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“Not sure yet. Will you help me pick one out?”

“Of course! Oh my gosh, Caleb. Do you want my help to plan the perfect proposal?” If there’s one thing my sister loves more than shopping and club hopping and traveling, it’s jewelry shopping and party planning. Add to that the recipient of my proposal is Aubrey, the best woman in the world, and I’m sure this entire conversation is making my sister blow a gasket.

We hurriedly talk details in excited, hushed tones and quickly decide we’ll go shopping in person, rather than online, on this coming Thursday. Which, unfortunately, is five days from now.

“You can’t do it any sooner than that?” I ask, flashing Miranda my patented “pretty please” face.

With a sigh, my sister looks down at her phone. “Sorry, I’m slammed with work stuff till then. Thursday is the earliest I can do it.”

Shit. Now that I’ve made my decision, I’m antsy to get the ball rolling and make Aubrey my fiancéeright now. Logically, though, I know Thursday will work just fine, since we’re not leaving for the end-of-summer festival inPrairie Springs until a few days after that. “Okay, it’s a plan,” I say. “I’ll ask Amy to invite Aubrey and Raine over for a playdate that day, so Aubrey won’t get suspicious that I’ve headed off for the day without explanation.”

“Perfect. Love it.” Miranda squeals. “This is so exciting. I’m so happy for you. And for me. I’ve always wanted a sister, instead of a stupid caveman of a brother.”

She hugs me and squeals again, and I hold her tight, laughing and feeling electrified.

“Okay,” I say. “When we go back out there, act natural. Aubrey’s really smart. We don’t want her sniffing me out.”

Before Miranda replies, Fish, the bass player from 22 Goats, ambles into the hallway, heading toward the bathroom.

“Hey there, Baumgarten One and Baumgarten Two,” Fish says jovially. “Dax and Violet just got here. They were asking about you.”

“Holy shit. Thanks, Fish Taco.”

As Fish enters the bathroom, my sister squeezes my hand and pecks my cheek. “You’ve got this. I’m so proud of you for inviting them.”

“Inviting them was the easy part,” I whisper, rubbing my sweaty palms on my pants. “They’re the ones who did the hard part and actually came.”

“Of course, they did. Caleb, they’ve both been wanting to mend fences with you for a very long time, you big dummy.” She pats my shoulder. “Now go on, honey. Put on a big smile and welcome your honored guests.”

Chapter 36

Caleb

As I enter my living room, there’s a crowd gathered around the latest arrivals, Dax and Violet, so I head over to Aubrey and grab her hand while waiting for the dust to settle.

When the crowd around Dax and Violet finally dissipates, I head over with Aubrey and we welcome the much-anticipated duo to our little party. To my relief, both Dax and Violet greet me warmly and thank me for the invitation. They congratulate me on Raine and offer a warm hug to Aubrey, too, after I’ve introduced her as my girlfriend.

Holy shit. Now that I’ve made the decision to propose, I’m wishing I could introduce Aubrey as my fiancée to them tonight. Better yet, as my wife. But I suppose girlfriend will have to do for now.

Small talk ensues, and soon, Aubrey and I are engaged in a pleasant conversation with Dax and Violet about Raine and their son, Jackson, who’s currently being babysat by Dax’s big brother and his brother’s wife across town.

“Are we too late to meet Raine?” Violet asks, looking around.

“Yeah, sorry,” I say. “She was here earlier, but she’s already crashed.”

“I’m sure meeting so many people was highly stimulating for her,” Violet says.

“Yeah. Definitely.”

Dax smiles. “Hopefully, we’ll meet her next time.”

Next time.

Aubrey flashes me a look that says,Oh my god,before replying, “Absolutely. Yes.” She turns to Violet. “How old is Jackson?”

“Almost nine. He’s Dax’s spitting image. I honestly haven’t seen a lick of proof my child got any of my genes, whatsoever.”

We all laugh.

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