say that but all I hear is 'You're right, Matthew. You're always right,'" I called after him. "Try it. Say, 'You're right.' See how that feels." I crossed the kitchen into the dining room, and found Patrick staring at the light fixture. "You know I'm right."
"You're not right," he mumbled. "Go home. Get reacquainted with your wife. But do everyone a favor and pull out this time."
I waved him off. "As enticing as that sounds, I'm not letting you set the budget without me. Not if I'm managing this property."
Patrick rocked back on his heels with a sigh. "I can do this without you."
"I know you can. I told you that ten minutes ago. But since you dragged me out here on a Saturday morning and then announced I was running this show, I'd like to participate in the budgeting process," I replied. "And I need your advice on something."
He headed into the living room, shaking his head as he went. "It's not difficult. When the time comes, you just…pull out. Seriously, Matthew. You'll get the hang of it. I do it all the time."
"Really? That's it?" I asked, the sarcasm thick in my words. "That's not the advice I need, asshole. Lauren's parents are looking after Madeleine tonight. We're going out. Alone."
He turned, hitting me with a skeptical glance. "You're asking for sex advice?"
"Oh my god," I hissed. "No, Patrick. I need you to recommend a restaurant. For fuck's sake."
He flattened his hand on the wall, leaning there for a second as he stared at the battered hardwood floors. "Oh. All right. That makes better sense. What do you have in mind?"
I shoved my hands into my pockets. "Not sure. Nice atmosphere, good food, quiet enough that we don't have to yell to hear each other. Fancy but comfortable."
"Got it." He tipped his head to the side, nodded. "Are you ready? You're going to want to write this down."
I pulled a pen from my pocket. Clicked it open, then closed. "Go ahead, Optimus."
"Stop it with the pen, Jugger."
Clicked it six more times in rapid succession. "I don't have all day."
"If you're going to be obnoxious, you can ask Riley for advice," he said.
Another six times. "Riley takes his fiancée out for sandwiches. I need to do a little better than that. Nothing served in a plastic basket, you know?"
"Then ask Sam," Patrick replied.
"The list of things Sam doesn't eat is longer than what he does and I'm not taking Lauren out for a fuckin' smoothie bowl." Another click. "I guess I could just call your wife. We all know she's the one with real taste."
Patrick reached for his pencil and scribbled in his notebook. "Go ahead," he murmured. "I'm just cutting your budget in half."
"Hey." Another click. "I'm waiting on you, man. You've got all the info and I'm ready to hear it."
"Abstinence has turned you into a dickhead," he muttered.
Family. It didn't get much better than this.
3
Lauren
"Am I supposed to drink the rest of this by myself?" Andy asked, a slim finger pointed toward the pitcher of spiced mules between us.
I glanced at my mostly full copper mug and responded with a shrug. "I've been off the sauce for almost a year. I need some time to build up my tolerance."
"That's fine and everything," Andy replied, "but I can't be the only drunk one here. It's awkward. It's strange. It gives people the wrong idea about me."
"I don't know, Andy. I think holding my newborn baby in one arm while pounding hard liquor with the other gives people a pretty bad idea too."
She held up her hands as if to flick away the thought of anyone judging a new mother.
"Do you think Madeleine will let us dress her up in the turkey costume? What about posing in the roasting pan? I brought carrots and celery and sage to make it look authentic. She'd look so freaking cute with a bunch of sage in her chubby little fist." Andy tilted her head to get a better look at the baby sleeping on my shoulder. "We could line the pan with a little blanket. It would be just like putting her in the bassinet."
I glanced at the assortment of props splayed over my kitchen island. I hadn't noticed the roasting pan until now. "Let's skip that one," I said with a quiet laugh. "I need her to sleep now so she'll be on the right schedule tonight."
Andy topped off her mug. "What's happening tonight?"
Without conscious thought, I let out a