Page 109 of The Grump

“Oh shit, we’re cockblocking,” Zachary exclaimed.

Xander immediately put me down. Zachary, Anthony, and Beckett were crowded in the doorway, grinning like crazy.

Xander frowned. “What are you three doing here?”

“I spoke to Zachary. He wanted some pralines,” I told him.

“And I offered to come build the shelves for the new warehouse,” Zachary explained.

“Dude, we’re interrupting a moment,” Anthony pointed out.

“Oh please, these two are old news,” Beckett replied.

“No, there’s something different,” Zachary said.

I couldn’t bring myself to say a word, so I just held out my hand, wiggling my fingers.

“Holy shit. Congrats!” Zachary beamed at us.

“That’s Isabeau’s ring.” Beckett sounded stunned.

Anthony whistled. “If that’s not a stamp of approval from the family, I don’t know what is.”

Zachary grinned from ear to ear. “All right, damn, this is bad timing. Really, brother. You proposed here?”

“I had a whole plan,” Xander said, sounding mildly annoyed.

“But you decided to be spontaneous,” Zachary said, then turned to me. “Just so you know, Bailey, you did do a miracle with this one. We weren’t expecting it—ever.”

“My God. No good deed goes unpunished in this family, does it?” Xander asked.

Anthony and Beckett laughed.

“No, dude, but that’s what we had going for us,” Anthony said. “You were the exacting, detail-obsessed one, and we were the ones who went with the flow.”

“Hey, we still are,” Zachary countered.

“Sorry to spoil this for you, brother,” Beckett added, “but you are more like Xander than Anthony or I.”

Zachary cocked a brow.

“Before I forget, I have your very special order of pralines.” I said, holding up the box.

He smiled, taking it from me. “Thank you.”

Anthony and Beckett stared at him. “Who do you need a custom order for?” Beckett asked.

“None of your business.”

Just like that, I realized Zachary was hiding something. I’d thought so on the phone earlier but wasn’t sure. Maybe I shouldn’t have announced it in front of the others. But he did deserve some payback for teasing my man.

“I’m worrying,” Anthony said. “Did Isabeau and Celine slip someone lilac perfume, and now you’re going the same way as the others?”

Zachary snorted. “Nothing like that. I’m interested in investing in a... side project. A farm by the bayou. They use horses for therapy purposes. The owners are an elderly couple. Both insisted they love the LeBlanc & Broussard pralines.”

“Okay, that’s boring,” Anthony replied.

Beckett narrowed his eyes. “Wait... you’re trying to win them over? Why? Should be a slam dunk.”

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