Page 46 of The Billionaire Player

“Think he popped the question?” I asked.

“If he didn’t, he’s a fool. We’ll find out on Sunday when they come for family dinner. Are you coming this week?” Mac asked with a questioning look.

One of the things I had looked most forward to when I came home was my family’s Sunday dinners at my parents' house. They had started when Walker had gone to college. We all got busy with school and weren’t spending as much time together. At first, it was required as long as we were in town. Mom was good about guilting us, saying it was the only time she was guaranteed to see all her kids each week.

Initially, it had felt like a chore to go, but when I went to Italy, I realized how much I missed them and how much of a part of my life they had become. Bailey and I had ended up staying up a few nights a month so that we could see our family when they had dinner. They were kind enough to move the time up so we could.

Since I had been home, I had missed a lot with getting the restaurant off the ground. One of the things I had made sure of was that I didn’t work very much on Sunday. Instead, leaving the running of the restaurant to Rosie, specifically so that I could be home for Sunday dinner. Since the restaurant had opened, I had been able to do that, but then I started spending time with Lexi and Sunday was the best day.

I hadn’t wanted to miss my family’s traditional Sunday meal but I had wanted to spend time with Lexi more. My mother had given me a bad time about it and there was no way I would miss another week. It didn’t surprise me that Mac had noticed by absence or was giving me a bad time about it.

“Yes. I will be there. Especially if we think Walker will have some good news to share. It’s crazy to think that our little brother is getting married.”

“And you’re going to be the last holdout. Be careful, Dad’s going to try to push you and Lexi to get married too.”

“I would hope the man has learned not to meddle in my love life after what he did with you and Walker.

“Uh huh,” Mac said and glared at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said and let out a soft chuckle.

“Okay, now that we cleared that up, I wanted to ask you for some advice about something,” I said.

“Me? Is it about the restaurant? I’m not good with business, not like Walker. Is this something that can wait until he gets back. Or, is it not something about the restaurant? Did you piss off Bailey? No, that isn’t it either, she would have called me immediately to bitch about you. It’s something else. Maybe the woman you’ve been ditching the family for?”

“You knew who I would ask you about, don’t even try to play coy with me.”

“What can I say? You’ve been spending a lot of time with her. Ditching the family and even the restaurant to be with her. You’re sleeping with her, I can tell. Bailey figured as much. I had you waiting until the article was done, but then again, you were never a man to wait on anything. Why would this be any different?”

“True, when I want something, I go after it. I don’t sit and hope and wait for the right time to come along. Unlike someone I know,” I said and glared at Mac.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. If I remember correctly, it worked out just fine for me. What do you need my advice about, and why would you want it?”

“It’s more of a question about the family and how they might react to something.”

“You haven’t decided to sell the business and come work for the family?”

“Goodness, no. Nothing that drastic. I was thinking of inviting Lexi to Sunday dinner,” I said.

“Sunday dinner? That might actually be more drastic. You want to bring Lexi, a woman you are sleeping with, to Sunday dinner?” Mac asked slowly.

“Why are you acting so surprised? You’ve all met her before. I want to see her on Sunday but dinner is kind of in the middle of our time together. I just thought it would be easier if I brought her along.”

“You want to bring a woman, that you are sleeping with, to Sunday dinner? You, who has never so much as mentioned a woman at Sunday dinner, ever.”

“Yeah, so? Is that going to be a problem? I thought you all got along with her when you were at the opening,” I said.

“Oh, we did. We all love Lexi. She’s awesome. Probably too good for you, but that isn’t for me to say. She has been nothing but professional and accommodating when it comes to the article and talking to us. Bailey and her get along famously. I wouldn’t be surprised if they saw each other when you weren’t around.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” I said and shook my head

“Yet, you’re okay with her coming to Sunday dinner but not with her being friends with Bailey?”

“Okay, maybe that didn’t sound right. Is it too much? Too soon?”

“Is it for you?”

---