“You’re a jerk, you know that right?” She laughed at me. “You’re so mean.”
“I’m mean?” I put my hands up. “My brother has lost his head. What girl wants to become a mother after one date?”
“Zane, let’s just see what happens.”
“Well, that’s what we’re doing.” I grinned. “Just don’t go booking the parenting classes as yet, just in case.”
“Oh, Zane.” She leaned forward and kissed me and I squeezed her ass.
“That’s so you don’t forget me while I’m at lunch.” I gave her ass a couple of light slaps and ran out of the study as she yelped and tried to hit me. I ran up the stairs laughing and Lucky followed quickly behind me.
***
“I’m glad I’m not a pariah in the Beaumont household anymore.” Leo grinned at me as we finished up lunch.
“You were never a pariah, just slightly unwelcome.” I laughed back at him. “Who knew you dated, Robin though? You never mentioned her to me.”
“You know I don’t like to talk about girls I date.”
“But you didn’t really consider her someone you were dating, did you?”
“Okay, okay, you got me. I know I messed up.” He shrugged. “Oh well, she never looked at me the way she looks at Noah.”
“Which is surprising, you’re a whole lot better looking than him.”
“I know right?” He played with his hair and we both laughed.
“Seriously though, Leo. Thank you. This could have become a really complicated situation. Thank you for just walking away.”
“All Robin did was talk about Noah.” He made a face. “About how much she liked him, but that he lied to her and she wasn’t sure if she could trust him. Believe you me, she made the decision, not me.”
“I hope it works out for them.”
“Yeah, me too.” Leo continued eating and I shook my head.
“Liar, but whatever. Did I tell you I’m planning the wedding?”
“You’re what?” Leo sputtered and looked at me in shock. “Please tell me that Lucky hit her head? Whose idea was this?”
“She doesn’t know.” I laughed. “It’s going to be a surprise.”
“Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be a surprise that doesn’t go down well? When Noah brought it up the other night, I thought he was joking around. I had no idea you were seriously going to go ahead with this.”
“It’s romantic, you chump.”
“Says who?”
“Says everyone.” I shook my head at him and took two gulps of beer. “Remember Leeza, her crazy best friend? She have me some tips. She’s going to help me.”
“The Leeza that tried to hook up with you and me?” He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me, she recommended Poison Ivy for the bouquet.”
“Haha, I know. I didn’t think she would be very helpful, but it turns out I was wrong. She’s given me a lot to think about.”
“So where is the wedding going to be held?”
“I’m going to find a place in Napa or Sonoma. A nice field or something. Maybe a vineyard.”
“Yeah baby, a wine tasting at a wedding. That would be awesome.”
“While that would be awesome, it’s not going to happen. My wife can’t drink as she’s pregnant.”
“She’s not your wife yet, Zane.”
“Oops, you know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “Though I never thought my boy would become so whooped. I never even imagined you getting married, let alone planning the wedding. Who stole your balls and how do I get them back for you?”
“Just wait until you fall in love.”
“I thought I did.”
“No, you didn’t. If you thought for one moment that Robin was the one you wouldn’t have given up so easily.”
“I miss her you know.” He sighed and his blue eyes looked at me seriously. “She was different. A little feisty and spunky, but I liked that. I liked that she didn’t want to just jump into bed. She wanted to get to know me. She wanted to really see if we had a connection. And I screwed up.”
“Can you sleep at night?”
“What do you mean, can I sleep at night?”
“It’s a simple question. Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night?”
“No, why?”
“When I first met Lucky in the diner and first started talking and interacting with her, she was all I could think about. Even in my dreams. And when I started dating her, I had trouble sleeping. I couldn’t think about anything but her. Do you spend your nights dreaming of Robin?”
“No,” he gave me a wry smile. “Not at all. Though a certain Playboy bunny did make an appearance in my dreams the other night.”
“You’re a pig.”
“It takes one to know one.” He laughed and finished up his steak. “Seriously though, you know I’m happy for you. Also, if you do anything to hurt Lucky, I’ll be waiting in the wings.”
“Why do I have a feeling there are many men waiting in the wings?” I shook my head and chugged the rest of my beer down.
“Because you’re marrying the best woman in the world.”
“I know.” I sighed. “Trust me, I worry every day that she’s going to wake up and think to herself, what did I do? I don’t want her to turn 30 and then look at me and all the kids and think what happened to my life.”
“All the kids? You guys are only having twins right?”
“Well, you know.” I laughed. “I’m fertile. We may have a whole basketball team, by the time she hits 30.”
“Do you want a whole basketball team?” Leo looked at me in surprise.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind.”
“Does she want a whole basketball team?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe that’s something you should talk about.”
“I guess we’ll discuss it in our parenting class.”
“I don’t think that’s the sort of thing you discuss in parenting class.” Leo shook his head at me. “Maybe in a marriage class.”
“A marriage class?”
“You know, one of those should we get married classes?”
“Oh hell no, I’m not going to anymore classes. I do not need someone to tell me that we’re not ready to get married; especially with her belly full of my babies.”