Page 11 of One Pucking Surprise
“Jeans? What does she think I am, a caveman?”
Mark chuckles. “Does this mean you two are finally getting along, or what?”
“Something like that,” I say, shrugging.
Wyatt narrows his eyes. “I don’t like the sound of that. What did you do?”
“Relax,” I say, holding up my hands. “She’s taking the lead on most of the wedding planning. I just have to handle your tux and the bachelor party. Everything else is under her control.”
Wyatt lets out a long sigh of relief. “Thank God. Chloe’s been stressing over everything, and preseason’s coming up soon. If Lainey’s handling it, I can just hand her my credit card and let her go wild.”
“That’s the plan,” I say with a grin. “Let her control issues take over.”
Mark raises an eyebrow. “How’d you get away with that?”
I flash my signature smile. “I’ve got my ways.”
Mark rolls his eyes. “Translation: you charmed her into it.”
“I was sick and tired of her early morning calls and schedules,” I say, shaking my head. “Reminded me way too much of my dad and Noah when I was younger. I don’t deal with that anymore.”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen and groan. “Speaking of the devil.”
I answer the call. “Hello, big brother. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Noah’s voice is as gruff as ever. “Just wanted to remind you about the family reunion. Dad expects you there.”
Typical Noah. Getting straight to the point. I grit my teeth, already feeling the familiar frustration that comes with family gatherings. The “reunion” is just code for our fatherholding court, roping everyone in to discuss his grand plans for the family business and the future he imagines for us. And for me? It always means an extra lecture about “settling down” and taking on “real responsibilities.”
“Oh, does he?” I say, feigning surprise. “Thought I’d been excused this year.”
“You know better.” Noah sounds exasperated, like he’s already dealt with enough resistance on his own end. “Just show up, okay? Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Dad’s already riled up about you being the only one not involved in the business. It’s not going to help if you skip out.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, already feeling the weight of the expectation settling on my shoulders. “I’ll be there.”
He hangs up, and I put my phone away, feeling the headache that this reunion is going to bring. Between my dad’s obsession with the family business and his relentless pressure for me to settle down, I can already picture the conversations waiting for me.
Mark looks up, catching my expression. “Everything alright?”
“Just family stuff,” I mutter.
Wyatt raises an eyebrow. “Same old story?”
“Pretty much.” I shrug, trying to shake it off. “They’re convinced I need a ‘steady influence’ in my life. Someone who’ll keep me grounded.”
Mark smirks. “Which is exactly why I’ve been saying you need to work on that playboy image. You know it could come back to bite you.”
I scoff. “I don’t need a babysitter, Mark.”
Mark crosses his arms, clearly unconvinced. “Look, just think about it. I got Janelle to help Wyatt when he needed a reputation boost. You know how good she is at what she does—Luminous practically runs half of LA’s PR scene.”
Wyatt chimes in, grinning. “Yeah, Mark’s got a point. Having Janelle onboard made things smoother.”
I glare at him. “You’re one to talk. You got your fairytale romance and a rebrand in the same package.”
Just then, my phone buzzes again. This time, it’s Blair calling. I put my hand up for Wyatt to hold his thought and answer, stepping away slightly for some privacy.
“Hey, Blair.”
