Page 16 of The Addendum

All the guys were playing golf, and the women were having a day of pampering.

“I always am.” She leaned over, excitement making her eyes dance. “I think Gracie might be pregnant again.”

I finished chewing my bagel. “Did she tell you that?”

“No. But I noticed she didn’t drink anything last night, and Jaxson was even more protective than normal. He never took his eyes off her.”

“That would be awesome. A baby sibling for Kylie.”

“She probably doesn’t want to take away from the wedding. I’m sure she’ll tell us next week if she is.”

Gavin had shared the news his wife Amanda was pregnant last night. He was excited about being a dad. I was excited about being a grandpa again.

I nodded, feeling pleased at Katy’s words. My family was still growing.

“Luc looked happy last night,” Katy mused.

I pushed away my plate. “What, ah, did you think of his new girlfriend?”

“She seemed lovely. I only spoke to her briefly, but Luc appears to be smitten.”

“Have we met her before?” I asked.

“No, I don’t think so. Why?”

In the bright light of the day, the sudden strange looks and animosity I’d felt from Ashley after we were introduced seemed overly dramatic. I had to be mistaken. I had no memory of meeting her before. No recollection of business dealings or anything with her, so there would be no reason for any of it.

I shrugged. “She looked vaguely familiar, but I don’t recall meeting her.”

“She’s an event planner, so perhaps you saw her at one of your dinners or something.”

That made sense. I did meet a lot of people, although I usually had a good memory for faces and names. It was part of the business I was in.

“Maybe. I, ah, got the feeling she didn’t like me.”

Katy frowned. “From a hello and a handshake? I think she was simply overwhelmed. This lot is intimidating if you get thrown into the deep end. Remember the look on poor Hunter’s face the first time he came to a family gathering?”

I chuckled, thinking about it. Hunter was Ava’s husband. The first time he’d arrived at a family barbecue, he’d looked as if he wanted to turn around and run. But he had found his place among us, and he was part of the family now.

“I suppose.”

“Even when he was younger and we were a smaller group, Luc took a while to fit in,” Katy pointed out. “I’m sure he’s forgotten, but for poor Ashley last night, it was a feetfirst into the fire thing. So many faces and names to remember.”

Katy was right, and what she said made perfect sense. I had probably mistaken nerves and anxiety for animosity.

If I had never met the woman, what reason would she have to dislike me?

I sat back and finished my coffee. Thank God for Katy. She made everything better.

* * *

I dug around in the garage, finding my golf bag. I should have done it the day before, but Katy and I spent the day relaxing, recovering from the party, and with Kylie.

I found it, grateful when I remembered cleaning my clubs before I put them away last fall. From outside, I could hear Katy’s laughter and the booming sound of Aiden’s voice.

I pushed the automatic door opener and stepped outside, stopping in shock at the sight before me.

“What the hell are you wearing?”