Page 133 of A Legal Affair
Daniela laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“I’m so serious. He wouldn’t even—” Tamia broke off as Kennedi and Robinette McGhee came tiptoeing into the nursery.
“How’s Princess Tatiana doing?” Robinette asked in a hushed voice.
“Down for the count.” Tamia grinned. “You don’t have to whisper. This child has literally slept through a hurricane. Not even your loud mouth will wake her up.”
Robinette giggled, walking over to smile and coo at the sleeping infant. Though she and Evander didn’t want kids, they were both suckers for babies.
Kennedi joined Daniela on the sofa. “Are you hiding out from your own party?” she teased.
“No,” Daniela said, lips twitching. “Caleb and I were in the tent chilling with Tatiana when she got hungry and started looking around for her mama’s milk. When I carried her over to Tamia?—”
“—she couldn’t bear to part with her,” Tamia finished humorously, “so she followed me inside to keep me company while I fed her.”
Robinette grinned at Daniela. “We have a bet going on how soon Caleb’s gonna get you pregnant.”
Daniela chuckled. “Who’s ‘we’?”
“All of us.” Robinette wedged herself between Daniela and Kennedi on the sofa, her eyes twinkling playfully. “Evander and I predict you’ll be preggers by the end of the year. Go ahead and make it happen so we can win the bet.”
Daniela laughed and shook her head. “As much as I’d love to help you guys out, I’m afraid you’re probably going to lose that bet. Caleb and I definitely want kids, but not for a few more years. We’ve been talking and…well, actually, I’m thinking about going to law school. For real this time.”
This wasn’t news to Tamia or Kennedi. Only Robinette, whose eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You’re serious?”
Daniela nodded. “Despite the, ah, deeply regrettable circumstances that landed me at Northbridge, I really did enjoy my law school experience. Enough to want to see it through.” She smiled. “Caleb thinks I’ve got what it takes to be a great lawyer, and he’s been helping me study for the LSAT. But nothing’s decided yet. Right now I’m just weighing my options, trying to figure some things out. Obviously the wedding’s been taking up all my attention lately, plus business has really picked up and I don’t want to leave my brothers shorthanded.”
“Makes sense. I know how much the agency means to you.” There was no hint of snark in Robinette’s voice, no passive-aggressive undertones. It demonstrated just how far they’d come in their relationship, which had gotten off to a pretty rough start.
Robinette and Evander initially resented Daniela for entering Caleb’s life under false pretenses and betraying his trust. They didn’t think she deserved his forgiveness or a second chance. On top of that, Robinette had been hoping her friend Karina would be a better match for Caleb. While he appreciated their concern for him, he’d made it very clear that Daniela was the only woman he wanted, and she was here to stay. In an effort to bridge the divide, he’d arranged for the four of them to go on a double date so his friends and Daniela could get better acquainted. Two bottles of wine and lots of laughter later, she’d totally won the couple over.
Robinette bumped her shoulder against Daniela’s. “Before I forget, a house just went on sale in our neighborhood.” She and Evander had been trying to convince Caleb and Daniela to join them in suburbia. “It has an infinity pool, a huge kitchen and five bedrooms—perfect for a big family, hint, hint,” she added with a wink. “If you want to schedule a showing, I can give you the listing agent’s number.”
“Sure, we can take a look,” Daniela agreed, smiling. “If nothing else, we could use it as another investment propertyuntil we’re ready to move in, which, honestly, won’t be for a while.”
Robinette pouted. “Why not?”
“C’mon, girl. You know we love living right in the heart of the city. We go running on the River Walk five days a week. We drink coffee and feed each other crepes at sidewalk cafés. We shop at the plaza farmer’s market every other Tuesday. We’re within easy walking distance of the best restaurants and bars. At the end of a long day, we like to unwind with a glass of wine and slow dance on our terrace overlooking the city. And the icing on the cake? We wake up to the best views each and every morning.” Daniela grinned, feeling like the luckiest woman alive for so many reasons. “We love the energy and vibe of downtown. So for now, we’re staying put.”
“Well, shit,” Robinette grumbled. “NowIwant to move downtown.”
Laughter swept through the room.
“That reminds me,” Kennedi said randomly, “I have some new ideas for your hen party.”
As Daniela’s maid of honor, she took her duties very seriously. She had a Pinterest board full of wedding inspo and had started a bridesmaids’ group chat to keep everyone abreast of everything that was going on.
Daniela reached behind Robinette to give her cousin’s hair a playful tug. “About the hen party?—”
“No, Daniela, we’re not canceling it,” Kennedi interrupted with a comically exaggerated eye roll. “If your fiancé gets a bachelor party, so do you.”
“That’s right.” Robinette grinned at Daniela. “Evander chartered a yacht for the fellas’ big night. To put your mind at ease, he promised there’ll be no strippers.”
“Unless Cornel sneaks ’em onboard,” Kennedi joked, referring to one of Brandon’s longtime friends—a gorgeousnightclub owner and notorious manwhore who’d been hitting on her since they met at Caleb and Daniela’s engagement party in December. Although Kennedi found him irresistibly sexy, she was still holding out for Beau Chambers who, rather cluelessly, kept showing up to events with a plus-one.
“Don’t worry,” Tamia reassured Daniela, “Brandon won’t let Cornel smuggle any strippers onto the boat. He already warned his crazy ass to behave.”
Daniela smiled. “I appreciate that, but I’m not worried. I trust Caleb.”
