Page 86 of Reckless Vengeance

She huffed out a laugh, kissing my cheek. “If me wearing a fancy dress while you pay for stupidly expensive food makes you feel better, I can do it. But you’d better buy me dessert too.”

I grinned, knowing I’d have her hooked on fancy dining in no time.

“I can do that. Dinner tonight? Just us?”

“Just us,” she promised, giving my hand a squeeze. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I pulled her onto my lap so Caden could get in, and she curled into me the whole drive home, calming the storm inside me a fraction. Caden ruffled my hair, making me realize I’d zoned out and we were almost at his house.

He gave me a small smile and I nodded, letting him know I was okay. Skeeter was right, I had a family with these guys, and they were all that mattered.

I was reminded of that when we walked into the house and Josie almost bowled me over with a tight hug the second she saw the expression on my face, her worry for me seeping out of her in waves.

“Are you okay? My sweet boy, I’m so sorry,” she said softly, and I sank into her hold with relief.

“No.”

“You didn’t know any of it? They didn’t even tell you about the divorce?”

“They only text me on random days that they think is my birthday,” I sighed, a disgusted growl leaving her.

“I can’t believe some people. Stay offline for a bit, okay? You don’t need to see it.”

“It’s okay. Rory agreed to dress up and go to dinner with me to cheer me up,” I replied, making her chuckle.

“Ah, I see. Where are you taking her?”

“I was thinking the Royal Garden. Especially since the weather is nice. We can have a wander after eating then,” I stated, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

“That’s one of my favorites. Make sure you open doors for her.”

“She’s getting the full princess treatment tonight, I promise.”

“She should be getting it all the time. I raised you boys to be gentlemen,” she lightly scolded, and Rory groaned.

“Please don’t. If you start opening doors and trying to carry my bags, someone’s getting punched,” she grumbled, and I frowned.

“We already try to carry your things.”

“I know, and it makes me violent,” she deadpanned. “I don’t have anything to wear at short notice.”

“I’ll get your measurements and we can order a dress in your size. It can be here in a few hours,” Josie offered, and I was already pulling out my phone to start browsing for dresses.

Rory would pick the cheap option, so I was going to select a few and see what she liked that way.

She was whisked away by Josie to be measured, leaving me with the guys.

“It’s not really safe right now to be going out for dinner alone,” Caden warned, sitting beside me at the kitchen table to look at my phone. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“She hates lace,” I answered, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“Yes. I’ve been trying to get her on this date for a while and she said last time no lace.”

“That’s pretty and has no lace,” he said as he pointed to an evening gown. It was pretty, he wasn’t wrong, but it was pink.