Page 111 of The Ex-Best Thing
“Have you seen Tag?” she asks, sliding up to stand with me and Benny. “He’s supposed to be in the backyard so we can get started on the speeches.”
“I’m sure he stepped out with Skip.”
“Are these real names?” Benny asks.
Zoey cracks a smile. “Yeah. It’s short for Taggart.”
“I’ll go look upstairs,” I offer.
“Thanks.”
Benny takes my hand and we head to the foyer, climbing the grand, sweeping staircase. Tag’s laughter flows down the hall, loud and abrasive.
“Found him.”
I glance at Benny, surprised he can tell Tag’s laugh after only knowing him for an afternoon. It is that annoying, though. It kind of sticks in your head.
Benny tugs on my hand before we reach the door where we can hear Tag laughing. “Hey. I haven’t had much time with you.”
“How are you doing?” It can’t be easy for him. He’s been stopped by at least five people during this party alone, raving about how much they used to love his music, how fun it was to see videos of him on stage at the music festival, how they hope he’s coming out with new music soon. He’s been gracious, but I know it’s not his favorite thing.
“Honestly? Not as bad as I thought. How was seeing your mom?”
I draw in a breath, leaning against him as his arms go around my waist. “Could’ve gone better. She’s already drinking too much, but that’s typical for these types of things. My dad’s here with the child fiancée, after all, and that always sends my mom into a tailspin.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrug. “She’s pretending our conversation never happened and won’t talk about anything relating to the music industry with me, so we aren’t normal yet. But at least she’s not giving me the silent treatment.”
“That’s good.” He says it like a question.
I lean into him. “We’ve made progress. That’s what counts.”
Benny leans down, kissing me softly, and everything feels right in the world. The front door of the house opens, and the familiar barking sound makes my chest swell.
Breaking away, I glance down into the foyer. “Peanut!”
Noah holds the door open, my dog carrier in one hand while Cat comes in holding their baby girl, who’s looking with wide eyes at all the bright lights in the massive entryway. The chandelier grabs her attention, and she’s mesmerized.
“Hey, B.” Noah looks amused. “Nice to see you too.”
“Grab Tag?” I ask Benny, heading for the stairs.
“You got it.”
I hurry down, giving Noah, Cat, and Stella each a quick hug before kneeling to open Peanut’s carrier. She leaps onto my lap, barking in a frenzy and licking my chin. “Hello, baby.” I look up at my sister-in-law. “Was she good for you?”
“You know how much she loves Noah.” Cat laughs, pushing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “She was fine.”
“I owe you both. The second you want a getaway, I’ll be there.” I stand, reaching for Stella as Peanut runs circles my feet. Cat hands the baby over and my entire body squeezes withaffection. She’s holding her head up well, which is a vast improvement over the last time I saw her. In Stella’s defense, she was only a week old then. “You and I can hang out together, huh, baby girl?”
“We might take you up on that in like a year.” Cat reaches into her diaper bag for Chapstick and spreads it over her lips. “For now, she’s a little young.”
“Name the date.” I breathe in the sweet, clean baby smell. “I’ve got your clothes in my car, Cat. Remind me before you leave and I’ll put them in your trunk.”
She laughs. “No worries.” Her attention is drawn to the stairs where Benny is walking down now, one hand in his pocket. He looks like he stepped off an ad for menswear and I’m all about it, but his expression is guarded. “I’m glad you ran away. Things worked out well for you.”
My smile widens when Benny reaches me, bringing his familiar scent, and draws me under his arm. I look up at him, my grin widening. “Agreed. I couldn’t possibly be happier.”
