Page 111 of Forever

“You were the first woman in the Untouchables’ lives. It’s not about them liking you. It’s about you liking them.”

I laughed. “That’s not how anything works. I don’t just get to come back after 16 years and pretend I’m the queen of all the Untouchables’ wives.”

“That’s exactly how that works. And they’re good people, Brooklyn. If you wake up in the middle of the night, Penny will hold you while you cry. Daphne will know just the thing to say to make you feel understood. And Bee will make you laugh.”

I smiled. He was probably right about that.

“And Kennedy knows you almost as well as I do. You’re going to be okay. Besides, you’ll see me sooner than you think.”

“Gah, what does that mean? What are you doing?!”

“You,” Matt said.

I shook my head. “I texted Mason about this. And he said we were doing this a week early because you’re going to get so shit-faced.”

“He said that? Huh.” Matt shrugged.

“Well, is that what’s happening? Or…”

Matt shrugged again.

“You can’t take Jacob to a bar.”

“He’d be a really good little wingman though, don’t you think?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

Matt laughed. “I promise I’m not taking the kid to a bar. That would be very inappropriate.”

“So where are you guys going?”

“Mommy, Mommy!” Jacob slid into the family room. “I’m going to boys night!”

I lifted him into my arms. He’d tell me the truth. “And what are you doing at boys night?”

“Boy things,” he said.

“Like what?”

“Boy things. Right, Coach?” He looked up at Matt.

“Right,” Matt said.

Wait, had they practiced that?Matt!

“Like what?” I said again.

Nigel walked into the family room wearing black leather lederhosen. “Strippers and hos!”

Oh God.That’s what I was afraid of. And I didn’t realize they made lederhosen that looked like that.

Nigel cleared his throat when he saw Jacob. “I mean…bidders and grows!”

“What’s growing?” Jacob asked.

“The…bidders?” Nigel said and shrugged. “I don’t know. Pretend I didn’t say anything.” He turned to Matt. “Are you ready, big boy?”

“Don’t call me that,” Matt said.

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