Page 8 of Marry Your Best Friend

“You have plenty of time,” she agrees. “You coming over for dinner tomorrow night?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be here. I want you to know I think you’re amazing. I can’t believe you feel up to hosting all of us for dinner. Haven, you’re only two weeks postpartum. I would be mad at my brother for doing this to you, but I have trouble believing it was his idea.”

She laughs, and I can hear the smile on her face. “Please, King had the house cleaned. He is having the food catered in, and I have to basicallydo nothing. And you’re right, it was my idea. I wanted us all to get together, you know?”

I turn and lean the side of my face on the couch. I can see the top of Macy’s head, and I’m wondering if she’s already gone back to sleep. “I’m going to leave a little early tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah?” Her eyes light up, and I can’t help but laugh. “Do you have plans?”

I roll my eyes. I mean, I might as well tell her because it will make it through the rest of the family before long. “Yes, I have a date.”

Her eyes practically pop out of her head. “A date? Does Gabriel know?”

My forehead creases. “First of all, I don’t have to ask Gabe’s permission to go on a date.”

She blows a soft whistle and sounds almost aghast. “So he doesn’t know?”

I think about the conversation I had with Gabe the other day and the promises I made. “Yes. Gabe knows. I told him.”

She smiles and shifts in her seat. I lean forward. “Is she back to sleep? Am I ever going to get to hold her?”

She sits up. “She’s sleeping, but you can hold her.”

Haven places the baby in my arms, and I getlost looking at her. She’s so beautiful, and I breathe in her sweet, powdery scent. She lets out one whimper and then snuggles into me.

Haven leans in and whispers, “Don’t think you’ve distracted me. What did Gabe say when you told him?”

I act like I don’t know what she’s talking about. “Told him what?”

She makes a big to-do about rolling her eyes. “When you told him you were going on a date.”

I’m still frustrated about Gabe’s reaction. I’m not sure why he’s acting like he is. He’s always been protective of me, but it’s been different lately, and I don’t know what to make of it. “He, uh, didn’t take it well. He asked me a dozen questions. He wanted to know who the guy is, what he does, where we’re going…”

She claps her hands together without making any noise and then rambles off a bunch of questions. “Who is he? How did you meet him? Where are you going?”

“He’s a doctor at the hospital. His name is Roger Banks. I’m sure my brothers all know him because he’s from Whiskey Run. We’re going to the Whiskey Whistler for drinks…. Keeping it casual.”

She raises her eyebrows dramatically. “What did Gabe say?”

I blow out a breath, remembering the conversation I had with Gabe. He was not happy, and I had to remind him that he didn’t have a say on who I dated, I was just telling him as a courtesy because I told him I would. “Well, what didn’t he say? He thinks Roger is too old for me. He thinks he’s a player and I’m wasting my time with him—”

Haven cuts me off. “How old is this Roger?”

I scrunch my nose up. “He’s forty-three. That’s only ten years older than me, I mean, that’s not a big difference in the grand scheme of things.”

“Oh shit—I mean shoot. I bet Gabe about had a coronary.”

I laugh because what else can I do? “Yeah, he wasn’t happy. He tried to forbid me from going, and even though I was actually thinking of canceling, I’m definitely going now.”

“Why were you going to cancel?”

“Roger and I had lunch in the cafeteria at the hospital the other day. This was after he’d asked me out, and lunch was painful. We didn’t have a lot to talk about, and he was a little… arrogant.”

Haven sits back. “Hmmm. Can you tolerate one night with him?”

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Yeah, I guess.”

She nods. “You should go then. This will be good for you and Gabe.”

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