Page 109 of Take Two

He laughs when he says it, but I pull away and look into his face.

“What?” he asks. “I’m kidding.” He squeezes us before he lets us go. “That was my thoughtful gift,” he says. “This oneis for funsies. I hope you don’t mind, Charlie, but while this is technically for you both, it’s really for Lettie.”

He sits on Vickie’s desk, reaches into his inside jacket pocket again and hands me another envelope. Charlie leans in while I open it.

“Another house?” Charlie asks in disbelief. “In New Jersey?”

“Oh my God, Dad, you didn’t!” I say in complete disbelief. “Tell me you didn’t.” But he clearly did because the proof is right in front of me.

“I sure as fuck did,” he says. “I play the long game, girl.”

“Did what?” Charlie asks.

“This is not just any house. This is the house that Terri lived in with Spence, and it’s been in his family for decades,” I explain. “This is where he grew up.” It’s a five bedroom, six bath, seventy-five hundred square foot estate. There’s a man-made pond in the backyard, not to mention a pool.

“How on earth did you get that?” Charlie asks. “He sold it to you?”

“He sold it to one of my LLCs. He had no idea it was me. The man’s a degenerate gambler. All I had to do was wait. Gambling is the worst of the vices in my opinion. Let’s just say, he was in so much debt, he tried to get a mortgage on the house. He couldn’t get one since the house still belonged to his mother at the time. I had my lawyer approach him about selling with the caveat that he can still live there and pay rent. He was desperate, so he agreed. I still don’t know how he convinced his mother. My bet is she didn’t know what she was signing. Either way, it's been mine for the past two years. Now, it’s yours.”

“Dad, I can’t take Terri’s house,” I say, aghast that he would do this. Dad’s messy, but this is beyond messy.

“Let her live there then. Sell it to her. I don’t care what you do with it as long as you let Spence know the house is nowyours. Besides, I don’t think Terri will care. She’s just happy to be divorced from that fool.” When all we do is stare at him, he says, “No one fucks with my daughter. At least not while I’m around.”

“Dad, you are so messy,” I say, but I hug him tight. “And the best damn father in the world.”

“Not just messy. OG messy.”

“I have to remember never to get on your bad side,” Charlie jokes.

“Damn straight,” Dad says. “But you’re my son now. If anyone messes with you, they’re gonna deal with me. With your father being gone, I’m your daddy now.” Dad laughs and throws a few air punches at Charlie’s stomach, but my eyes fill with unshed tears at my father and fiancé being playful.

Chapter 60

Charlie

“The next time we’re all in this house together, my baby will be married,” Mama says with tears in her eyes again. The wedding is in a month. It’s way bigger than we wanted, but we decided not to stress about the size.

“I thought I was your baby,” Colt jokes to Mama. She waves him off and pats my cheek before she does the same to Violet’s.

“I’m so happy, I could cry.” That’s what she’s been doing since we arrived in Birmingham yesterday. We’re not only having my favorite meal tonight. We’re also having Violet’s, a seafood pasta Mama made a few months ago when she visited us. While Violet and Vickie make my favorite meal, Mama is making Violet’s. Colt just complains about how hungry he is and how he can’t wait to eat both meals.

The kids are outside playing, and it’s just the adults inside the house I grew up in. All of the wedding plans are complete. We planned on saying our vows overlooking the cliff at Colt’s Montauk home, but the wedding has gotten too big for that property. When Vickie’s sister heard, she offered to let us use one of her summer homes a few miles away. It’s a sprawling mansion and the biggest on the island. It also overlooks a cliff, and the yard is large enough for the two hundred guests we ended up with.

The only thing we’re paying for is our honeymoon, which will be at a luxurious resort in Hawaii.

“Colton, set the table,” Mama says with her back turned to me. “And set a place at your father's seat.” Everyone in the kitchen freezes at once. Then, like in slow motion, we all turn to stare at her back. She doesn’t say anything else, so Colt sets the table, and for the first time in eighteen years, puts a plate setting at my dad’s seat. He stares at me when he does it, and I shrug.

“Maybe it’s just time,” I whisper so that only he can hear.

“Charlie, honey, why don’t you make us some lemonade. We’re almost ready to eat.” I stand and cut the fresh lemons at the kitchen counter, still stunned and shocked at her previous announcement.

About half an hour later, all the food is placed on the table. The boys are washed up and ready to eat. Colt drags Johnny’shighchair to the table, which seats eight, and Evan takes his usual place next to his mother.

Vickie sits next to Evan, and Colt takes his seat on the other side of Evan. Mama sits at the end of the table, next to Johnny’s highchair so she can help feed him. Violet sits in the middle, next to Johnny, and I have the seat next to her. And Daddy’s spot at the head of the table remains empty, despite the place setting. I look at it and back at Colt.

I start to pull out Violet’s chair, but Mama’s hand on my wrist stops me.

“I thought Violet could sit there.” She points to my seat.

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