I shook my head and sighed.
Amanda gave me a knowing look.
I put the girls to bed while Zane and Amanda cleaned up. I definitely got the better end of the deal. I had a feeling the girls wouldn’t be sleeping well. It was like the night before Christmas for them. They each promised to bring me something Disney related.
“Do you think you could bring back Prince Charming for me?”
They giggled. Too bad I was serious.
I came down to say goodbye to Zane and Amanda. I figured they would want to get to bed, because they had an early flight, but Amanda pulled me into the living room to talk to me for a bit. They both sat on the couch, and I took the large ottoman in front of it, trying not to get too cozy.
“So, what’s wrong, Kelli? You’re not acting like yourself. Did something happen at work today?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I had a . . . good day.”
Amanda tapped me with her foot. “Did Ian bring in another blonde?”
“No,” I hesitated, “he sent me flowers today for my birthday.”
Both of their faces beamed.
I waved off their excitement. “It was nothing.”
Zane reached over and patted my hand. “Kelli, I know we’ve raised you better than to be this naïve.”
I couldn’t help but laugh when Zane got all parental on me. He was only like eight years older than me. “I’m not naïve. Ask Amanda, she’ll tell you.”
She grinned at me but didn’t jump to my defense. I kept looking at her expectantly and getting more annoyed by the second as she stared with amusement on her face. I finally blurted out, “Why are you staring at me like a fool?”
“I think we were wrong about the hussy.” She tensed waiting for my response.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t agree, but even if it’s not what we think, so what?”
“Kelli, you need to open your eyes to the truth,” Zane jumped in with his two cents.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He took my hands in his like he was talking to his daughters. “Ian loves you,” he said point blank.
I laughed in his face and pulled away my hands. “Have you been inhaling laughing gas at work?”
Both he and my sister were looking at me as if I was the high one.
I stopped laughing. “Guys, you know that’s not true.”
They looked between each other, making me feel more uncomfortable than I already was. “Why do you think that?” My voice cracked.
“Besides it being completely obvious, he said some things while we were golfing that cinched it,” Zane answered.
I began to feel weird again. All I could do was stare blankly, with my mouth wide open. Amanda lovingly closed it for me.
“Fine. I’ll play your sick little game. Did he say he . . .” I could barely say the word in relation to him, “loved me?”
“He didn’t say the exact words,” Zane admitted.
I folded my arms with a fair amount of smugness.
“Kelli, the man loves you.”
