Page 101 of Forever Home

“Kylie, please, babe. Why don’t we take you outside so they can finish?”

“Oh my God,” she grumbles, shoving a small sandwich into her mouth. “I’m hanging out with my friends and I’m starving. It’s not my fault that I’m hungry.”

Hearing Kylie talk to Dante like that surprises me. She’s usually quiet and more reserved, but the glare she is giving him right now as she shoves the last bite of the sandwich into her mouth brings a smile to my face. Because damn… I never knew that woman could make Dante submit the way he is right now.

With a heavy sigh, he turns, shaking his head as Sam hands him a platter, instructing him out the door.

“Well, now… never thought I’d see Dante back down.” The girls’ eyes all turn to me and Madison smiles, rushing over to place a kiss on my lips.

“You finally made it!” She beams with delight. “Did you manage to grab the rest of that stuff from Mom’s house?”

I lift up the large canvas bag with decorations to show her. She takes it before planting another kiss on my lips. “You’re amazing. I’ll take these out to Knox and Asher. Everyone should be arriving soon.”

She quickly disappears, and the moment she does, Sam and Kylie turn on me.

“Are you ready?” Sam asks before Kylie can get a word out.

I sigh, knowing exactly what she’s talking about. I’d been planning to propose to Madison for months, but never found the right time. One conversation with Asher and it got leaked to Sam, who called Kylie, whoinsisted today was going to be the day I did it. Telling me that itcouldn’t be more perfect than with everyone together.

“Guys… I really don’t think that today is the day. It’s your baby shower, Kylie.”

Her eyes widen slightly before narrowing as she crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me. “Exactly… It’s my baby shower and I want this as a gift from you. You’ve been nervous about doing it for months now, Jaxson. You know you want to marry her… so, let’s make it happen. Plus, her mom’s going to be here and it will literally make everything perfect.”

I should have known they aren’t going to let this go.

It isn’t that I don’t want to ask her. I do. More than anything, I want to marry Madison. I guess a part of me is just terrified she will say no. I mean, the conversation has been brought up multiple times over the past six months and every time Madison saidmaybe one day. But will that one day be today?

Fuck… what if she says no?

Deciding against arguing with them, I nod. Kylie gives me a satisfied smile and claps her hands together eagerly before turning back to Sam—just in time for Knox, Asher, Dante, and Madison to come back through the kitchen.

“Hey, Superstar,” I call out to Asher, who comes over to give me a brotherly hug.

“Glad you finally made it. Madison has been busting our ass for hours now to make sure shit gets done. Think I’d rather go play in the Superbowl instead.”

“Hey!” she snaps, turning around to glare at him. “I heard that… and just you wait till Sam has her baby shower one day. She’s an event planner. Imagine how that's going to turn out.”

He groans slightly before giving me a sideways glance. “I’m already going through that with the wedding…” he mutters softly for only me to hear.

“I heard that,” Sam quips, causing both Asher and I to laugh.

Two hours later and the party is in full swing. Everyone that we know has shown up, including most everyone’s parents. Except for mine and Asher’s. Both of us prefer to keep those lives separate from the festivitiescurrently going on. As much as I would like to say things with my parents have improved, they haven’t.

And honestly, I’m okay with that.

Allison, Madison’s mom, has been more than I can ask for. And seeing the two of them smiling and gushing over the different gifts Kylie is receiving only makes me more eager to put a ring on Madison’s finger.

“You ready to have one too?” Dante asks, sliding up to where Knox and I are watching Kylie open her gifts. I’m slightly surprised he’s talking to me. Though we’ve spoken in the past, it isn’t like we’re super close.

“Uh, not any time soon. Madison and I have the new business going, so it’s taking up a lot of our time at the moment.”

“Oh, that’s right.” He nods, taking a sip of his drink. “The events catering business.”

“Yeah, Starlight Premier Catering. I do the food and Madison makes the cakes. We have even partnered with Sam on a few events in New York.”

“Is that right? I’m actually looking to throw a party in a few months to announce a few big changes with my company. I was planning to talk to Sam about the planning part… would you guys be interested in taking care of the food?”

The last thing I was expecting when coming today was to book something with Dante for his business, but I’m grateful nonetheless. “Absolutely. When were you thinking?”

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