Page 77 of Playing for Keeps

“I wanted to see if you’d flip out or cry,” Cricket explains while giving me a death stare. “I always assumed Val would marry an irrational fucking moron. But here you are instead.”

I take the compliment as she walks away to get her youngest child, Magnus, settled into their part-time home. Poet remainsoutside with his brown-haired boy-girl teenage twins, Minnow and Murphy.

“Your dad is Duke, huh?” Poet says, eyeing me. “I don’t see it.”

“I’m hot like my mom.”

“There it is,” Poet says and glances at his twins. “Say hello to your cousin’s future wife.”

The twins stare at me with dead-eyed gazes. I wait for them to react. Even after Poet walks inside the house, the twins stare coldly at me. Val tells them a story about how he taught Moo a trick. He’s lying, of course. Moo finds Val fascinating unless he looks at him. Then, the cat runs away and hides.

The twins aren’t amused by Val. They don’t react at all. Eventually, they walk slowly into their house and look back at us with those dead eyes.

As soon as they’re out of sight, I grip Val’s hand. “Take the baby out of me. It’ll grow up to be a teenager. I’m not strong enough for that shit.”

Val smiles at me. “That evil-eye shit is because of Cricket and Tennessee. Their younger boy is like Poet. We’ll have homestead children, not those White Horse weirdos.”

I look around the homestead and imagine our kids growing up in this place. Dogs run by. Otto and Betty ride away on a motorcycle. Tuesday and Bullet ride past them on their way back. Everyone here is in their element.

“Okay, I trust you haven’t created a monster in my womb.”

Val grins. “In two days, you’ll be Lola McGraw Mercer. A year from now, we’ll be preparing for our first-anniversary party. I bet you won’t mind those twins at all by then.”

I’m so enchanted by the future he describes and the homestead’s magic that I agree to stay overnight in his bedroom. His parents’ house isn’t particularly large, and I’m fairly sure everyone can hear everything. Fortunately, the Mercers are ahorny family, and I don’t need to take a break from Val’s dick for the night.

The best part is waking up to share breakfast with his family. When we show up, Tuesday, Bullet, and Roxie are already eating with Val’s parents. West and Alexis arrive at the tail end of breakfast. Everyone talks over each other and shares separate conversations that eventually merge into one big bitchfest about who ate the last cinnamon roll yesterday.

Settling back in my chair, I embrace this new life as Val’s family collectively decides to blame the roll theft on Justice’s devious kids.

VAL, AKA MARRYING HIS DREAM GIRL

The night before the wedding, Lola and I stay in separate rooms. We watch a movie together while on the phone. Despite her voice keeping me company, I nearly show up at her door to get a taste of her sweet plump lips. Being apart for a single night becomes torture.

Reunited at the hotel’s breakfast, we launch ourselves at each other. I lift her into my arms and nearly walk back to my room.

“Keep it in your pants,” Pa-Emmett warns when he sees where things are headed. “Save something for your wedding night.”

Lola smiles at my dad, slides off my hips, and stands before me. She tugs me down and whispers in my ear, “I’m going to rub one out before the ceremony.”

I groan at the thought and how she nibbles at my earlobe.

“You should do the same,” she whispers. “My dress is going to blow Earl’s mind, so give him a little relief before the big show.”

Though I wish we could go to a room and rub it out together, we behave long enough to sit with our families and eat the standard hotel breakfast fare.

As we’re about to separate, Lola murmurs, “The next time I see you, I’ll be walking down the aisle on Duke’s arm. Once you and I say our vows, we won’t be apart again.”

I’m not a pessimistic guy. I believe in magic and know Lola is mine. Yet, I’ve been fighting panic all morning. Not over something like a curse. I just worry one family or the other will raise objections and throw a wrench in my happiness.

As I get dressed for the wedding, I consider Lola’s words. She’s feeling confident about our future. Duke and my parents are in good spirits. No one looks to be wielding any wrenches. I don’t know why I’ve gotten myself so wound up.

The rumble of motorcycles signals the arrival of men from both clubs. I stand in my hotel room and adjust my suit. The tailor guy made sure it fit right so I didn’t need to shave my balls. I suspect Lola is a little disappointed about that part. I might go ahead and shave them on our honeymoon as a gift to my new bride.

A knock on the door drags my thoughts away from my testicles. Soon, West enters my room, wearing a suit. His hair is slicked back. He looks like a former model turned insurance salesman.

“I’m sorry I kept trying to rip off your head,” he says while I tie my shiny black shoes. “I felt like my best friend was abandoning me, and that inspired thoughts of decapitation.”

“Why not talk to me about your feelings?”

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