Page 11 of Book Boyfriends
“There’s no way that’s true. We’re talking about the man who hangs his suits in the order he plans to wear them through the week and never deviates. Rem likely has a twenty-year plan forlittle Helga.” I swat at the air as if the notion is a pesky mosquito here to suck away the reality of my older brother.
“Helga? Absolutely not!” She purses her lips and then continues, “As hyper-fixated on this pregnancy as he’s been, he hasn’t been able to settle on a name. Every time we have a contender, he changes his mind.”
“Rem?”
The idea that my brother is waffling back and forth about baby names almost knocks me out of my chair. He never leaves things to chance. Hell, after his first date with Hope, he’d told Jackson, “In a year, I’ll be her husband.”
Jackson, of course, immediately told me.
A year later, they were married in this very backyard.
“Names are important. Especially in this family,” Hope teases.
She’s not wrong. Like my artist dad’s predilection for meaningful names, I named Wentworth after my first book boyfriend; Captain Wentworth fromPersuasion. Not to mention, Jackson has an aquarium full of fish named after his favorite basketball players.
“He just wants to make sure he gets it right,” she says, a warm smile covers her face.
“You know, if you just told him what name you wanted, he’d just go with that.”
She fiddles with the pink sapphire ring on her finger. “Yes, but I want this to be our decision. For him to trust himself as a dad.”
“He’ll get there.” I reach across the table and squeeze her forearm. “Like you said, it’s part of first-time daddy anxiety.”
If anyone can daddy up, it’s Rem. Even before my parents divorced, Nolan Lane wasn’t exactly father-of-the-year material. There’s a lot about my dad to like. With his passion for his work and big personality, he’s the life of every party. Dad’s great atthe fun stuff. Unique outings, like when he took us to an art exhibit where we smashed pieces of furniture and then glued them back together into art pieces. At nine and seven, Jackson and I thought it was the coolest, while Rem tutted it wasn’t appropriate for children.
“Plus, he’s had years of practice fathering. Even when it’s not solicited or necessary.” The statement is meant to reassure me, but a bitter lilt punctuates my words. I try to hide it with an extra-large smile.
Hope’s sigh telegraphs that she’s not buying my fake smile. “It comes from a good place.”
I motion with a piece of scone at her. “Bestie Card.”
As much as I adore Rem’s good sense in marrying Hope, there are boundaries. The bestie card reminds us of when we need the other to just be a friend. Not Rem’s younger sister. Not his wife. Just Hope and Georgia.
“Fiiiiine.” She puffs out a long breath. “How was the date? I saw your car pull in after ten. That’s alonghappy hour.” She waggles her brows.
“It wasn’t eyebrow waggle-worthy. I left before I finished the first drink and went to SPN for Doc and Estelle’s weekly reading.”
“That bad? What happened?” Her red-painted lips tick down.
Grabbing a second scone, I share the details. It’s not the worst Georgia Lane date disaster. No theft. No emergency trips to the vet for Wentworth. No finding a date making out with the bartender after learning that I was only there to make his ex jealous.
“I wonder if I can find aNo Double Dippermug on Etsy.” Hope taps her manicured finger against her chin.
“Bitch!” I laugh, tossing my napkin at her.
She catches it. “Language in front of your niece,” she says cheekily, rubbing her belly. “You and Jackson may swear like drunken sailors, but this little peanut will have manners.”
I arch a brow. “Says the woman with theFuck the Patriarchykeychain.”
She wags her finger. “There’s a protest clause to my no swearing rule for?—”
“Saffron?”
Her head tilts. “Now, that one I kind of like.”
“Please don’t name my niece after a spice.” My brow pinches. “Though, it’s on brand for this family. Consider combining your love of cooking and Rem’s obsession with the law. Saffren Sotomayor Lane,” I say, making jazz hands.
Laughter vibrates through her. “Oh god, no!” She swipes at her eyes. “Perhaps we keep the over-the-top book character names away from my baby girl.”
