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“Well, yes, I have always liked to cook and bake. The menu has a lot of traditional items on it, but they are all vegan.”
Jen and Bill give me that “oh, vegan…great”look. I’m used to it, since not too many people are vegans. I don’t hold it against anyone.
“Dad, Jen,” Lucas uses his voice again, “Allie and Jadon are vegans. It isn’t a fully vegan menu, but I’ve had some of her food, and it’s great,” Lucas says. Big mistake. I can hear the alarm bells going off in Katrina’s head and see the steam coming from her ears.
Does Lucas not realize she is plotting my murder right now by admitting to eating some of my food? I couldn’t stop the day he came in during my lunch and asked to try my leftovers.
“And when exactly did you taste her food?” Katrina asks, trying her best to sound like it doesn’t bother her.
“Just the other day. She made pasta that was the best I’ve ever had,” he holds his hand out. “Also, she makes these cookies that are to die for.” Great.
Well, Lucas, you may be a single parent after this when your girlfriend is in prison for murdering me.
“So…” Katrina turns everyone’s attention to her. She presses her hand up against Lucas’ chest and rests her head between his neck and shoulder. “Will you be willing to cater ourwedding?”
Chapter24
Lucas
Okay, I shouldn’t have agreed to “talk” about a wedding. I should have stood my ground and told Kat we would discuss it later. She cornered me in the kitchen, and I should have been prepared. She knew I would have agreed to anything at that moment so my four-year-old son and his mother wouldn’t overhear.
Last night she told me she won’t be willing to accept Jadon until she knows I’m fully committed to her. Now here I am, pinned down under her ass, and Allie looks ready to run.
This isn’t how this was supposed to go.
“Oh.” Allie adjusts her dress under Kat’s eyes and I bite my tongue. “I didn’t realize you were engaged.” She avoids my face, while I attempt telepathy to ensure she knows I didn’t lie. Not to her. I just needed Kat to calm down for the sake of peace.
“Oh, we are. He just hasn’t got my ring yet,” Kat laughs aloud. The temptation to shove her off my lap is thick, but I can’t afford for her to lose her shit with everyone here. Everyone who matters to me is in this room, including Allie.
“When is the wedding?” Allie asks.
I try to make eye contact with my dad, but he directs his disbelieving look at the floor by his feet. Jen can’t quite see me, so I can’t signal her either to change the conversation.
“I’m thinking next June, but I could see a winter wedding. A long honeymoon over the holidays.”
Like I’m about to miss my first Christmas with Jadon. She needs to quit day-drinking. “We haven’t discussed it,” I tell Allie, who still avoids me. “There are no plans or anything.”
There’s nothing. I agreed to it just to shut her up.
“Well, you can figure it out and let me know, I guess. I’ll see if there’s room in my schedule by the time my business kicks off the ground.”
That’s the nicest way for her to decline not only coming to a future wedding with Kat, but also confirm she won’t have anything to do with the event. The one in the far future.
It’s past the time to leave. My dad and Jen have been great, but I need to separate everyone before the wedding talk fucks me over with my budding friendship with Allie and relationship with Jadon. I pushed for this and now I want to go. Things were great five minutes ago, and now here we are.
Kat’s laser focus is solely directed at Allie while her ass is firmly planted on me. She hasn’t even looked at Jadon, and really, it seems like he’s ignoring her.
Allie swallows nervously before Jen attempts to distract her from the 115-pound gorilla sitting on top of me. “So Allie, you were saying earlier it’s just you and your dad?”
“Yes,” she smiles over at Jen. Jen isn’t my mom, but dammit, she’s a lifesaver. She’s always been awesome, and she’s a superhero right now. “Just us. I have an aunt that lives a few hours away, but that’s about it. Small family. My dad has a lot of friends and we kind of stick close to them.”
“Oh interesting, and so do you have someone in your life? A boyfriend?”
“Yes, his name is Ted and we’ve been friends since we were kids. His sister is my best friend.”
“Oh,” Jen gushes and my dad looks up and curls his lip at me. I know, I look like an idiot with a possessive hyena on me. “That’s so sweet, Allie. Is it serious?”
“I guess.” She clears her throat and pulls at a thread on the skirt of her dress. Ted’s done her absolutely no favors if she isn’t all that confident about this conversation. “I mean, he’s mentioned moving in a few times, and I guess it would be the logical next step.”
