“Well, it’s like in tennis when it’s tied. Forty all. Your mom and I are at deuce, ad in. My ad. I have you, so that’s my advantage, but I want her too. Then I win.”
If smoke could have poured out of my ears and eyes, it would have.
“Dar, Dad wants to make it official. We have you and we live together, and that’s enough. Whether we’re married or not doesn’t make us love you or each other any less.”
“What’s the hang-up?” Sully asked.Freaking Sully. “And yes, Darla, we’ll see lots of stuff on my boat, and even fish.”
“No, no fishing. I don’t eat fish. Mom wants me to, but I said no.”
The conversation was giving me whiplash, but this was my life now. Loving Drew, curious Darla, boisterous Sully, and caring Rosie. A crazy crew, for sure, but the first family and friends I’d had in a long time.
However, now I wished I could kick Drew under the table with my boot.
I didn’t really know what my hang-up was. I suspected it was my mom and her unhealthy attachment to my dad. She was so obsessed with him and his ghost that she could hardly find it in her heart to love me. I guessed she did on her own terms, but still ... marriage seemed unnecessary at this point.
“No hang-up,” I explained. “Just not needed. And you know Drew always has to get what he wants, but this time, he’s not.”
“We’ll see about that,” my man countered.
Problem was, I was pretty certain we would.
“I want to get married,” Darla added. “To Dad.”
It’s like they were playing doubles and I was still playing singles.
Ad out.
Drew
Five weeks had passed since Jules broke her foot, and she was allowing me to take her to her final X-ray appointment. I was fucking grateful.
It had been a long few weeks—thirty-five days that didn’t involve me beating the shit out of Bryce—but I got Jules and Darla instead. She drove a hard bargain, that woman. In exchange for my promise to leave the situation up to her, she agreed to move in right away.
I was a reasonable man, but this deal was as painful as getting a prostate exam. There wasn’t a day I didn’t want to call Russ and set something up to “take care” of Bryce. But Sully kept me on the straight and narrow. Mostly because Rosie fell in love with Jules, and threatened him to make sure I behaved.
“Excited to dump the boot?” I asked Jules as I drove her to her appointment.
“Yes, and then you can call off those caterers for Thanksgiving.”
“No can do, babe. I already paid.”
I hadn’t, but fuck it. She wasn’t going to stand there cooking all day for our mothers.
“But your mom—”
“My mom hasn’t had a home-cooked meal in decades, and your mom doesn’t deserve you going all out. We’re doing it for Darla. End of discussion.”
“I’m making dinner the night before, and dessert for Thanksgiving Day.”
“Only if I can eat it off your naked body after Darla goes to sleep.” This got me a big smile.
“Not to ruin the good mood, but you should know he’s gone. I spoke to the other manager at the Southern, and Bryce left town. Took a job with a new Italian franchise in Orlando.”
“Not far enough.”
“Well, he’s gone and my foot is healed, and we’re living with you. What else do you want?”
“You to marry me.”
