I look again and there’s Kadi, sitting cross legged in front of me with dollar signs in her eyes. I point at her.
“No way, kid. That’s a freebie. You’re asking me some pretty personal questions here. I get some freebies,” I tell her.
She shrugs. “But you didn’t answer.”
The way she’s just staring at me—again—I know I better answer. Hell, I don’t want to know what’s coming next. This kid kinda scares me.
“Yes, two men can get married. They just adjusted the law a few years ago,” I tell her.
“If you love Ethan a whole lot and he loves you a whole lot, why aren’t you married?” Kadi asks with a smile.
Ethan spits his juice out and it hits Jace in the face. Serves the fucker right for letting his girl keep on like she is.
“Aren’t you just full of questions today,” Lucy asks with a snicker.
Kadi nods, her gaze not wavering from mine; but, really, it wasn’t even a question.
“Kadi, we just haven’t talked about getting married yet.”
“Well, why not if you’re in love? Weddings are romantic. I could be your Best Girl—you know, instead of a Best Man.”
I can’t help but laugh. She’s relentless. “When the time comes, Tiny Dancer, you’ll be my Best Girl. I promise.”
Ethan’s still choking on the juice he swallowed wrong at the word “married” so I pat him on the back.
Who can blame him? We’re just starting to quote-come out-unquote. And honestly, I’ve been keeping some things to myself. Like, how I feel about the future. For instance, he doesn’t know that in my eyes we’re already married. He’s mine and I’m his. It’s been a life-long battle to get here, and I’m not ever letting him go. Looks like we’ll have to have a talk later.
Kadi looks at me with a twinkle in her eye.
“What about babies?”
“Fuck this. I’m outta here,” I mutter, getting up and handing my empty plate and glass to Mrs. M, and booking it the hell outta there. I hear everyone laughing behind me. I turn and meet Ethan’s gaze. He’s smirking in that sexy way he does, and I smile back.
“That’s a freebie, Kadi,” he tells her, and I send him a wink before I head to the gym to see what the construction guys are working on.
Holy fucking hell. Here, everyone’s worried about Kiki aka the She Devil. Not me. Hell no. I’m more worried about Kadi the Inquisitor. That kid. She’s going to be the death of me. I know it.
8
ETHAN
Iwanted to laugh. I did. But Kadi caught me off guard. Talk about invasive, but kids don’t know any different. They’re innocent, curious. Just as I protected her when she felt threatened by Jesse, I think she’s protecting me. Lincoln’s not a threat, but she’ll see that in her own time.
“You’re smiling,” Joan notes. “That’s a good sign.”
My smile grows. “This morning, Kadi gave Linc the inquisition.”
“Oh?” she asks with a snicker.
“Yeah. It was about our relationship and does he love me, what about marriage, and what about kids,” I recount.
“Oh my. I bet the family had a good time with that.”
I nod. “They all kinda laughed silently, but some were louder than others. Like Xander.”
“Of course. Xander.”
There are a few moments of silence, not uncomfortable but retrospective.
