Page 96 of It's About Time
Laney looks down at her. “I know, but it’s okay. It’s just an expression, Ellis. It’s not like I called her the bad word.”
Rhonan glares at his sister. “Just a friendly reminder that you’re about to have a child, and when you do, my duty as the uncle will be to give you a taste of your own medicine.” He leans forward and whispers, “Because, as they say, payback is a bitch.”
“Can everyone please stop sayingbitch?” Elodie chimes in. “Before Remy starts saying it too? She’s in her repeat-everything phase.”
Laney mimics zipping her lips. “Jeez. Okay, sorry.”
Fletcher clears his throat. “Why don’t you girls all get a drink to celebrate, and us guys will meet you inside in just a little bit?”
Vienna rubs her stomach. “Have you forgotten that your wife isn’t the only one who can’t drink right now?”
“No, but George has a new mocktail he wants to try out for you ladies,” Fletcher replies, referring to Laney’s dad.
Laney’s eyebrows lift. “Really?”
Fletcher pulls her into his chest by her waist. “Yeah. He and I were talking about it last week since I know you’ve been missing wine, and he thought it was a great idea to offer some non-alcoholic beverages on the menu for people who don’t drink, or pregnant women, like yourself. And he wants your input, of course.”
She cups the side of his face. “I love you.”
“Not more than I love you, angel.”
Rhonan clears his throat as they kiss. “All right, enough of that.”
Dilynne gags loud enough for everyone to hear. “Agreed. Besides, you might not be able to drink, but I still can, and I think we definitely need to celebrate that we’re all going to California in a few weeks!”
Ellis jumps up and down, pulling on Dilynne’s hand now. “We’re going on an airplane!”
The girls head in the direction of the main building of the winery, laughing as they walk and talk, leaving me and my boys, plus Remy, who Henley is still holding.
I’m so focused on watching Dilynne as she walks away, I don’t hear whatever Fletcher’s saying.
“Earth to Elliot!” He waves his hand in front of my face, pulling me from my stare.
When I meet his gaze, the smirk he’s wearing makes me want to punch him. “What?”
“I was talking to you, but apparently you were too busy gawking at your fiancée to notice.”
Henley clears his throat. “Is there something you need to tell me?”
“No, because we’re two grown adults.”
Henley hums. “Hmmm, debatable.”
Rhonan laughs. “Easy there, Henley. You just joined the ‘real adult club’ when Remy showed up. You’re only a year in. Don’t start acting holier than thou.”
“I’m not.”
Fletcher gratefully inserts himself into the conversation again. “Well, I was trying to ask you how things were going with you two,” he says, flicking his eyes back and forth between Henley and me. The conversation I had with him in my office last week comes back to my mind in that instant.
“It’s…going. Just taking it one day at a time right now. But uh…when were you three going to tell me that you were planning to join us in California?”
Henley raises a brow at me. “Wasn’t under the impression we needed your permission.”
“You don’t, I just…”What is it, Elliot? Are you ready to admit that you were looking forward to the week just the two of you?“I would have helped you come up with a way to surprise Dilynne, if that was the case.”
Henley seems to consider my words and accept them, but Fletcher chimes in next. “Trust me, it was all I could do to hold Laney off on telling her. That woman was struggling with not being there for her best friend. I couldn’t tell her no, and so I told her the only way she was going was with me. Then it turned into the idea of all of us going, and just kind of grew from there,” he says with a shrug.
“I know it will mean a lot to Dilynne,” I reply.
