Page 85 of Taming the Boss

I hadn’t even fully processed the question when Jude replied. “Yes. Because she’s absolutely part of mine.”

Chapter 23

I’d never had a Guinness before. And I couldn’t even say if I liked it because I’d had enough scotch and mixed drinks first that I hadn’t been overly picky when we switched to Guinness.

By the time I started drinking it, I had to say it tasted just fine.

“You should let us set up the first meet,” Seth said, gesturing broadly with what I was pretty sure was his third Guinness. But I also might’ve lost count. “I mean, with our father. Your father too now.”

“He’s an asshole,” Oliver offered, unbidden.

“Great. I already have one of those. Was hoping I’d maybe traded up.” I knocked back more of my drink, although I knew it was unwise. I’d left the keys to the Jag with Maddie so I didn’t have to worry about driving home. I trusted her with my car. With my son. With my entire life, basically. “Hey, you’re both clearly married.”

“Indeed,” Oliver grunted, also many Guinnesses and other spirits in. He’d been drinking the hardest of all of us, although I hadn’t been paying a ton of attention.

“So, how do you know you want to spend your life with someone?”

“Thinking you want to marry a fine lass?” Rex O’Cleary, the bartender, inquired on his way by. “Or not a fine lass, your choice, of course.”

I frowned, thinking it over. “Mine is the finest. Not sure she’s Irish, though. I should ask her.”

“I’d say it’s a good guess,” Seth announced. “She’s a fair bit younger than you, isn’t she?”

“She’s legal, dammit,” I muttered before letting out a belch.

Lovely. I should not be drinking, at least not this much.

“How old are you?” Seth asked though Oliver made some hand gesture and answered before I could.

“Younger than us. Though who isn’t these days?”

Seth sighed heavily. “Here we go. He’s getting mopey. Why did you let him drink?” He was staring at me, which made no sense because he was the one who’d shared a womb with the guy.

“I’ve only known him a few hours. How is it my fault?”

“Because you don’t know any better and I do. The one time I got him drunk was before he married Sage and he even wore jeans that night. Some people in town still talk about that halcyon day.” Then he seemed to notice my own style of dress, which skewed closer to Oliver’s than Seth’s own, since he wore jeans and an ancient-looking baseball jersey. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, are you a copy of him?”

Oliver snorted out a laugh. “That’s his worst nightmare, Jude. More than one of me in the world.”

“It was a work day, though I didn’t work. I mostly just shopped. But it was supposed to be fun tonight. My boy was going to see his first fireworks. And me too, come to that.”

“You haven’t ever seen fireworks?” Seth asked. “How? Where did you live before here, in a cave?”

I had to laugh. “My parents weren’t into all that. Well, your mother too. Surely you must’ve known she wasn’t the sort to have picnics and go watch fireworks and do all of that bucolic family shit she sold the idea of in her damn home line.”

“She skipped out on us young. Not that young, looking back, but it felt like we were frigging babies without a damn mother. And you got her and don’t sound too impressed, either.” Oliver lifted his Guinness. “Goes to show, it’s all just a matter of perspective.”

“Guess so. Since you aren’t exactly thrilled with dear old dad, either. One thing I fucking love though? Never expected to, either.”

Seth held up a hand. “Keep it clean around here so you don’t get Oliver overexcited so he tries to impregnate Sage yet again. If he had his way, she’d be barefoot and pregnant all year long, and a preggo Sage is not a happy Sage.”

“More like your wife will be jealous and will want another herself. Don’t hate, son.” Oliver toasted his brother and drank heartily.

I lifted my own Guinness and realized it was virtually empty, dammit. “I’m hoping I knocked up Maddie, but it’s too soon to know.”

“Now he sounds morose. Carbon copy, I swear. Do they sell the attitude with the fussy ass suits?” Seth leaned on the bar to talk around Jude to Oliver. “Oh, and smart ass, Ally already wants another one. Sage just had the second faster, but Ally is ready for three.”

“You had a head start, asshole. Years before Sage and I even considered getting together.”

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