Page 79 of All Bets Are Off

“Yes, they’re setting up the prime rib carving station now.” Cora pointed, and I jerked my chin in that direction, frowning when I realized how the room was shaping up.

“Wait … this isn’t a dinner,” I realized out loud.

“What?” Cora cocked her head. “It’s a party.”

“I thought it was a full dinner, though.” My disappointment was boundless. “This is one of those things where you take a plate around and get teeny-tiny samples of food and pretend it’s dinner.”

Cora’s lips turned down. “That’s what’s popular right now.”

“Yeah, but … after a full day of golf, I want a full dinner to go with it.”

Cora blinked. Then she blinked again.

“Never mind.” I waved my hand. “I’ll make Zach take me to Popeyes.”

“Is that a new restaurant I haven’t heard about?”

“It’s like KFC, but with better chicken. The mashed potatoes and gravy are awesome too.”

Cora looked horrified. “You can’t be serious. We have oysters here.”

“Fried or raw?”

“We don’t do anything fried.” She said it as if I’d suggested putting human babies on the menu after deep frying them.

“Actually, I don’t know why I asked that,” I admitted. “Oysters taste like snot whether they’re fried or not.” I shook my head. “I think I’ll stick with the Popeyes.” I craned my neck to look down the hallway where I knew Zach and his father were holed up. “How long do you think Ryder will be crying in his golf shoes?”

Cora worked her jaw.

“I’m just asking because I’m trying to manage my expectations,” I explained. “I can’t risk getting to hangry territory. I’m a monster when I’m hangry.”

“What’s hangry?”

“You know, hungry and angry. I’m getting close to that point now.”

“I don’t… I…” Cora studied me. “You’re not what I expected for Zach,” she blurted out of nowhere.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by the sentiment, and I wasn’t. I was surprised that she came out and said it to my face. I had to give her credit for that, because her type preferred backstabbing to honesty.

“Who did you see him with?” I asked, rather than going with my gut and giving her a piece of my mind.

“Someone who went with the flow,” Cora replied. “Someone who understands that he’s going to be the center of her world, for better or worse. Someone who lets him shine and doesn’t expect anything in return.” She hesitated. “Someone like me.”

That was a lot to unload in a short amount of time. I darted a look toward the hallway again, then focused on her. “I don’t happen to believe that one person should be the center of anybody’s world,” I explained to her. “I believe two people should give and take in equal amounts. That doesn’t mean one half of a couple isn’t going to be needier than the other at any given time, but the only way a marriage truly works is if there’s balance.”

Cora didn’t immediately respond. She just stared.

“I don’t want Zach to give me the world,” I continued. “I just want Zach to help balance my world. I want to give to him as much as I hope he wants to give to me.”

“But … he’s going to be the head of Stone Group at some point,” Cora argued. “He’s going to be large and in charge.”

“Are you sure he wants that?”

“Of course he wants it. I mean … it’s the chance of a lifetime.”

“A chance for him,” I pressed. “Why didn’t his sisters get that chance?”

“Oh, has Opal been bending your ear?” Cora rolled her eyes. “I should’ve known that she would try to get you on her side. You can’t listen to anything she says. She’s bitter.”

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