Page 67 of Bottles & Blades

My mouth quirks as I look across the room again.

Tiff is smiling at something Rory is saying.

And my heart is as soft as fucking goo.

Then I turn back to my daughter. “I had other plans, honey.”

She grins. “I bet.”

“Chrissy,” I warn.

A warning she ignores as she lifts on tiptoe and presses her lips to my cheek. “Mario’s,” she murmurs. “You’re buying.”

I sigh then lightly touch her curved belly. This pregnancy has been hard on her. “You feeling okay?”

Triumph in her eyes.

Because I’m giving in.

Because, as she likely knew before she even marched through the door, I have no hope of denying her.

Because I’ve never been able to deny my girls anything.

Twenty-One

Tiff

“And then IknewI was responsible for Dad’s gray hairs,” Chrissy says lightly.

“What do you meanwas?” he grumbles, sipping at his glass of wine. They didn’t have a Petite Sirah, but he’d selected a cabernet that was delicious and paired incredibly well with the family style pasta dishes that fill the center of the table.

Crusty bread.

Perfectly cooked rigatoni.

Plumply filled ravioli.

Meatballs the size of my head.

I’m stuffed, and we haven’t even had dessert yet. But I’m going to because Chrissy and Rory both said that it’s even better than the raviolis and the raviolis may be the best things I’ve ever eaten.

Plus, there’s that whole Dessert Stomach thing, right?

I have a completely different space for anything sweet and loaded with sugar.

This is so totally going to be worth blowing my budget for the month when I pay my share.

“Rude,” she says lightly. “Tiff, my dad’s being mean to me.”

I tear my eyes off the menu—where I’ve been mentally warring between the lemon chiffon cake and the chocolate mousse—and look up at Chrissy.

Her eyes are sparkling with humor.

“I don’t think I have it in me to be a mediator between you two,” I say honestly. I’ve enjoyed listening to them, enjoyed hearing the stories and getting to know Chrissy and Rory, getting to see Jean-Michel with his daughter—sweet and caring and patient.

Almost a pushover.

Almost.

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