Page 40 of Fight For Us
“Exactly. And we don’t have to figure it all out at once. Most important thing is getting Alex fixed up and telling Regina where she can shove her lawyers.”
Olivia watched the kids bickering over something in their game. Lilly wrapped her arms around her chest, refusing to unpause, while Alex bugged her to in a chorus of pleases.
“I can’t believe her name is pronounced like that?” Olivia said, holding in a laugh. She repeated Regina’s name. It just so happens to rhyme with vagina. “That should have been your first warning not to marry into that family.” The laugh burst free and even though it was at my expense, I joined her because hell, I was glad to see her smile.
“You’re not wrong,” I said. “So, does this mean you’re considering?”
“God, I feel like I’m in one of those Regency romance novels where the duke needs a bride to inherit his manor house or something absurd like that.” She blew out a breath and wrung her hands together. “But yes, I am considering your bonkers plan.”
My lips tipped up. “Aw, I feel so special.”
“I have one requirement if we’re going to do this.”
Curious, I tilted my head. “Okay?”
“You ditch that stupid flip phone into the nearest body of water and get an iPhone. I can’t be married to someone who doesn’t text.”
“That’s your one requirement? Not, I don’t know, money or needing to know if I close the seat after I pee?” I pulled out mytrusty phone and spun it around on the table. “You hate this thing that much?”
“I do. But now that you mention it, I also like money and a person who puts the seat down after they pee.”
“Sorry, you already laid out your conditions.” I put my hands up in surrender. “Too late to add in anything else.”
“You’re the worst,” she said as she shook her head and grinned.
“And we haven’t even tied the knot yet.”
“I think I’ve changed my mind. You’re too insufferable.”
“I have an idea.” I grabbed a deck of cards that I spotted in one of her kitchen drawers earlier. She eyed me with curiosity as I opened the box and started to shuffle. “You ever play Spades?”
“No, the only card game I’ve ever played was a Pixar Cars version of Go Fish.”
“It’s easy, I can give you a rundown of the rules and we can play a few practice rounds.” I did one of my fancy shuffles to break in the stiff deck of cards. “If you don’t play cards, where’d the deck come from?”
“Oh, I think Alex got it at the dentist in one of those prize bins.”
“Gotcha.” I nodded. After a quick lesson on the rules of two-player Spades we started to draft our hands. “Spades was our go-to when I was a dumb teenager. Me and my best friend would bet shit like sticks of gum or whatever cash we had on hand, which was usually none.”
“I guess I should be worried then since you’re such an expert. What are we betting anyway?” We finished drafting, each of us held our hands of thirteen cards.
“If I win, I get to keep my beloved phone.”
She scoffed. “You love that thing that much?”
“Yup. Me and her go way back and she’s never done me wrong. I dropped her out a moving car window once and she survived.”
Olivia laughed, the sound squeezing the organ beneath my ribs. “And if I win? I’m assuming you retire her and get yourself a shiny new iPhone?”
“Exactly. So you better keep your wits about you because I intend to win.”
“Game on.”
“You totally took me for a ride. There’s no way that was your first time playing Spades,” I said, double checking the final score.
“I’d never lie. I guess I’m a quick learner.” She had the most smug grin on her face as she collected the pile of cards and fit them back into the package.
“Hey, Alex,” I called. “Has your mom ever played card games?”
