Page 6 of About That Pact

Ugh, that voice. Why was he here?

“Rafe, honey, take my seat. I’m going to help Patrick finish up so we can have dinner.”

“At least she knows I’m a lost cause.” Jason was relieved to be off the hook. He was practically bouncing his chair. “You, Charlie Horse, are her only hope.”

Rafe remained standing, even with the empty seat available for him now. “Careful. I called her Charlie on Friday and she almost neutered me.”

“If only I could,” she swatted back at him.

His grin rivaled the devil. “If you’re trying to get closer to my baby making parts, you don’t have to threaten me, just ask.”

She lifted an eyebrow, looking at her brother. “Jase, are you going to let him talk to me like that?”

“You can defend yourself.” He gave her two thumbs up. “That, and I know you would never actually touch Rafe or his baby making parts.”

Didn’t she wish that was the truth.

Rafe’s eyes were on her, challenging her to say something in contrast to her brother’s words.

“Rafe is the last thing I want in a man.” While she said it to Jason, she stared at Rafe, driving the point home. He meant nothing to her.

“Dinner’s ready!” Patrick called out. Jason, always ready to eat, hopped up to get food, leaving Charlotte and Rafe on the deck, neither willing to walk away first.

Rafe took a few steps to stand in front of Charlotte, bent down, and whispered in her ear. “If I remember correctly, I am exactly what you want in a man.”

Before she could deny his accusation, he winked and walked away. Ugh, she hated when he got the last word in.

AFTER CHARLOTTE’S QUICK departure on Friday, Rafe had been waiting for an excuse to see her again. So, when he ran into Carly at the grocery store, he hadn’t hesitated a beat when she’d invited him to dinner. Anytime he got to surprise Charlotte was a win for him, and the look on her face when she saw him on the patio had been priceless. Dinner went on without any fighting between them, but he credited that to her parents being at the table.

They finished dinner, and Patrick brought out dessert.

Jason winced with disgust. “Is that a wedding cake? First you talk about having grandkids and now marriage?”

“Just because the frosting is white doesn’t make it a wedding cake,” their dad answered.

Rafe gave a light chuckle. His friend was allergic to commitment, which made him wonder if Charlotte was the same way. After their defining blow up, he hadn’t heard about any serious relationships…unless her job counted.

“Not that I would be opposed to a wedding cake,” Carly interjected, giving her kids a hopeful look.

Charlotte gave her mom another idea to mule over. “Why don’t you worry about keeping everyone in line when we go on vacation?”

“Her dream would happen there,” Rafe said slyly. “People notoriously get married in Vegas.”

“Can we please stop talking about weddings?” Jason asked around a mouthful of cake.

“How about we talk about Vegas!” Patrick clapped his hands with excitement.

Vacation was still four months away, but everyone was ready to go and it was a big crowd. Every year, Rafe’s parents planned a trip with four other couples, including Charlotte and Jason’s parents. Their parents all met in college and the annual trip was something they promised to always do, no matter how big their crew got.

“The plan is we eat meals together, right?” Charlotte asked. She was such a planner, he bet she would have an itinerary of everything she was going to do scheduled down to the minute.

Jason’s eyes glittered. “Unless Mom and Dad want to go to a strip club with me. A bit unorthodox, but—”

“Jason Roth Madison, no.” Carly used her mom voice, despite Jason being thirty-four years old.

“Your mom and I are going to enjoy the evening weather and finish some wine outside. Make sure you take leftovers with you,” Patrick told them, holding hands with his wife.

Once their parents were outside, Jason cut another piece of cake. “Dibs on the cake. I’m going to watch the rest of the game. Coming, Rafe?”