Seduction - Chapter 32 #2
Yeah, I know. Gah! I really hated losing bets.
Rob wrapped his arm around Daphne, the biggest smile on his face. “A family of three,” he said and put his hand on Daphne’s stomach.
“We’re pregnant!” Daphne shouted.
Son of a bitch. I pressed my lips together at the thought. I didn’t mean that. Daphne was lovely. And I was super happy for them.
“Huzzah!” Rob yelled and threw his glass on the ground.
Everyone around him started throwing their glasses and yelling “huzzah” at the top of their lungs.
Daphne threw one of the plates like a frisbee across the tent. It shattered into a million pieces and then more people started throwing glasses and plates down on the ground.
Bee took one more bite off her plate and then lifted it in the air. “Huzzah!” she slammed it on the ground and then everyone at our table started doing it too.
A glass shattered dangerously close to my foot. And I was pretty sure Kristen had done it intentionally. I leaned into James so I wouldn’t get cut.
And then a bunch of confetti started raining down from the top of the tent.
I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face.
James smiled down at me.
“Don’t even say it,” I said and pushed confetti off my shoulder. “Maybe that was the grand speech finale? The glass seems like a hazard for dancing if you ask me.” But there were already a bunch of waiters rushing out with brooms.
“You’re changing the subject when what we should really be discussing is…I win.”
I laughed. “I said not to say it.”
“She’s going to have a best friend for life now,” James said and put his hand on my stomach.
I’d tell him that he was wrong, and that I was most definitely going to have a boy. But I’d just lost a bet. And I didn’t feel quite as confident about the sex of our baby anymore. I was terrible at bets. “That’s all that really matters,” I said. “We should go congratulate them.”
“Well, the bet still matters,” he said as he helped me to my feet.
“What are you going to make me do?”
“You’ll see,” he said and winked at me.
I swatted his butt as all of us ran over to Rob and Daphne.
Mason was already hugging Rob. And even though Bee had guessed it, there were tears in her eyes as she hugged Daphne.
“I knew it,” Matt said.
“Me too,” said Mason.
Apparently I was the only one who really believed it wasn’t a shotgun wedding. I was a sucker for love.
I gave Rob a big hug. “Congratulations.”
He kissed my cheek. “JJ and RJ are going to be best friends, I just know it.”
I laughed. “There is no way that James is going to name our son James Junior.”
“You never know,” Rob said. “Why are you crying?” He cupped the side of my face.
“I seem to do that a lot recently. I’m just…so happy.”
Rob pulled me back into his embrace.
“I’m so happy for you,” I said.
He squeezed me tight. “I’m terrified. But so excited. Is that normal?”
“100 percent.” I’m pretty sure I bounce back and forth between those two emotions on a daily basis. “But you’re going to be a great dad. You took care of James when he needed you.”
“Hopefully my son won’t have as strong of a left hook. No. Scratch that. I hope he does.”
I laughed, even though I’d never heard the story of James punching Rob. I’d have to hear that another day though, because James pulled Rob into a hug.
I kept blinking away my tears.
Daphne grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you as soon as we found out. But Rob wanted it to be a surprise. I thought we were going to tell you at that parrot restaurant, but Rob surprised me with a proposal.”
I’d known something weird was up that night.
God, why hadn’t I followed my instincts?
I should have won this bet. Instead I’d totally lost. But I couldn’t be mad at myself.
It wasn’t bad to be a believer in true love.
And despite the fact that Rob and Daphne were expecting a child, I truly believed they were meant to be together regardless.
They were like two puzzle pieces that just… fit.
“That’s okay,” I said with a smile. “You told us now.”
“That was part of the reason I was acting weird too,” added Daphne. “Too many secrets! I hate keeping secrets from you.”
I gave her a big hug. “They’re going to be best friends, you know. Just like James, Rob, Mason, and Matt were.”
“I hope so. I have the cutest picture of them when they were little. Rob showed it to me.”
I smiled. “They used to be so cute, huh?” I turned to look at James and Rob all grown up. They were standing with Mason and Matt laughing. Everyone looked so happy. I wanted this moment to last forever. “I guess they’re still cute.”
Daphne laughed. “They really are. Maybe we’ll each have two boys and they’ll be just like the four of them.”
“Well, hopefully not exactly like them. We’ll be better moms than Mrs. Hunter.”
“Oh, so much better,” Daphne said.
“I can’t believe you guys didn’t invite her because of us.”
“Are you kidding? We love you and James. And as far as I’m concerned, that woman is not part of our family.”
I gave her another hug, trying hard to blink away my tears. This was what I wanted. For us to be friends. And I’d been too foolish to realize that we already were.
Bee put her arms around us and I laughed.
“Group hug!” she said.
I laughed. “You’re so drunk.”
“Not yet.” She downed a shot that I hadn’t seen in her hand a second ago. “But I’m about to be! Best night ever!”
“Best night ever!” Daphne yelled.
Yeah. They had a good point. “Best night ever!” I yelled.