” Chloe quips with the idea of a smile curling on her lips like a pair of devil’s horns. “Logan Oliver is the love of her life.”
I take a quick breath. So much for being sensitive to the old Gage’s feelings.
Gage lifts his chin. “I realize that. Logan and Skyla have always been meant for one another. It’s the primary reason I took a step back.”
Ellis strides into our circle once again and shakes his head. “Dude, nobody believes that’s why you took a step back. You would have given your life for this girl. You’ve hit your head.”
“He had his head replaced by Demetri,” I’m quick to point out.
“Now, now”—my mother lifts a hand—“the boys are present.” She mimics zipping her lips. “When’s the date, Skyla? I’m about to burst right out of my skin.”
“Um”—I look to Logan and tip my head to the side—“our original date was December thirteenth. Maybe we’ll stick with that one? That way, the baby will already be here and I won’t be so huge and uncomfortable.”
Logan takes up my hand and kisses the back of it. “And I will only have one date to memorize. It sounds perfect to me.”
“December?” Mom squawks. “That’s just nine months away! That’s a blip on the screen as far as wedding planning goes. I’ll have to start purchasing items for the reception right away.”
Tad gags. “Oh no, you don’t! You’re not spending a dime of my hard-won money. I’ve got yachts to buy, and I need a new set of wheels. One of those fancy cars like Demetri drives. That Phantasm.”
Drake snorts from the couch. “The Rolls Royce Phantom? Dude, you didn’t win big enough to sit in one.”
It’s about time someone sets Tad straight on his winnings. The way his spending sprees have been going, you’d think he won billions. Personally, I’m shocked he has anything left.
