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She pinches her eyebrows together. “Why scared?”
“In the back of my mind, I always think about how different we are. You haven’t seen his house, but it’s so over-the-top ridiculous. If I had all the money in the world, I don’t think I’d want a house that big. It’s not comfortable to me. I love parts of it, but not all of it. I just wonder where our relationship could ever go. I don’t see myself in that lifestyle, and the last thing I need is another broken heart. I’ve had more than my fair share in my lifetime.”
Reggie shrugs and nonchalantly says, “Prince Charming lives in a palace.”
I smile. “I suppose he does. Enough about me. What are you and Sam doing for your twentieth anniversary tomorrow night?”
Her face lights up. “I don’t know. He’s surprising me. He said to dress up and pack an overnight bag. I’m so excited.”
I love that, after twenty years, my best friend is still so in love. “I bet it’s going to be so romantic. Did you buy any special lingerie for your evening?”
Her face drops. “Do I appear to be the type of womanwho’d look good in lingerie? I took a bath yesterday, and I swear I saw the water in the toilet rise.”
Victoria starts laughing but I smack her arm. “Cut it out. As far as I know, Reg, you’re the only one of us who’s kept a man happy for twenty years. And not just any man. A great man. A man who’s attracted to you and madly in love with you. I’ve certainly never been able to do that.”
I see a smile creep up on her lips. “I suppose you’re right.”
“I say we make a quick stop after lunch and buy you something special to wear to bed tomorrow night. My anniversary gift to you two.”
Her smile grows bigger as she nods. “I think I’d like that.”
We’reon our way to Beckett’s father’s house for dinner. I’m nervous. I’m in a white, knee-length, casual dress with a pink sweater and strappy sandals. Glinda told me to prepare for assholes, so I’m keeping my expectations low.
Andie is in a red polka dot dress and smiles goofily in the back as Beckett sings along to some child friendly music. I love that he willingly embarrasses himself just to make her smile.
Andie leans forward. “Dad, tell me a joke.”
“I’m not a machine. That’s a morning thing. It gives me time to research.”
I’ve seen him Google corny dad jokes before bed at night to prepare himself. I love it so much.
Andie pleads, “How about a mind twister? I like those.”
I raise my hand. “Can I tell one?”
Becketts smiles. “Please do.”
I turn back to Andie. “What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?”
She takes a few minutes to think, clearly running through a list of words in her head. “Ugh. I don’t know. What?”
“Short.”
Beckett lets out a laugh. “That might be the corniest one of them all.”
It takes Andie a minute, but she gets it and starts giggling. I don’t think I’m as good at this as Beckett, but I’m trying.
We pull up to yet another mansion. It’s not as impressive as Beckett’s, but if I saw this house a month ago, it would’ve been the biggest I’d ever seen.
Beckett grabs Andie’s bag from the trunk. She’s staying over before Glinda picks her up in the morning for their promised trip to New York City. Nico is picking them up Sunday morning and dropping Glinda at the airport to go back to Florida, and then Andie will come home with him.
A valet takes Beckett’s car, and we make our way inside. People I assume are Beckett’s father and his wife greet us at the door. Beckett and his father shake hands like business associates. They don’t hug like a father and son should.
Both his father and his father’s wife give me a once over, both glancing for extended periods at the tattoos around my ankle and the added piercings in my ear. They don’t care that the tattoos are a tribute to my daughter and a friend lost too soon. They’re just judging me, disliking me immediately.
Beckett’s father looks back to him and sternly says, “How’s it going, Mr. Mom? What did you do today, get your nails done and have yourself a little bikini wax?”
Beckett simply rolls his eyes and throws his arm around me. “Dad, Buffy, this is my girlfriend, Amanda Tremaine.”
