“He’s bringing dinner. You want to stay and eat with us?”
In all the chaos, I’d forgotten why I was there. “You don’t have to feed me. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Sure.”
Jax’s crying had turned into half-hearted gurgling. I looked down and saw he was soothing himself with half his fist in his mouth.
“Did my dad talk to you about potential guys I could date after I left last night?”
Melissa nodded, not looking the least bit repentant about it. “He felt so bad about Denver, and he asked me if I knew of any guys I could set you up with.”
“Melissa, that was the whole reason I confronted him. I don’t want my dad playing chess with my love life.”
“You don’t even want him interested in it?”
“No.”
She frowned. “He loves you so much, Lauren. And I get it because I see the way Connor worries over Raelyn. He’d do anything for her. Dads just want to fix everything. They can’t help themselves.”
“Melissa, my dad called Clay and asked him to weasel into a double date with whoever this guy is you want to set me up with. So he can spy on our date. Does that sound like he’s sorry and wants to do better?”
Melissa stopped picking up stray socks and wrappers from the living room floor and turned to stare at me. “Clay told you this?”
I looked down at Jax and smoothed a wisp of hair over his forehead. “Yeah. Clay hates being put in the middle, and no wonder. I got pretty mad at him. It’s the whole kill the messenger thing. And when my dad finds out Clay told me, he’ll be mad at Clay, too.” I hadn’t felt sorry for Clay until the words left my mouth, and now I felt bad for ditching him at the middle school. He picked the wrong family to hang out with for life. We were drama queens. All of us.
“Poor Clay.” Melissa looked thoughtful. “He won’t let me set him up with anyone either.”
“You’ve tried to set Clay up on dates?”
“Yeah. He wouldn’t have it. Parker either. The whole unromantic bunch of you are driving me crazy. All I want to do is rearrange all the single people I know like Barbies and Kens, and none of you will let me.”
I laughed, startling Jax. He didn’t settle down again until I rocked him back and forth while wandering around the room.
“What do you want me to do?” Melissa asked. “Do you want me to talk to John?”
“No. Absolutely not. In fact, go ahead and give this guy my number. I’ll go out with him. I might even talk Clay into going with us.”
“Oh, Lauren. What sort of evil plan are you concocting?”
“Who says it’s an evil plan?”
“You’re a Harwood.”
“Technically, so are you, sister. Besides, I have no plan.” I really didn’t. I just had a lot of curiosity about Clay on a date and a feeling my dad needed to learn just how murky the dating waters were these days. He thought he could pick a better guy than me? Let him try.
Melissa bit her nail. “This guy I want to set you up with, he’s a real go-getter. If I tell him you’re interested, don’t be surprised if he calls right away. He doesn’t believe in dawdling.”
“And how do you know him?” I asked.
“He’s my brother’s ex-girlfriend’s roommate’s brother.”
“Seriously?”
“I swear he’s totally been vetted.”
“Of course. This church-going, non-partier who’s been too studious to date.”
Melissa’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know all that?”
