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They make it all better.
Mom joins us and hugs me close from the other side. “Let the boy in. I know he’s hurt you in the past, but that was then, and this is now. Let it happen, Numbers.”
“Yeah, let him enjoy you, and you enjoy the shit out of him.” The tender moment is gone, bringing on another fit of laughter.
“Grandma.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chase
“This is a bad fucking idea,” Will snarls, opening the door for the last of my guests. After the hell that broke loose last night and then Angie had her phone off today, I started to formulate a plan to set everything right once and for all.
“I’ve got this.” Grinning at him, I welcome the guest I don’t really want in my house and point at the kitchen where we’ll meet.
“This is the worst idea you’ve ever had.” His displeasure doesn’t go unnoticed by me. None of our family under this roof understands what I plan on doing tonight. They’ve never seen me with this many women at once.
Even in my day, I wouldn’t be brave enough to handle them all at once. The second I was done with one, I was on to the next.
“Have I ever been wrong before?” Raising a brow to my older brother, I see the frustration continue to control his face. “Like I said, I’ve got this.”
“I have a book.”
“Just one?”
“Smart-ass.” He shakes his head. I should be heading into the kitchen before they start attacking each other.
“Why don’t you have your own house to go to yet?” Dropping the subject of all my past failures is for the best. I don’t doubt he has a book or could write a book on everything I’ve done in the past.
“Why don’tyou?”
“Touché, big brother. Touché.”
“If you two girls are done comparing period notes, there are eight women in the kitchen who are a mixture of gasoline and flames.” Valerie walks in, breaking up whatever Will was about to start with me.
“Listen to your woman.” Elbowing my brother in the side, I take off to Valerie and throw an arm around her. “She’ll be right there with me, making sure my pretty face doesn’t get scratched up.”
“Sure thing, party boy.” Will doesn’t wait for another word from me before he takes off upstairs to make sure Ridge is going to sleep. “Let it be known I don’t agree with any of this.”
“Add it to your book!” I shout up at him while releasing Valerie, and together, we walk into the kitchen.
The scene is my worst nightmare.
No, that isn’t true. My worst nightmare is everything Zach Galifianakis went through in the movieOut Cold.
Poor guy.
Except the car scene when they make him think he was driving. That shit was hilarious.
The setting I find myself walking into can only be compared to the Civil War. The eight women of my past have segregated on their own free will. The happily married ones whose husbands I’m sure aren’t pleased with being at an old flame’s house, while the four single ones who haven’t really changed are here hoping to woo me.
“Ladies.” I clap my hands, and every single set of eyes comes to me. Valerie walks over and sits at the table with the married women. She’s only here to make sure the peace stays and to be my unbiased witness if word gets back to Angie.
“What are we all doing here, Chase?” Ry, the impatient one out of the entire group except for Cera, is the first to speak up.
“Last night, ladies, every single one of you stopped bymytable while I was on a date withmygirl.” Ry, along with Ferrah, Tricia, and Cera, all have a look of surprise while the others—Vanessa, Elena, Jan, and Sunny—all look happy for me. “You heard me right; I’m not the guy who was with each of you back in high school. I’ve grown up, and I would like it if each of you would respect that.”
There’s no concern when it comes to the women at the married table. They’ll be friendly and not try to interfere with anything between me and Angie.
