Page 63 of Say Uncle

I sat down at the kitchen table and tugged Nicky onto my lap. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“You can ask me anything,” Nicky said brightly.

“When we come back from this trip, I want to take you to dinner.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, it’s a rite of passage, to treat the man you love to dinner.”

“Me?” he asked again.

“Yes, you,” I insisted, brushing my nose with his. Nicky turned absolutely pink-cheeked.

“Okay, I mean, I love you too. Will you wear those tight jeans for me?”

“Yes,” I laughed. “Whatever you want. I couldn’t have dreamed of this or made it a reality without your help. You believed in me from day one and you’re not just my partner in crime, you’re my rock.” I squeezed him tight. “I loveyou, Nicky.”

He sighed happily. “I love you too, Mattie.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Anything.”

“Would you ever want to live with me? If Sam and Cass were there too? If we all lived together?”

He turned on my lap, fixing me with the most awestruck expression. “Is that a thing? Like, for real?”

“Yeah, for real,” I grinned.

He popped a kiss on my lips and sprang to his feet. “Gotta go,” he called out, running down the hall. “My answer is yes!” And then I heard the front door slam.

As I sat there by myself, chuckling, I realized I’d never felt more sure about anything. I was headed in the right direction, with the right men by my side. My future was wide open. Nothing could stop me now.

We dined at a little Italian restaurant with white linen tablecloths and wine goblets for our ice water. I cut a piece of lasagna and forked it into my mouth.

“When we come back from Bermuda, I want to take Nicky to lunch to thank him for all of his hard work. I also saw this seahorse stuffie the other day that I thought he would go gaga over.”

Sam smirked. “He already has four; does he really need a fifth? Cass complained there’s barely any room for him on the bed anymore.”

“I want to get him a new pair of Chucks, ‘cause his are trashed, and there’s this little bathing suit he has his eye on, and then…”

“Slow down, Mattie. The whole point of earningmoney is to save it. You may not have any expenses, but don’t blow it all on frivolous stuff.” He raised his goblet to his lips, and I couldn’t help but watch his throat slide as he swallowed. So fucking sexy. “It’s not just about figuring out what makes you happy earning money. It’s about where you want to go from here.”

“I know, you’re right. I’m supposed to be making smarter decisions, but this is the first time I've had money like this, and… I just… Want to spend it on the people I love.”

“I know the feeling,” he grinned. “I want to give you everything. I want to share my home with you. But my dream doesn’t stop there. It’s big and messy and unconventional. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“You mean Cass and Nicky? Yeah, I’m sure. I brought it up to him today.”

“And what did he say?”

“He yelled yes just before he ran out of the house like his pants were on fire. Probably to go twist Cass’s arm. It was like he was a man on a mission.”

Sam laughed, gazing deeply into my eyes. “It’s the kind of lifestyle you have to defend constantly, and sometimes it can hurt to defend it to certain people.”

“I know what you’re saying and I get it. I would fight for you and them,” I swore fiercely.

“It’s not us, sweetheart. You’re fighting for what’s in here,” he rubbed his chest, “in your heart. You’re fighting for what you want most.”

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