I groan. “I’ve had enough talking about our love lives for one night, especially while I’m still sitting here in my underwear.”
“Ew.” She scrunches up her nose and wiggles back to the foot of the bed. “You didn’t tell me you weren’t wearing pants. And I held your hand and everything.”
“Actually, I told you I was naked, and you came in anyway,” I retort dryly.
“Because I assumed you were lying,” she mutters before she glances back at me. “At least tell me you’llconsiderdoing all the mushy, lovey-dovey, spicy stuff with Daisy?”
I exhale loudly, unable to hide my smile now. “Maybe. If I haven’t pushed her away yet.”
She stares expectantly. “You do realize she’s been into you this whole time, right?”
“Even though my chest hair was overgrown?” I pose, reaching up to scratch again.
She scoffs. “You could probably shave a heart between your pecs, and she’d think it was adorable.”
“She probably would,” I agree with a laugh.
“Daisy’s pretty adorable, too, though,” Loren adds, nudging my leg again.
“Yeah, she is.” I don’t even bother disguising the fondness in my voice.
“She’s also hot. I mean, I don’t blame you for marrying her.” Loren purses her lips.
I stifle a smirk. “You know me, I can’t resist a damsel in distress.”
“Especially when she’s marriage-of-convenience-turned-real-thing material.”
“Eh, I’m not sure I’m even into that sort of thing,” I muse, and her face breaks into a wide grin.
“Oooh, you want to kiss her, love her, and mar-rry her …” she sings and mimics Sandra Bullock inMiss Congeniality.
I shrug. “Maybe. And maybe I’ve already done all those things.”
Loren squeals, and I shush her, not wanting her to wake our dad. “Landry, do you really love her?” she whispers.
“If I do, I’m certainly not going to admit it to you before I get the chance to tellher.”
She only coos and bats her eyelashes at me. “Come on, promise me you’ll declare your undying love for Daisy and ask her to marry you for real and make babies and grow old together? Please? It’s the last thing I’ll ever ask of you, I swear!” I force a scowl at her, but she adds pleading hands. “Marriage of convenience is my favorite romance trope! You have to live happily ever after now.” I grunt, and she continues, “Do it for me. Do it for your nieces, so they’ll grow up believing in true love and all that.”
“Can’t they just look at their parents and godparents for that?” I offer, smiling.
“Then do it for yourself, because you deserve your own little family.” My chest tightens again when she says it. “Please, Lando?”
“Go home, Lo-Lo,” I reply mockingly before shoving her off my bed with my feet. “Shouldn’t you be off tending to your husband and your kids?”
She clicks her tongue as she stumbles and rises to her feet. “Fine. But Blake’s probably waiting for me with a sexy apology and that bag of Reese’s trees. So if I get knocked up, I’m blaming you.”
I shake my head, instinctively readying myself for a lecture about spacing her pregnancies, especially after such a traumatic delivery. But I hear Daisy’s voice in the back of my head telling me that Loren’s an adult and that she and Blake know better. And that being a medical professional doesn’t give me the right to boss my sister around.
Loving and supportive …
“Yeah, yeah. Text me when you get home safely,” I say to her instead.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she retorts, sticking out her tongue.
I smile and take a fortifying breath. “Thank you, Lo. For this. It means more to me than you think.”
Her expression softens. “I needed this, too,” she says with a shy shrug. “I love you.”
