Betty leans back, shifting to find a comfortable spot on the wooden chair. “Not much. My girl has found herself a good man for once.”
All eyes move to me. I’m the good man? I’m not shit, but I don’t know if I’d call myself a good man. I’ve done things most would never dream of. I’ve had my moments of stupidity and carelessness. The me now, the dad, he is a good guy, but I don’t know if that wipes away a past riddled with sin.
“Grandma, you’re embarrassing me,” Tate whispers, covering her eyes with her hand. “Wylder and I…”
This is my shot. It is time to make it clear to Tate, even though everyone else around us already seems to know.
“We’re still new, but I’m the luckiest bastard in the world to have caught the eye of the most beautiful woman in the world,” I tell them. “I’m honored that she’s mine.”
Tate’s mouth opens and closes a few times as she blinks at me. “I’m yours?” I ask softly.
I lean over, cupping her chin in my palm as I gaze into her eyes. “You good with that, princess?”
She nods, her eyes still big as they stare back at me. “Yeah,” she breathes softly, as if she says the words any louder, the promise would disappear.
“See,” Betty says, “a good one.”
“We need a bottle of champagne to celebrate,” Gigi says, but I haven’t torn my eyes away from Tate.
“Is there any occasion that’s not champagne-worthy, darlin’?” Pike asks her.
“Yoo-hoo,” Betty says, waving her hands off to the side. “Come back to us.”
Tate blinks and shakes her head like she’s coming out of a trance. “Sorry,” she says to her grandma before breaking eye contact with me.
“I thought you two were about to consummate the relationship right here,” Betty adds.
I chuckle to myself as I lean back in my chair and reach for my beer. Betty’s the original wild one of the group. There’s no doubt in my mind she was a hellcat in her younger years, because even at her age now, she’s a pistol.
“Grandma,” Tate says with a gasp.
Betty laughs as she pats her granddaughter’s hand. “I mean, I wouldn’t blame you, sweetie. The man could even bring my dead ovaries back to life.”
Tate shakes her head as her cheeks turn the brightest shade of pink.
Gigi snorts out a laugh. “This family is too wild sometimes. I’m the luckiest bitch in the world to have been born into it.”
“Is your grandma like this?” Tate asks Gigi.
Gigi nods, dabbing the corner of her eye. “I don’t know which one is worse. They’re almost carbon copies, but Aunt Fran is the worst by a long shot.”
“Uncle Bear seems to keep her on a tight leash,” Tate replies.
Gigi nods. “He has to, because she’s out of control sometimes.”
Brax sets a bottle of champagne down on the table, along with five flutes he carried by the stems in his other hand. “What are we celebrating?”
Betty motions toward me and Tate. “They’re officially a couple.”
“I got shit to do.” Brax rolls his eyes and grumbles under his breath before he stalks back toward the bar.
“What’s his problem?” Betty asks as she reaches for the bottle of champagne.
“He suddenly wants to be in a committed relationship,” Tate explains as she passes out the flutes.
Betty’s eyes cut to Tate. “What?”
Tate nods. “I don’t know what’s going on with him.”
