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Our food arrived shortly after, and it was the first moment during this trip I felt really fucking wonderful. Like I was the one experiencing what I wanted to show others again. I had to be that guy who took photos of the food too, fucking obviously. This one was for Haley and our Instagram. Plenty of sausage, pierogis, something called zapiekanka that looked like a grilled baguette stuffed with sausage, mushrooms, and topped with cheese and sauce… Oh, and fries for the table too. Because why not.
“I’m glad we went out.” I gave his leg a squeeze.
“Me too.” His best smiles were when they reached his eyes just like that. The dimples came out in full force.
Comfortable silence followed, because we went to fucking town on that food, and holy shit, it was fantastic. The only thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was their version of coleslaw, but they made up for it with the spicy sausage and probably the best sauerkraut I’d ever had. Roe and I were picky about that one.
When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I wiped my fingers on a napkin before I checked my messages. Incoming from Nikki.
Sending hugs and kisses from your cranky son who swears he’s not tired. And you’re all set for your fitting with Antonino. xo
I grinned at the photo she’d attached. Colin looked to be screaming at the top of his lungs. Poor Nikki.
“Look at that.” I showed Roe the screen.
“Aw,” he chuckled. “What fitting?”
Oh, right. I pocketed my phone again. I’d respond to Nikki when I got back to the hotel. “Since this wedding is apparently happenin’, I gotta get a tux. Nikki has connections—she set me up with some popular guy in Bel Air who’s booked solid for months.”
“Dude—you can’t look better than me on my big day.”
I snorted softly and reached for my beer. “Cute, but you’re comin’ with me. If you won’t allow me to throw you a bachelor party, at least give me this. You said your tux fit weird anyway. Let him fix it. Then we’ll do dinner and talk all night about our feelings.”
I made him laugh. That’s what mattered.
I loved that sound.
Another pierogi later, I was so full that I couldn’t imagine the walk to the hotel, so I leaned back in my seat and rested my arm along the back of Roe’s chair.
“Christ.” I patted my stomach and resisted the urge to unbutton my shorts.
“Seriously.” Roe puffed out a breath too, then hauled out his phone. “Let’s do a selfie for social. I’m sure Haley won’t struggle to come up with a fun food-coma caption.” He leaned against me and angled the camera at us, and I placed my arm around his shoulders and mustered a lazy smirk.
How fucking fitting. I couldn’t help but laugh when we inspected the photo together. He had ketchup on his cheek, and I had evidently spilled mustard on my hoodie. We were some pair.
I grabbed one of the napkins and wiped the yellow spot off my chest.
“It’s all about making our followers laugh, right?” He dropped his own napkin on one of the plates before he slouched back against me. “God, I’m so full.”
“Mm.” Me too. But I was incredibly content. Just sitting here with him, all that food, the beer, the summer rain splattering on the canvas above us—I wouldn’t change a damn thing.
I rested my head against his and closed my eyes for a bit.
This was the life.
I guessed the only two people I would add to the equation were Colin and Roe’s future ankle biter. It was so easy to envision us traveling together, the kids running around, us trying to show them places long before they were old enough to appreciate them.
Roe yawned. “What’re you thinking about?”
Fuck, that made me yawn too. “Our kids. That we’re gonna show them the world.”
He hummed. “I can’t wait.”
Me either. “You sure you don’t wanna tell me what y’all’re havin’?”
Sandra didn’t wanna know the sex beforehand, but Roe did, so he’d found out at their latest ultrasound right before we left for Europe.
He chuckled drowsily. “I’m a little surprised you haven’t figured it out.”
Excuse me? Was there a way for an outsider to even tell that?
I’d already asked once, and he’d just shaken his head and said I’d find out soon enough.
He nudged me. “Think about it. Between my parents, aunts, and uncles, we’ve produced twelve boys and exactly one girl. Sandra has three brothers. That’s gotta mean something for the odds.”
I inched away slightly and looked at him. “You’re having a boy?”
They were having a boy. I could tell by the look in his eyes. He would’ve been just as excited about a girl, but that glint right there was confirmation of my guess.
“Keep it to yourself.”
Goddamn, we had to celebrate. If only I weren’t too full to move.
