Mama pops the champagne and starts to hand out glasses.
Penny shakes her head immediately. “No thanks.”
That catches my attention. Penny never turns down champagne. She just smiles and reaches for water instead.
Cas watches her like he already knows something the rest of us don’t.
Interesting.
Mama hands glasses to everyone else. “To thirty years,” she says.
Everyone lifts theirs, and we drink to their marriage.
Then she turns toward Lexy. “You’ll be there, right, Lexy? We’d love to have you.”
Lexy gasps softly beside me. “Oh, I don’t… you don’t have to feel obligated to…”
“Pfff. Obligated,” Mama says.
Dad walks over and places his hand on her shoulder. “We want you there.”
Lexy smiles. “Okay… if my boss gives me the night off… why not.”
She looks at me. That small smile makes something low and dangerous shift in my chest.
I want to kiss those full lips and finally find out what they taste like. Strawberry? Vanilla?
I bet it’s something sweet.
“Dex, she asked you something.” Cas’s voice snaps me out of it.
I look up. He and Ethan are both smirking like damn Cheshire cats.
“Everything okay, little brother?” Ethan asks. “You looked like you were in a trance there.” His smile widens.
I give him my best fuck-you look before turning back to Lexy, who is now blushing.
“Sure,” I growl. “No problem.”
“How’s the kitten?” Jude finally speaks up, probably trying to save me, and immediately a gasp sounds out.
Mia is gaping at me. “Uncle Dex, you got a kitten?” Her blue eyes are full of anticipation and joy.
“Actually, Lexy found him behind a dumpster at the bar, and she adopted him.”
I glance toward Lexy, who’s smiling at Mia. “You can come over and play with him. I bet Marvel would love to play, if your parents don’t mind, of course.”
Mia’s smile grows, and she claps her hands.
“Can we, Daddy? Please say yes?” She looks at Ethan eagerly, and he just nods. “Of course, pumpkin.” Then he turns to me.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor. Summer and I will go away for a weekend next month, and I was wondering if Mia could stay with you for the weekend?”
Ethan glances at Summer, then back at me.
“Mom and Dad will have the B&B fully booked that weekend, and Cas and Penny had plans, so…”
He looks unsure, but I just smile.
