Plan B (Best Laid Plans #2) - Jana Aston Page 0,23

toes and abandon all logic. Even if he's got the cutest dimple you've ever seen when he smirks." Daisy stops abruptly, suddenly intent on examining her water glass.

There's a slight pause while Gigi and Kerrigan stare at Daisy with hearts in their eyes and Daisy stares at the tabletop like she's said too much.

"Haha," Kerrigan finally says. "Like that would ever happen. Kyle has a driver follow me around. I'm not even allowed to take an Uber." My sister scowls at me, my overprotectiveness an ongoing issue between us.

"You could live with me if you'd prefer," I tell her. "I could have the driver deliver you to class each day instead of escorting you when you need to leave campus." The problem with raising a teenager when you can still recall being one yourself is that you remember, vividly, how fucking awful and stupid teenagers can be. Add to the equation her net worth making her a potential target and she's lucky her security team is as small and discreet as it is.

"You should pick your battles," Daisy interjects. "Having someone around to drive you places hardly seems worth the fight, right? Just take the car and fight with Kyle about something else."

I'm surprised. I expected Little Miss Contrary to take Kerrigan's side just to goad me, not for her to back me up.

"So when did he propose? Is there a ring?" Gigi glances at Daisy's left hand. Her bare left hand.

"It's being sized," Daisy says. She didn't even stumble on that lie and I'm not sure if I should be impressed or alarmed. "But I can tell you about it."

Of course she can.

"It's gorgeous." Daisy sighs and places her hand over her heart. "It's the ring of my dreams and Kyle picked it out all by himself. Honestly, I don't know how he did it. It's like he read my mind, you know? Because we'd never even discussed rings or getting engaged or any of it."

I wipe a hand over my jaw and try not to laugh.

"Platinum band," Daisy continues, now holding her bare hand up with her fingers spread, a finger from her other hand pointing to where the nonexistent ring would go. Wedding ring jazz hands. "Oval-cut diamond set in a halo setting," She sighs, a big dramatic romantic sigh. "And it's huge." She waves her fingers here and emphasizes the word huge. "I said yes." She glances at me and places a hand on my forearm, the other clasped to her chest. "Yes, of course! But I told him the ring was a bit much, you know? And that we could exchange it for something a bit more subtle. But he insisted. He said he wanted every man within a five-mile radius to know I was taken." She shrugs, like I'm impossible.

"Ugh, he's such a caveman." Kerrigan groans while Daisy nods.

I do what I can not to grunt.

"Tell us how he proposed," my sister asks, leaning in eagerly as the waitress sets plates of food in front of us.

"This romantic fool." Daisy bites her bottom lip, as if she's trying to contain herself in her enthusiasm over me, except I know better and I think she's merely trying not to laugh out loud while she visualizes what fairy-lie she's about to spin. Then she turns to me with a huge smile. "Do you want to tell the story?"

"It was very low-key," I interject, happy to stop Daisy before she spins a story involving a billboard or a circus monkey.

"Just the two of us," Daisy agrees while popping a bite of French toast into her mouth. She hums in delight over her food and I remember she did the same while eating a hot dog at Fenway. She took a giant bite with a happy little hum, her face tilted up towards the sun as she chewed. Then she turned and smiled at me before grabbing my beer for a sip. I'd never been more comfortable with a total stranger in my life. I'm not sure if I've ever been more comfortable with anyone than I was with her that day.

"Just the two of us," I second, snapping back to the present. "Just a quiet weekend at home. My place," I clarify since they know she lives out of state. "Daisy was able to visit for a couple of days. We got ice cream," I improvise, watching her fork a dollop of whipped cream into her mouth.

"Yes!" Daisy's eyes light up and she turns enthusiastically to Kerrigan