Page 31 of The Troublemaker
“Her grandma died.”
“So?”Decker gives me a look as though I’m an idiot.
I blow out a breath.
Callie raises her hand.“Oh wait, can I guess?”
“Babe, he told us.Now, let’s go.”Foster stands with Ellis stirring slightly in his arms.A look of terror crosses his features, but she settles again, sighing into her dad.
Who would’ve thought a guy with such sharp edges is such a comfort for his daughter?Gives me hope I can rock this dad thing just like my buddies.
Callie ignores Foster completely.“My guess is that she has to get married in order to get the store.”
“How could you possibly guess that?”I blink in surprise.
“She’s a romance reader, remember?”Leighton says.
We all kind of nod and agree.I vaguely remember hearing about some romance-only bookstore around here.
“Do I get a prize?”she asks.
“Your prize is upstairs.”Foster nods at the door once more.
Callie lifts her finger.“One second.So, you’re just going to marry her?”
“And she’s going to move in?”Penelope asks.
“And be your nanny?”Leighton finishes.
“Sounds like a plan.Good luck, Kodiak.”Decker stands as though he’s going to see me out.“Pen, the baby.”
She sighs and walks over to me, passing Tanner over.“He’s so cute.”She stares at him lovingly.
The one good thing about this going down while I live here is that all these women will love on my son as though he were their own.
“Yeah, cool, East, talk to you tomorrow,” Hayes says through the screen.
“No.No.No,” Callie says.“You know this is a horrible idea, right?”
Leighton nods in agreement.“The worst.”
“I think it’s kind of nice.They’re swapping favors,” Penelope says.
“Thank you, Penelope.”I nod in appreciation.“Finally, a woman in this group who sees the positive side.”
Callie raises her hand.“I’ve got twenty on it lasting a month.”
“I give them three,” Decker says.
“Hell, a week,” Hayes says.
I scowl at him.“I’ll put forty on a year.”
They all stop making wagers and stare at me.
“You have to be married to her for an entire year?”Leighton’s mouth drops open.
“Yes, it’s a stipulation in her grandmother’s will.She has to stay in Chicago and be married for a year.Oh, and I think this goes without saying, but this all stays here.”
