means poor Nicky will come home blue balled again.” Jillian cracked up.
Nick gritted out a warning, “Enough, Jilly,” making her laugh harder.
“Jillian, stop riling the boys up,” their mother said.
“And watch the sex talk.” Zev’s father leaned closer to the screen and said, “How about we all listen to what Zev and Carly have to say?”
“We have good news and best news,” Zev said. “Which do—”
“Wait! I have to take this call!” Jillian shouted. “It’s Johnny Bad’s agent. They want me to make the clothes for his next tour. We’re negotiating. I’ll call you back!” Johnny Bad was a famous musician known for being difficult.
After she ended her call, Zev said, “Should we wait?”
“No. She might be a while,” his mother said.
“Okay.” Zev put his arm around Carly and said, “Do you want our good news or our best news first?”
“This is a no-brainer,” Nick said. “Best news. Carly’s knocked up—boom. Done.”
Their mother gasped. “Really? Is it true? We have a grandbaby on the way?”
“I’m going to be a godparent!” Birdie squealed.
“No, you’re not,” Carly and Zev said at once. They had talked about having children, and they definitely wanted a family at some point. But for now, they wanted to enjoy as much togetherness and go on as many adventures as they could without the pressures a baby would add to their lives.
Marie chuckled and said, “You guys are like live entertainment.”
Zev gazed into Carly’s eyes and said, “We’ve decided to get married over the holidays in Pleasant Hill.”
Everyone cheered and talked at once.
“Yes!” Birdie exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to go there!”
Carly watched Zev and his father exchange the most loving and supportive look, and then the most surprising thing happened. Her father gave Zev an equally supportive look, making her heart even fuller.
“Congratulations, mijo,” Luis said.
“You and Marie had better make the trip out for the wedding,” Zev said.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Marie assured them.
“This is wonderful news,” Carly’s mother said. “Where do you want to have the wedding?”
Carly and Zev exchanged knowing smiles, and Carly said, “Byers Brook, where we went on our first adventure.” When they were young, they’d called it their secret brook. They’d later learned that it was where teenagers went to make out, which was why they hadn’t gone there when they’d first had sex. They hadn’t wanted to get caught.
“That’s perfect,” Zev’s mother said with a hand over her heart.
“We thought we’d have the reception at the winery,” Zev said, eyeing Carly as if he was remembering the first time they’d had sex, too, lying on blankets beneath the stars on the winery grounds.
Nick snort-laughed. “You guys sure have a thing for firsts.”
Carly leaned closer to Zev and whispered, “Does he know?”
Zev turned his face away from the camera and whispered, “He’s the one who told me to go somewhere nobody would find us. I had to ask his opinion.”
Carly couldn’t help but smile at the teenager-turned-man who had always put protecting her above all else. Neither of them was perfect, and they’d both made their mistakes, but as far as Carly was concerned, perfection was overrated. Her gaze shifted to Nick, who had also tried to keep her safe. He winked, making her blush anew.
“I think the brook and the winery are lovely ideas,” Carly’s mother said, and everyone agreed.
“Carly, I’d be honored if you’d allow me to make your gown,” Jax offered.
“Oh, Jax, thank you! I was going to ask if you would mind,” she said. “I just want something simple, like us.”
Jax smiled and said, “I’ll make whatever you’d like, but there’s nothing simple about either one of you. Unique, yes, but never simple.”
“I hope you’ll let us cater desserts,” Marie said, sparking a litany of conversation about wedding preparations.
When the excitement settled, they shared their good news and told them about the sword grip. “It’s not indisputable proof that the artifacts are from the Pride, but we believe it is, and we’ve got nothing but time ahead of us to discover something that will.”
They talked for a while longer, and when they ended the call, they heard Randi and Ford bickering at the other end of the boat. Zev put his arms around Carly and said, “Think they’ll ever figure it out?”
“Probably one day, although knowing Randi, she’ll put him through the ringer first.”
“And Ford wouldn’t want it any other way,” Zev said.
“I want to get my engagement ring from the safe.” She rubbed her body against his and said, “Want to come?”