Page 38 of Falling for the Forward

I don’t remind him that I’ve tried his relish already. I’m just not a fancy food girl. Give me some old-school Kraft macaroni and cheese any day.

Mara and Dex are spending Thanksgiving with their families. They’re coming over tomorrow night to play games, though--a tradition we started three years ago.

Darling waddles into the kitchen and comes over to me, snorting as he sniffs the ground for scraps. When he finds nothing, he looks up at me with a pleading expression.

“That baby is hungry,” Harry says.

“He wants Goldfish,” Olivia says from the other side of the kitchen, where she’s peeling and slicing apples.

“He ate a Costco-sized box in two days,” I say. “Plus his regular diet the vet wants us feeding him.”

“Come here, Darling.” Harry bends down, offering Darling a Ritz cracker with seafood dip.

Darling inhales it, then nuzzles against Harry in thanks.

“Uncle Harry could never say no to you,” Harry croons. “You’re just a big sweetheart.”

Thatsweetheartdragged a bunch of hay into our bed a few days ago and I had to wash the sheets and blankets to get rid of all the little shards. He also shredded several pairs of Carter’s underwear, which the girls found hilarious.

But he’s doing well with house-training. I give him pieces of granola bars when he potties outside and he caught on pretty quickly. That pig would dance a jig if he thought he could get food for it.

“Hey, Harry.” Carter walks into the kitchen with a smile and my heart skips a beat.

He goes over to Harry, hugs him and thanks him for helping. I don’t know if my heart is reacting to the way he looks in his navy Brooks Brothers sweater with a dress shirt beneath it or to his greeting of Harry.

I really like how warm Carter is to my friends. He makes sure they feel welcome when they’re over.

“You look great,” Harry tells Carter. “I feel underdressed.”

“We’re all underdressed compared to him,” I say, gesturing at my ripped jeans and my T-shirt, which has a big slice ofpumpkin pie covered with whipped cream and says, ‘It’s me, pie. I’m the problem it’s me.’

“Well, I’m meeting my in-laws for the first time,” Carter says. “I figured I should look decent.”

My stomach rolls with dread. I just texted my family this morning to tell them that the “boyfriend” I invited them to meet today is actually my husband. My phone is currently face down on the dresser in the bedroom because managing the incoming texts would be a full-time job.

I check the clock on the wall. Based on the drive time from their home in Chicago, if my parents got in the car as soon as I sent the text, they could be arriving any minute. My brothers Nate and Sean are riding here with them, and Jack is coming this evening; he and his girlfriend driving from Philadelphia.

“So...my family hasn’t known about our marriage for long,” I say casually.

“What does that mean?” Carter asks. “How long isnot long?”

I keep my gaze on the potatoes, knowing I should have told them sooner. I just knew how it would go. Invited for a holiday or not, my family would have come running here in reaction to the news that I got married to a man I haven’t even known for three months and they weren’t invited.

“I told them this morning.” I look at Harry immediately. “What should I do with the potatoes when I’m done peeling them?”

Harry is staring at me, open-mouthed.

“This morning?” Carter demands loudly. “Are you fucking kidding me, Suki?”

“It’ll be fine,” I lie. “I just wanted to wait as long as possible because I knew they’d be...opinionated about not getting invited to the wedding.”

He glares at me. “Should I get my pads on? Is this going to get ugly?”

Charlotte and Hallie come into the kitchen with Charlotte saying, “Darling, let’s get your Thanksgiving sweater on!”

The sweater is cute as hell. Clothes made for bulldogs fit Darling well, and this sweater is plaid with fall colors. He rolls onto his back for belly rubs and I try to exit the conversation with Carter by helping the girls put the sweater on him.

“Suki.”

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