Page 21 of Chubs

I smile a little while thinking back on those innocent times. We never doubted that we’d always be together, sharing our lives. We had always said we’d either live together or buy homes close to each other. Les and I had made it very clear that Aria would never have a man in her life if we didn’t think he was good enough for her. We vowed it, even though we all knew she would never be with a man that we didn’t approve of anyway. Aria did her share of scaring off possible girlfriends for us too. She kept a close watch on any female eyeing either of her brothers and was not afraid to use sharp words to keep them in check. We had so many plans, and then real life stepped in and changed everything.

Chapter 10

Lucy

The world doesn’t stop turning because of a broken heart, so after a few days, I go back to my normal routine. I spend the day with Pippa and Tammy at New Horizons, saying less than usual, and after a few questions, they leave me to my work. Surprising me, Tammy stops beside my desk as she’s leaving the room, places a gentle hand on my chin, and brushes her lips across my cheek.

“Anything you need, honey. Anything,” she whispers before releasing me and walking out the door.

I put my head down and get busy. A few hours later, Craig and Pooh walk into the office where Pippa and I are working. Craig’s hands, face, and clothes are clean, and it reminds me that we have a lunch date.

Stopping next to my chair, he grasps my hand with his, then leans his head against my shoulder in silent support. I squeeze his hand before dropping a kiss on his head and say, “I’m good, little man.”

Pulling back, his eyes rake over my features before he gives me a small chin lift in acknowledgment.

“We can do lunch another day, Lucy.”

“Are you trying to get out of our date?” I ask in what I hope is a playful tone.

“No, but I get it if you want to pass on it for a while.”

“Craig can go to lunch with me and Pippa instead, Lucy. You doing alright?” Pooh asks with concern coloring his voice.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Craig’s mine for lunch, though. You two go enjoy a quiet meal and work on those wedding plans. I’ll bring Craig home later today if that’s okay,” I state.

“Sounds good if you’re sure,” Pippa says.

Standing, I shut my laptop, grab my purse, and force a smile before answering.

“Positive.”

Once seated in my car, Craig turns to me with a big grin. I notice that he’s missing a front tooth and gasp.

“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Craig asks with a smirk and one finger pointing to the missing tooth.

“Very cool, and it’s about time you started losing them. We were starting to think you were scared of the tooth fairy.”

“She’s not real, but don’t tell anyone I know that. I got lots of cash for that tooth. I have a lot more to go, and I want to make good bank on them,” Craig answers.

“How much did you get?” I question as I drive away from New Horizons.

“$50 bucks! Everyone was sneaking into my room to put money under my pillow, so I pretended to be asleep. Guess being the first kid at the club to lose a tooth is a good thing. I gave Luke $15 of it, though.”

“$50 bucks! Did Elon Musk drop by with a cash bag for you too?” I ask, astonished at how much he made. “Oh, sorry. Elon Musk is—”

“A billionaire. I’ve heard about him. SpaceX, Twitter, Tesla. A geeky smart guy like Rex, but he pretty much pisses money. Oops. Sorry for the swear. And no, he didn’t sneak into my room, but my mom, Tammy, Trigger, Pooh, and Axel all did. I fell asleep for a while, but I did wake up when Bella shoved cash under my pillow. Those are the ones I saw, but others might have been there too,” Craig says casually.

“Very nice of you to give Luke some of your money, but why did you do that?” I ask, somehow knowing what he’s about to say.

“He knocked it out for me. Got tired of everyone talking about how I should’ve lost several teeth by now, so I asked Luke to help me out. He didn’t want to do it at first, but I talked him into it. He elbowed me in the mouth, and waa-laa, tooth fell out. We have to wait a few weeks before we take out another, or peeps might get suspicious,” he replies matter-of-factly.

“Oh my God, Craig! That must’ve hurt!” I shout, cringing at the mental image.

“It’s like that old thing women always say about how they forget the pain of spitting out a kid as soon as they hold it. I forgot all about the pain when I saw all those bills under my pillow,” he says with a laugh that seriously sounded a little maniacal.

“I promise not to tell anyone, but please, don’t let Luke elbow you again,” I request as I pull into the restaurant Craig likes.

Slamming the car door shut, Craig grins at me. I don’t even bother to repeat my request because I know he’ll do whatever he chooses to anyway.

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