Page 19 of The Bet
Chapter 6
“How do I look, buddy?” Tobias bent down to Jacob’s level while Xavier looked on. His brother looked the happiest he had ever seen him.
“Is this good enough for Mommy?”
The boy giggled. “You look cool.”
“Cool?” Tobias frowned. “Did you hear that?” Tobias glanced back at him. Xavier shrugged. “If the kid says you look cool, I’d take it.”
“I don’t want to lookcool. I want to be the most handsome man in the universe.”
Jacob seemed to appraise him carefully. The kid was like a wise old man, sometimes. And he was what—6? 7? 8? Xavier wasn’t sure.
“You’ll pass.”
“Pass?” Tobias roared. “You’re too funny, buddy!”
Xavier opened the ring box to double-check that the ring was still inside, as it had been three minutes or so ago, when he had last looked.
“You make Mommy really happy.”
He looked up, caught off guard by the boy’s words.
“Mommy makesmereally happy.” Tobias tapped the kid on the nose. “And,youmake me really happy. I consider myself to be a very lucky guy.”
Xavier felt out of place, as if he was intruding on a tender moment. When his cell phone vibrated in his pocket, he quickly pulled it out, turning his back on his brother as he stole a quick glance at the caller id.
It was Gisele. A tight ball fisted in his gut.
What the hell was she calling him for now?
He rushed out of the room before his brother’s bionic hearing picked up on the vibrating hum of the ringtone which he’d put on silent. Tobias had been so annoyed when he had turned up late yesterday, that he hadn’t even remembered to confiscate his cell phone. Family—their parents and Savannah’s, were allowed to keep theirs, except for him. Tobias didn’t trust him, and that hurt Xavier.
“It’s not you,” Tobias had told him once, “It’s your girlfriends that I don’t trust. Maybe if you managed to hold onto the same girl for longer than a month, I’d trust you more.”
He walked outside, caught between answering the call and diverting it to voicemail, when suddenly, Lime Green Bikini appeared from nowhere.
He stashed his cell phone away into the pockets of his linen trousers, his interest piquing to see her coming towards him in a knee-length black and white striped dress.
“Have you seen Jacob?” Her voice had that pissed-off-edge to it that he was accustomed to. Before he could answer, Tobias appeared with Jacob.
“Jacob, your mom wants to see you,” she said, then to Tobias, “Are you guys ready? I think they’re all waiting for you.”
“I’m ready.” Tobias sounded sure, strong, and confident.
“Savannah looks amazing,” Lime Green Bikini told him.
Tobias smiled. “She always does.”
“Come on, Jacob.” Izzy reached for his hand and led the small boy away. She hadn’t even looked at or acknowledged Xavier.
“Ready, bro?” Xavier asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They walked over towards the gardens, to the grassy area in the middle which had been done up in garlands of flowers. White chairs had been dressed in white silk. A wedding officiant waited patiently at the front, but looked as if he was melting under the heat of the midday sun.
Xavier wasn’t a poetic man but it was too glorious for words, the setting, with the glittery sea in the distance, and the white sand before.
