Page 67 of Billionaire Games
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Ethan and Kelpulled up in front of her family’s home right at dinner time. A cab was dropping Phoenix and Cait off and behind that was a town car that was about to drop off Jess and Griffin. All were back home as promised when they left. All had big news to tell.
It was Kel who spotted the rings on Phoenix and Cait’s fingers. She grabbed her sister’s hand as they met at the front door. “What’s this mean?” Kel asked.
Phoenix smiled as he said, “I think you know what it means, Kel. We’ve just come back from Vegas.”
“No!” Kel shouted and then the front door opened.
Their father stood at it, wearing nothing but a pair of gray striped underwear and a white T-shirt. “Home so soon?” he asked as he backed up so they all could go inside.
Kel walked in first and kissed her father’s cheek. “Are we interrupting something, Dad?”
“No, why do you ask that?” he asked as he made his way to his recliner.
All his daughters and all their men had made it inside and found their mother coming down the dark hallway. “I have a pot roast and potatoes almost ready. How were your weekend dates?” She stopped short as she looked at Cait. “What’ve ya done?”
Cait smiled and held up her left hand. “Phoenix and I got married last night.”
Mrs. Flannigan felt faint with her daughter’s news and landed on her bottom on the staircase. “You’ve what?”
Mr. Flannigan turned down the television and asked, “What’d you do to your mother?”
“Tell your father, Cait!” her mother shouted.
“Dad,” Cait said as she and Phoenix walked up to him.
Phoenix put his arm around her shoulders. “Mr. Flannigan, your daughter and I got married last night in Vegas.”
Mr. Flannigan sat still and blinked with the news. “Married?”
“Married, Dad,” Cait said.
“But you share a bedroom with your sisters. What’re they supposed to do now?” he asked as he seemed more than a bit confused.
“Um, we have news too, Dad,” Kel called out.
“Not you too, Kel,” her mother whined. “You’re the level-headed one of the bunch.”
“No, we didn’t get married,” Kel told her mother. “But we are going to move in together. As a matter of fact, Ethan and I are going to be staying at the O’Toole’s Bed and Breakfast while he looks for us a house here in town.”
“Then I suppose you and your husband can sleep in the bedroom and we’ll put Jess on the sofa until you two find your own home,” their father said.
“No, we aren’t staying her, either,” Cait said.
Phoenix added. “We’ll be at the O’Toole’s as well while we’re looking for a suitable home.”
Jess looked up at Griff then whispered, “Should I tell them about us?”
He nodded. “Might as well get all this out in the open, baby.”
“Mom, Dad,” Jess said, taking their attention. “Griff and I would like to spend the night here. Will that be okay?”
“I don’t like it!” her mother shouted. “Not one bit!”
“Now you’ve gone and made your mother mad,” their father groaned.
Mrs. Flannigan began her sermon, “My youngest wants to bring a man to sleep with her in the bedroom she’s shared with her sisters since she was born. My middle daughter has eloped with a man she barely knows, and we know next to nothin’ about. And my oldest and most trusted child is moving in with a man, to live in sin. At least Cait’s married to her man. What have I done to deserve this punishment, Lord?” She looked up and raised her hands as if asking for help.
