Page 97 of The Falcon and the Foe

Russ and I traded an eyeroll, though if things kept clicking along like they were, I could see the four of us doing a joint costume next year.

* * *

Later that week,I met up with the Single Dads Club to phone bank for Leo’s re-election campaign. It was mostly a formality since, according to polls, he was way out in the lead.

Leo called me into his office at his campaign headquarters and had me take a seat. Mitch and Buzz leaned against the desk. Leo shut the door. The hairs on my arm immediately stood up.

“Cal, we have some bad news,” Mitch said, his lips dipped into a worrisome frown.

“What happened?”

Leo and Buzz also wore solemn expressions.

“What is it?” My heart rattled in my throat.

Leo knocked on the table twice before mustering up the strength to look at me. “This kills me to say, but now that you are in a relationship with one Mr. Russell Ettinger, we have to kick you out of the Single Dads Club.”

“What? You’re joking, right?”

“I’m afraid not, bud.” Buzz spun his cell phone in his hands.

Mitch traded looks with the other two. “We are the Single Dads Club. And you’re no longer single.”

“We just call ourselves that. It’s not actually a club only for Single Dads.”

Leo seesawed his head. “It kinda is.”

“I’m calling all kinds of bullshit on this.” I stood up, careful not to draw attention from the other phone bankers. “You can’t do this.”

“Sorry, buddy. But we need to kick your ass to the curb and pretend you don’t exist.” Leo clapped him on the shoulder. “But I hope I can still count on your vote.”

“This is a joke. I’m supposed to be laughing?” I was getting more nervous by the second.

“Them’s the rules.” Buzz shrugged.

“Aren’t you in a relationship?”

“Sorry,” Mitch cut in. “We’ve already voted on it.”

“There’s voting? I never voted on anything in this group. This is an extended joke. Right? Otherwise, this would be downright cruel.” I waited for a response. There was no way the guys were this good of actors.

After a few heartbreaking seconds, they burst out laughing. Fuckers.

“Congratulations, buddy.” Mitch pulled a cooler of beer from behind the desk. “Russ is great.”

“You really thought we were serious?” Leo asked.

I shook my head no, but the pair of tears that fell from my eyes said otherwise. I was embarrassing myself, but I couldn’t stop.

“Cal?” Buzz put down his beer.

Leo side-eyed the others. “We were just fucking with you.”

“I was ninety-nine percent sure you were, but I...I’ve had a lot of people up and leave my life or kick me out of theirs. Something like that sticks with you. You assholes are the closest thing to family I’ve got.”

Mitch clapped me on the shoulder and squeezed hard. “We’re not the closest thing to family. Weareyour family, and we’re not going anywhere.”

“So, unfortunately for you and Russ, you’re stuck with us,” Leo said. “And I can still count on your vote, right?”

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