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He ends the call abruptly as I’ve seen him do several times before, letting out a puff of air while shaking his head in annoyance.
“Let’s call Johnson. I’m certain he will come up with some excuse as to why he is late with his numbers,” I mention, frustrated at dealing with idiots.
“Before we do that, is everything okay? Between you and Kate?”
“It’s fine,” I lie, not wanting to get into the semantics of it all.
“I heard about Dominic. Charlotte told me this afternoon.”
I crack my neck, the sound of his name becoming this trigger I can’t seem to get any control over.
“Take it from me,” Lex suggests, his brotherly advice always wise. “You’re going to drive yourself crazy if you don’t control the situation yourself. It’s not easy to be in the company of someone who wants what you have.”
“Right,” I mumble. “I guess you would know since that person married your sister. Though you seem to be fine with it.”
Lex lets out a long-winded breath. “I wasn’t fine with it. It was a challenging time for our family. I was angry for a long time, but in the end, I had no choice. Adriana is my blood. I will do anything for her, even if that means I have to relinquish my own demons and give her freedom to make her own decisions. I guess, in the end, she is happy, and he’s proven his worth.”
“I don’t know how you do it. The mere thought of being in the same room as that fucker, I just want to punch his fucking lights out.”
A small laugh escapes Lex. “I have my moments, trust me. I’m not perfect.”
Pulling my drawer open, I reach in and grab the navy velvet box and place it on the table.
“I’ve been carrying this for months, even before she officially moved to LA. I bought it in Paris, the night after we… you know… I want to ask Kate to marry me.”
“So why haven’t you? You will make my life easier since Charlotte is waiting with bated breath for this to happen. Her words, not mine.”
“Because of life. We’re both so busy with work, traveling, then there was the move, plus trying to balance the kids. It’s been nonstop, and then you add all the goddamn nonsense of this weekend. I don’t want to think I’m just doing it just because we live together.”
“Of course, it’s understandable. You want it to be perfect. You know, our trip to France is in two weeks. The girls are excited to finally see their castle.”
“Yeah, I know. We’re looking forward to it. I know Kate has been desperate to finally get there and start tearing the inside apart.”
“Look, you’ll know when it’s right, and it’s going to be perfect no matter what because you’re marrying the woman you love,” he says wisely. “As for this weekend, keep your distance from Dominic but always remain one step ahead. Try to refrain from punching his face because no matter what the scenario, you’ll be to blame if you act first.”
I nod my head, sliding the box back into the drawer and closing it.
“Let’s make this call,” I tell him. “We need to get this sorted out before the weekend.”
***
I close the front door behind me, the aroma of home relaxing my tense muscles. Only a short distance away, I hear the chatter from the living room. I head to the room with small quiet steps but stop short of entering as I lean against the arch and watch quietly.
Kate is sitting on the floor, still in her work attire, but her hair is loose and her shoes removed. She always looks beautiful whether she is dressed in designer clothing or in a pair of sweats with a messy bun. But there is nothing sexier than the sight of her with my children.
Jessa is sitting beside her, brushing her doll’s hair, while Nash is between her legs, trying to eat the doll’s hair. The kid puts everything in his mouth. The second I make my appearance with a slight sound, Jessa’s eyes lift, shining so bright as she runs to me. I throw her into my arms, smelling her hair before kissing her forehead.
“Daddy, why are you so late?”
Jesus, talk about guilt, kid.
“I had to work, princess.”
Placing her down, she runs back to Kate, so I take Nash in my arms before leaning in to kiss Kate’s lips, giving her space to stretch her legs.
When it comes to the kids, Kate’s patience amazes me. She makes our family dynamic work so effortlessly, and given she’s never experienced living with children, she takes the time to learn, and I couldn’t do any of this without her.
Even more the reason to make her your wife.
