Page 40 of Cocky Choices: Zoe Cocker

“You don’t want to know.”

“I want to meet him.”

“Well, of course you’ll meet him,” I smile, adding a delusional, “At the wedding.”

Mom whispers, “No way. Uh uh!”

“He’s really nice! I promise!”

“Nice isn’t enough, sweetheart,” Dad says, his tone firm, impatient. “We want to makesureyou’re making the right choice before you sign away your life and find this marriage isjust your first marriage because all of a sudden you’re in divorce court.”

“Dad!”

Like she’s taken control of the phone, Mom’s volume is suddenly closer, “Zoe, you’re an adult and can do what you want, but you’re alsoalwaysgoing to be our little girl. We can’t just show up to your wedding never having met the man and spenttimewith him! You’re not going to do what Ben did with Shelby! It’s not happening. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Dad grumbles, “He comes from money. Who cares?! Is he good enough for my daughter! Does he know what love is? What it means to commit yourself to marriage? Not just for a friggin’ companion but for a best friend.”

“And a lover,” Mom adds.

“I don’t want to think about that,” Dad barks.

Nicholas starts laughing, and hides it. I shake my head to him, pointing at the phone with a silent plea for help. He holds up his hands smirking that this is all my fault.

“Let us meet him,” Mom insists. “We’ll talk it through, and then you can make your decision. We just want to protect you.”

“Okay, okay,” I relent, feeling deflated. “I’ll arrange it. But I really believe this is going to be great!”

“This is not like you, Zoe,” Dad says. “I would expect this from Nathan!”

“That’s true,” Mom sighs, “He changed careers this way.No more law, I want to fight fires now.Every time I think of him running into a burning building I wish it was a courtroom instead.”

“Soul-sucking job, the Law,” Dad reminds her.

“I love you,” I whisper, catching their attention. “I’ll set it up.”

“We love you, too, Zoe,” Mom returns, but she sounds exasperated.

Dad, too. “Love you, honey. Don’t elope. Promise me!”

“I won’t do what Ben did.”

“That’s too vague. Promise you won’t elope!”

“That’s what I meant. Ben eloped with Shelby.”

“I know what he did,” Dad says, “Promise me by saying the whole thing.”

“I promise you I won’t elope with Caleb.”

“Caleb?” Dad mutters.

Mom mumbles, “That’s a nice name.”

“Bye!” I hang up, accidentally cutting off Dad asking for Caleb’s last name. “Oops,” I whisper, my gaze locking onto Nicholas, who’s turning over his mug to show me there’s none left but a single drop. He downed it like someone gorges on popcorn during a scary part in a movie.

“Well, that went better than I expected,” he says with a teasing grin.

---