Page 90 of Mr. Charming

Bodhi runs back over to his seat when Henry tells him he needs to eat. Such a drill sergeant that man.

I stand at the end of the long line of tables. “Let’s try not to make a big deal about this, but Tedi and I are…” I look down at her. “What are we doing again?”

“We’re taking things slow. Testing the waters.”

I nod. “Yeah. That. And we’re not saying anything else. So carry on with breakfast.”

I sit next to Tedi. I have no idea how I’m not going to put my hand on her leg or around her shoulders. How do I act as if the love of my life didn’t just say yes to giving us another chance?

The waitress comes and takes our order.

“So, you move fast,” Decker jokes to Tedi, and everyone at the table laughs.

She leans forward. “I’m assuming Decker told you all…”

Kyleigh shakes her head. “Easton was the tattletale. I do have to say, I called it. Right, Eloise?”

Eloise sips her coffee and nods. “Yeah. She called it at the game.”

“You knew he was my fake boyfriend?” Tedi asks, sounding surprised.

“I would’ve done the same thing.” Kyleigh kisses Rowan’s cheek. “It was either that or Decker was a horrible boyfriend. He never showed you any affection.”

Easton laughs again.

“What do you keep laughing at?” I ask him.

“My Grandma Dori would have been so proud of me.”

“Explain,” Tedi says.

“Decker told me before we ever went to the bar?—”

Tedi’s head whips in his direction. “Decker! That was our secret.”

Decker shrugs. “You know I suck at keeping secrets, and I had to tell someone all the shit I was dealing with.”

“My grandma was a notorious meddler and matchmaker. It was actually easier than I thought.” Easton looks at the group. “Tweetie was staring at the two of them in the emergency room as if he wished the hot sauce had gotten in his eye so Tedi would kiss his boo boo. I just had to nudge him to consider that maybe they weren’t a real couple—or at the very least, that they were having problems. And then in the middle of the waiting area, I thought Tweetie was going to pummel Decker to the floor for breaking Tedi’s heart.” Easton looks at Tedi. “He was willing to step aside if you were happy. Not every guy would do that.” Easton raises his eyebrows and looks at me. “So, you can thank me by giving me your condo.”

I laugh, and Tedi looks at me with those eyes again. Soft and warm like in the past when I did something sweet and unexpected. But there’s no “I love you” sex coming my way this time. That’s okay. She’s worth waiting for.

“You want in The Nest?” Rowan asks. He flicks his gaze to Kyleigh, and something passes between them. I don’t like it. As if he’s going out just like Henry and Jade.

“No. I don’t want to move into The Nest. I want to move into one of your condos.”

“No baseball players,” Conor mumbles around his food. “Colts don’t live in nests.”

Easton rolls his eyes. “No shit, dumbass.”

“Kid ears,” Henry says.

“Sorry,” Easton mumbles.

“Maybe you could call it The Barn,” Henry says.

“Or The Stables,” I add.

“No, The Pen,” Rowan says with a laugh.

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