Blake only grins harder. “There he is. I was starting to worry you’d gone soft.”
“All right, you can stop now. This isn’t a date. I’m only here to take care of her,” I blurt out, my tone much harsher than necessary. Blake frowns as Daisy and I trade embarrassed glances.
“It was my idea,” she admits softly. “He didn’t want to come, but I begged him not to make me walk in alone.” I can see her eyes watering and her chin quivering as she says it.
Maybe that newfound confidence doesn’t run as deep as I assumed.
I sigh. “Daisy, don’t?—”
“Dammit, Landry,” Blake curses under his breath and steps in to place a comforting hand on Daisy’s back. “You know, you lose all your brownie points when you act like an ass, even when you’re doing something nice.”
“It’s okay,” she says, sniffling. “He doesn’t realize you weren’t being literal, that as unlikely as it is for me to show up with a real date, no one would ever be silly enough to believe Landry would stoop to my level.”
Blake gives her a look that I can’t quite read as she pulls away from his embrace. It’s not pity—maybe empathy or understanding—and it reminds me that Loren really did put him through the ringer. I don’t know if I like what it implies about my relationship with Daisy, but I don’t have time to overanalyze that kind of stuff right now, and I’m not about to ask Blake for his thoughts.
“Daze …” My voice is hoarse when I finally speak up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
She sniffs one more time and nods, and I instinctively reach out for her hand as I continue. “You know it’s the other way around, right? You’re the one who’s too fun and beautiful to waste your time on an old grump like me. Okay?”
Her eyes are still downcast as she uses her free hand to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. “Yeah, sure.”
“I mean it. That’s why I didn’t ask you to come to the hospital party with me. I figured everyone would think I was delusional if I showed up with you on my arm. Or they’d all assume you were only with me for my money.”
To my relief, that one elicits a small laugh from her, and I smile at the sound of it.
“Well,” Blake begins, bringing me back. “This keeps getting more interesting by the minute.”
I glower at him as Loren walks up, and he bounces his eyebrows suggestively and shoots me a cocky smirk. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he just set me up.
“Heyyy, you two looknoice,” my sister slurs and tucks herself under her husband’s arm.
I snort out a laugh. “Yeah. And you sound like you’refeelingpretty nice, Lo-Lo.”
She giggles and casts a sultry glance up at Blake, and I barely manage to hide my disgust. “Oh, I’m feeling verryyy nice, thanks to this drink my husband fixed me.” She reaches up to tap her cup against his, and he smiles down at her. “You should make one of these for old Land-oh,” she tells him, puckering her lips as she drags out my name. “It’ll help dislodge that stick up his ass.”
Daisy stifles a laugh, and I huff. “Should you be drinking while you’re still breastfeeding?”
Loren scoffs and waves me off. “Re-laaxx, Doc. I’m only having one drink, and I just pumped a half-hour ago. It’ll be out of my system by the next feeding.”
“Don’t worry, I’m monitoring the situation very closely,” Blake leans in and says quietly before raising his voice again. “And of course I don’t mind mixing a cocktail for you, bro. I can even make it a little weaker than my wife’s, if you prefer. After all, I’m not trying to getyoudrunk enough for a DNA swap later. Although, your roommate might?—”
I growl, and he cuts himself off mid-sentence, grinning at me all the while. “I was just going to say she might appreciate the lubrication if she’s going to try to remove that aforementioned branch before the end of the night.”
“All right, boys, play nice,” Daisy chimes in and places a hand on my forearm, instantly calming me. “And for the record, Landry doesn’t have a big stick or a tree branch up his butt. It’s more like an itty, bitty splinter.”
My sister sprays us all when she bursts into laughter mid-sip, which Daisy apparently takes as a compliment. She aims a satisfied smirk at me, and I can’t even be mad at her for that one. I smile in return and nudge her playfully.
“I’m sorry,” Loren apologizes and wipes her chin. “Can you say that last part again?”
“It’s more like an itty, bitty splinter?” Daisy shrugs.
“Uh, that’s what she said,” JD pops in over Loren’s shoulder to deliver, and I groan.
“It’s like his calling card,” Loren explains as her brother-in-law and his wife join us. “If you set up a wood joke, he will?—”
“No one wants to hear that one, Agnes.” Blake slips a hand over her mouth before she can finish, then winces when she bites him. “ Save that enthusiasm for later, huh?” he tells her, narrowing his eyes and shaking his hand out.
I gag to myself.
