Page 84 of Take Me
“Shit.”He’s right.When he puts it that way, I am being kind of a wimp.“What if it ruins our friendship forever?”
Parker gives me a dead-eyed look.“Your friendship was strong enough to get you through shit like our mom coming back from the dead and Erika dating a douchebag who didn’t deserve her.You really think something like sharing your feelings could kill it?”
“You’re already sleeping together,” Lucy chimes in.“You’re halfway to dating for real.”
They make a fair point.“I’ll consider it.”
I decide not to tank the good vibes by telling them Erika’s plotting our breakup already.Maybe they’re right.It might not hurt to ask her some questions.Maybe not “wanna be my girlfriend for real?”but there must be a casual way of broaching the subject.
“Gotta go.”Lucy tips back the last of her beer and gathers her keys.“Thanks again for doing the place cards.”
“No sweat.You feeling good about the rest of the wedding stuff?”
“Actually, yeah.”My twin sounds surprised.“Thanks to all the family teamwork, we’re way ahead of where I thought we’d be at this point.”
“Spencer-King power.”Parker balls up his hand for a fist-bump.“We rule.”
“Yeah, we do.”She knocks her knuckles against his, then gives him an audible smooch on the cheek.“Thanks again for all the crab legs.”
Parker grunts proudly.“The best wedding gift is a freezer full of king crab.Saw that on the Martha Stewart website.”
She laughs and leans over the bar to hug me.“Think about what we said, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”I’m not in a hurry.“Maybe after your wedding.”
“Maybeatmy wedding!”She grins.“How fucking cool would it be if you got down on one knee at the reception and?—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”How did we get from telling Erika I might want to date for real toproposing?“Are you insane?”
Even Parker looks mystified.“The last thing I’d want at my wedding is someone else stealing the show.”
“It wouldn’t be stealing,” Lucy counters.“It’senhancing.Besides, this isn’t my first rodeo.Another engagement would make this wedding so much more memorable, plus you know how Peter loves a grand gesture.”
“Go away,” I mutter as the door bangs open at the front of the bar.“I’m not getting engaged.”
Afternoon light makes the brewery entrance too bright at this time of day.Even through soupy-thick rainclouds, the sunlight’s too harsh to see well.I squint at the door to see Annabelle come through shaking an umbrella.She’s windswept and pink-cheeked, looking lost for a woman who’s been here six-million times.
My twin does a fine job of disguising her surprise.“Annabelle, hey.What brings you here at—” She glances at her watch.“Two-thirty on a Wednesday?”
“Nice, Luce,” Parker mutters.“Way to make her feel like a boozehound.”
“Oh, I—I wasn’t here for beer.”Annabelle blushes, and I feel kinda bad.
“Don’t judge the woman for loving my tots.”That wasn’t supposed to sound dirty.“Nothing takes the edge off a cloudy day like a pile of potatoey goodness.”
Annabelle hugs Lucy, shooting a grateful look over my twin’s shoulder.“Can you make them the Cajun ones?And a pint of your housemade ginger ale, please.”
“Coming right up.”I key in the order as she slides onto the stool beside Parker.“Who’s getting engaged?”
“Huh?”I glance at Parker, and he shrugs.
Annabelle dabs the rainwater off her face with a napkin.“Right as I walked in, you said something about getting engaged.”She gives me a sheepish smile.“Thought maybe you’re popping the question to Erika.”
“Oh—nope.Not proposing.”Hell, this is awkward.
My kid brother comes to my rescue.“I am,” he says, fishing a hand in his pocket.“Wanna see the ring?”
“Ooooh, yes, please.”She shrugs off her coat, and I catch a bright flash on her left ring finger.
