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“I make very good money, thank you very much.” Celia shook her head with a laugh. “But I also give an excellent friend discount.”
“Resistance is futile,” I warned Reid. “She can outstubborn even me when it comes to food.”
“Impressive,” Reid murmured.
“Thanks. Be right back.”
I wasn’t sure where Celia rushed off to, but she was barely gone long enough for Reid to almost convince me to hand over one of my cookies so he could take it home for Lila. That turned out to be unnecessary because she came back with a small cooler, which she handed to Reid.
“What’s this?” He looked inside and let out a low whistle. “You had two extra box lunches just hanging around?”
“I figured as long as I was making boxes for Julian and Stewart, I might as well do them for Megan and me too since we hadn’t decided where to have lunch,” she explained. “But I hadn’t told her about them yet, so we can just pick a restaurant instead. And you can go home and earn some brownie points with your wife. Everyone’s happy and well fed, just how I like it.”
“Normally, I’d say that taking someone else’s food is a step too far, but this will make Lila’s day, and she deserves that. So thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Celia brushed a quick kiss against my cheek. “Enjoy your lunch. Love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” I tangled my fingers with hers before she could walk away. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” She beamed a smile at me before walking out.
Reid waited until the door shut before looking at the cooler, then at me. “She really is great. I’m happy for you.”
“Never been happier,” I admitted as I walked around my desk and sat down.
“Figured that out when you told her you love her, right in front of me.” He dropped onto the chair across from me. “Didn’t think I’d ever see that kind of easy affection from you.”
“She makes it easy.” I unwrapped my sandwich. “Although the words are newer.”
“I came back from paternity leave, and it’s like you’re a whole new person.” He shook his head and scrubbed his palm down his face. “If I wasn’t so tired, I’d suggest a double date so Lila can meet Celia, but that’ll have to wait until Ryan is sleeping through the night.”
“Maybe we can bring dinner over sometime next week,” I suggested.
Reid’s eyes lit up. “If Celia wants to make another batch of the chicken fajitas you dropped off when we got home from the hospital, I wouldn’t turn it down.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” I made a mental note to talk to Celia about it tonight. “But first we need to make it through dinner with Ellie and Harry tomorrow night.”
“You’re introducing her to your daughter? That’s bigger than saying ‘I love you’ to each other.”
“Hopefully big doesn’t mean dramatic.” I took a bite of my sandwich. “Courtney and I have been divorced for a decade, and I’ve never brought a woman around Ellie in all that time.”
“You waited for the right one. Nothing wrong with that.”
I just hoped Ellie saw it the same way.
16
CELIA
Icalled Megan on the way to the restaurant.
“Hey girl. Are you almost there?”
“Ten minutes out. Julian sent a car so I could ride back to his place with him after we’re done.” I smoothed my skirt over my thighs before admitting, “Is it weird that I’m scared?”
“Not at all,” she reassured me. “This is a big step for you and Julian.”
“Yeah.” I sighed.
