Page 93 of Arranged To Be Mine

“You’ll understand someday,” Callum said.

“Hard pass.” Jeremy took a long pull from his beer. “I’m going to have sex on every continent before I even think about settling down. I’m just missing Antarctica at this point.”

Drew snorted. “And how exactly do you plan to accomplish that? Find a willing penguin?”

“Scientist,” Jeremy corrected. “There are research stations down there. Scientists get lonely. I’ll find one.”

“You’re insane,” I said, but I was barely listening anymore.

My attention had drifted back to Darcy. She’d set the book aside and was now playing some kind of clapping game with Katie. Every time Katie got it right, Darcy cheered like she’d just won an Olympic medal.

And then, without any warning, my brain did something it had never done before. I started picturing what our kids would look like.

Would they have her blue eyes or my brown ones? Her platinum hair or something darker? Would they be serious and analytical like her, or easygoing like me? Maybe some combination of both. Little humans who could disarm you with a smile one minute and destroy you with logic the next.

Look out world. If they went into business law, there would be no one brave enough to go up against them.

I’d never thought about kids before. Not really. They’d always been some vague future concept, something that happened to other people. My brothers had them, and I loved being an uncle, but I’d never pictured myself as a father.

Until now.

The thought should have sent me running for the hills. I wasn’t a settle-down guy. Jeremy and I had that in common. Although my other brothers had been players before they met the women I now called my sisters-in-law.

Maybe my brothers were right. When you know, you know.

Darcy looked up from the clapping game, her eyes finding mine across the room. She smiled, and fuck me, they were so right.

I was gone for her. Completely and utterly gone.

“You okay there?” Jeremy asked, following my gaze. “You look like you just got hit by a truck.”

“I’m fine,” I said, but my voice was strained.

Callum clapped me on the shoulder. “He’s more than fine. He’s crazy about a woman.”

“Tragic,” Jeremy said, shaking his head. “Another one bites the dust.”

The evening wound down. Kids were gathered up and carried to cars, half-asleep but still complaining. Darcy helped mom divvy up the leftovers. We were all billionaires but Mom insisted on sending us home with leftovers like we couldn’t just order takeout. She refused to waste food.

After saying goodbye to everyone, I drifted into the kitchen. Darcy was now helping my mom load the dishwasher. They were laughing about something. The sight took my breath away.

“Ready to head out?” I asked.

Darcy straightened, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I should probably get going.”

Mom pulled her into another hug. “Come back anytime, sweetheart. You’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you, Tiana. For everything.”

I walked her out to her car. The driveway had cleared out, with just our cars remaining. Crickets chirped and the fountain splashed softly in the background.

“So,” I said, stopping beside her car. “Verdict?”

She turned to face me with a soft smile playing on her lips. “I like your family.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She laughed quietly. “Although it’s still a little surreal having Tiana Blackwell and Grace Stone at a casual family dinner. I kept wanting to ask for autographs. Your mom did dishes. I never in a million years imagined Tiana Blackwell doing dishes.”