“Lovely to meet you as well, Avery. Raegan has told me about you also.” His voice is low and deep and very sexy. Good for you, Rae.

  Raegan immediately takes the seat next to Theo and Wes sits next to her, leaving the only open seat between Wes and me. While it’s not my ideal seating arrangement, I can understand why. Wes and I inadvertently serve as the shield to both Raegan and Lucas.

  The conversation flows for the next twenty minutes or so and although everyone is tense, the air is breathable. It’s like we’re all bracing ourselves but we want to enjoy it now before the storm begins.

  When Rebecca finally walks in, she’s dressed to the absolute nines in stilettos and the most stunning Fendi dress. God, how is she always so perfect!?

  “Oh my gosh!” She squeals as she scoops Raegan into her arms. Theo stays put but Lucas stands and makes his way towards them and she grabs him as well, holding them both in her arms. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

  “Missed you too, Mom,” Lucas says.

  “Yeah, ditto,” Raegan says.

  Lucas lets go but Raegan stays holding on to her for a little longer and I hate how much Raegan gets hurt by this. Lucas definitively chose sides and has clung to Theo his whole life but a girl needs her mother and Raegan was deprived of that during the most quintessential time in her life. Now she’s pregnant and she’ll more than likely be denied her mother again.

  “You look so beautiful.” She smiles at her and gives her a squeeze. “Now, who is this?” She gives Wes a once over with her eyes and I can immediately see Raegan preparing her defense.

  “Mom, this is Wes Beckham.”

  “Very nice to meet you, Rebecca,” he says and she gives him a smile before shaking his hand.

  “Charmed.” She moves her gaze around the table before landing on me. “Well, I wasn’t expecting a full party, just for little old me.” She giggles as she takes her seat between Wes and me. “Avery, darling.” She leans over and kisses my cheek in the same fashion as earlier.

  “Good to see you again.”

  “Well, isn’t this just wonderful?” She claps.

  Lucas snorts into his glass and I wonder just how much alcohol he’s put away, especially if Theo drove here and he had any drinks at home.

  “So, Lucas, you’re leaving tomorrow?” She asks.

  “Yep, bright and early.”

  “Well…I am taking the red eye out of New York on Monday morning so I was going to come to New York Sunday and maybe we can have dinner?”

  “I don’t know…I have some things to do Sunday to prepare for work Monday.” He’s living in the same apartment he lived in during college and doesn’t really have much to move, so I’m guessing this is partially an excuse.

  “So proud of you, honey.” She gives him a look that I’d almost think was genuine. “I searched your company and your position on LinkedIn. You are going to have a very healthy salary.” And there it is.

  “Of course, you did.” Lucas laughs, but I hear the sarcasm lurking beneath. “Yes, it’ll be great.”

  “So, Mom, how are you?” Raegan interjects. “How’s everything and…Garrett?” she asks, referring to her husband.

  “Oh fine, he’s in Greece right now on business, but he’ll be back in a few weeks.” She flicks her wrist before picking up her water. “Where’s our waitress? I would love a cocktail.” She looks around the table and notices that only Lucas is drinking. “No one else? That’s shocking for everyone at this table.” She laughs. “Sorry dear, I don’t know you that well,” she says to Wes with a hint of condescension.

  “Yeah, I wonder where Raegan and I get it from.” Lucas snorts and Rebecca’s eyes pin him with a glare.

  “Nice.” She gives him a look as she puts her menu down. “Wes, hon, tell us about yourself. What are your intentions with my daughter?”

  I internally cringe at the names she’s giving him when I’m fairly certain she’s younger than Wes.

  “Becca,” Theo warns and the nickname reminds me of the painful familiarity between them and it feels like a punch in the gut.

  “What? I am not one to beat around the bush. I didn’t fly forty-five hundred miles for idle chit-chat.”

  “No one asked you to fly here,” Lucas says, giving his mother a look. “You didn’t even call to let anyone know you were coming. You just show up and expect everyone to drop everything and cater to you just like you always do. Never mind that I had plans tonight. It only mattered that you wanted to have some awkward ass dinner under the ruse that anyone cares what you think about Raegan and her boyfriend.”

  I sit back in my chair, ready for Rebecca to say something back and not wanting to be literally between them while they argue when she flits her eyes to Theo. “And you have nothing to say to that?”

  “Say to what?” Theo asks and I already know he’s not going to get involved with their back and forth unless Lucas really crosses a line.

  “Of course, you don’t care what he says to me.”

  “Mom,” Raegan speaks up, “look, I am sorry that I called you. I thought talking to me instead of continuing to engage in random gossip with Nat’s mom would make you feel better. I certainly didn’t expect you to fly here on a whim.”

  At that moment, the waitress enters and takes Rebecca’s sole drink order and we order some appetizers of mini crabcakes, calamari, and bacon-wrapped scallops.

  “I just felt so out of the loop. I had no idea what was going on,” she says when the waitress leaves the room.

  “But you’ve chosen to be out of the loop, Mom. You call me once a month, and yeah, the phone works both ways but there was a long stretch of time when I used to call you and you either wouldn’t answer or couldn’t talk or I would get you on the phone and I could tell you were distracted and not listening to a thing I was saying.” Her eyes well up with tears and Wes’ hand immediately moves to rest on her thigh. “No, you weren’t my first call when things got serious with Wes because, frankly, I didn’t think you’d care.” She shrugs. “I wasn’t going to get married without telling you. That’s more your speed.”

  I wince thinking about how Lucas and Avery weren’t even at Rebecca’s second wedding because it was spur of the moment and ‘just the two of us on a beach!’

  “That’s not fair!”

  “Oh? You flew across the country because you heard that he might have a ring. Lucas and I found out you got married in a two-line text message with a picture of you two in all white.”

  “Honey—”

  “I’m over it,” Raegan interrupts. “But please don’t give me a hard time just because you haven’t been around to get to know the man I love.”

  “Love? Oh, honey…”

  “Yes, Mother. Love. I love him.” She pulls her eyes away from her mother to look next to her at Wes and a smile tugs at my lips at how she looks at him.

  Fuck, it’s how I look at Theo when we’re alone.

  Nope, absolutely not the time.

  Rebecca’s eyes flit to Theo’s and then Lucas’ who’s still staring at his drink before turning back to her. “You hardly know him.”

  “No, Mom, you hardly know him and you hardly know me for that matter.”

  The table is silent before Wes speaks up. “To answer your earlier question, Rebecca, I am very much in love with Raegan and I do intend to marry her.” His eyes pan to Theo’s. “I had all the intentions to talk to you about it before things escalated to this. Raegan stressed the importance of it and I value what’s important to her.” I realize now that they’re holding hands because when he moves his into view, it’s clasped with hers and he brings it to his mouth. “I understand the apprehension around all of this. Our age difference and maybe the speed in which things moved, but as I believe Raegan told you and Lucas,” he says, still talking to Theo, “we’ve been together for about a year now.”

  “Why wait so long to tell us?” Rebecca asks.

  “Because of all of this,” Raegan says. “This production over what? I’m twenty-three.”

  “And he’s not.” She responds.

  “So?” Raegan snaps, her blue eyes narrowed and annoyed.

  “Honey, he’s too old for you.”

  I wince, hearing those words because even if Lucas wasn’t a factor, is that what people would think about me and Theo?

  Yes. My mind thinks instantly.

  “I think that’s my decision.”

  Rebecca sighs just as the waitress sets down her drink. “Thank you, dear,” she says as she pulls the dirty martini to her lips. “Oh!” She cringes. “No no no. This isn’t right.” She hands her back the drink. “Can you have them try again? I think they forgot the vermouth or something.”

  “Of course, my apologies,” The waitress says before leaving the room.

  Lucas chuckles and drains his glass. “Some things never change.”

  Her eyes snap to his and she glares at him. “Sorry, I like my drink made correctly?”

  No one says anything before Rebecca turns to look at Theo. “You’re certainly quiet.”

  Theo, who’s been staring at his glass, meets her gaze, but not before floating past my eyes quickly. “What did you want me to say? I don’t even know why I’m here. I’ve talked to Raegan about it. We’re good.”

  “Of course, always had to be the good guy so I had to be the bad one.”

  “Rebecca, the kids are grown. There is no good guy or bad guy anymore. Part of having grown children is you parent them differently. What, do you think we have the power to forbid her from marrying him? Ground her?”

  “No, but we can advise…”

  “Yes, of course,” Theo says. “But for one, you give your advice once and that’s it. You don’t force it on them. Two, they have to ask for it and I don’t think either of our children would ask you for advice for much, and three,” he points at her. “Now pay attention because this is a big one, you support them anyway even if they don’t take your advice. Because they are now at the age where they have to make their own decisions, mistakes, whatever.” He gestures towards Raegan and Wes. “I’m not even saying this is a mistake. I’ve been around them so few times and I can see how much they care about each other and I want that for Raegan.”

  She sighs. “Well, fine. If everyone is just so on board.” She rolls her eyes just as the waitress comes back with her drink. Another server follows behind her with our appetizers and disperses them around the table. “Oh, much better! Thank you.” She smiles as she sips her drink. She opens her napkin. “Well, at least you’re not pregnant, I suppose,” Rebecca says flippantly.

  Nobody says anything until Wes clears his throat and chuckles. “Well, that’s a really unnecessary and quite frankly, rude thing to say.” He looks at Raegan who’s staring down at her hands and shakes his head. “You know, Raegan has been really happy about the fact that we are having a baby until she realized she had to tell you. Ever since she talked to you, she’s been anxious and nervous and upset and I have no tolerance for that. She’s twenty-three years old and she’s nervous about telling her mother who she barely has a relationship with that she’s pregnant? What does that say about you?”

  I sense movement in my periphery and I notice Lucas’ nodding in approval. “Wes, you and I are going to get along just fine.” He laughs and gets up from the table. “I have to take a leak.”

  Rebecca looks at Raegan, tears flooding her eyes. “You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes.”

  “So that’s the reason for all—” Rebecca starts.

  “Let me stop you right there,” Wes interrupts, holding a hand up.

  “I was talking to Raegan.”

  “Well, now you’re talking to me. Let’s get something straight. I’ve wanted to marry Raegan since about five minutes after I laid eyes on her. We’ve been together for over a year, and we first discussed marriage about three months into our relationship. We’ve been living together officially for six months, so no, her very recent pregnancy is not the reason for anything.” He looks around the table. “In the spirit of transparency, Raegan would like to be married before the baby is born and more specifically before she’s really showing so that does move things up some, but let me be very clear to everyone here, and then I don’t want to talk about it again, we are not getting married just because she’s pregnant.” He looks at Raegan and I melt at the look they share.

  He loves her so much.

  “We are getting married because we love each other. The fact that she’s also pregnant just makes us more excited to be tied together forever.”

  I think my heart and uterus just skipped a beat.

  Two hours later, I’m in the bathroom with Raegan after the awkward dinner where Rebecca was basically on her phone the whole time. “Well, that was…something.”

  “Did you expect anything else?” Raegan asks.

  “I did not expect your guard dog.” I giggle. “He is…” I whistle. “That was sweet and hot and I think triggered my Daddy issues a little bit.” I laugh nervously, as I play with the ends of my hair and Raegan giggles in response.

  “Yeah, he’s like that.”

  “Love that for you.”

  “Hey, he’s an only child but he’s got some nice cousins? Or maybe a friend? I could set you up!” She claps her hands.

  I chuckle, hoping it doesn’t sound forced and nervous. “That’s nice, but I’m okay.”

  “Okay,” she says as she begins to touch up her lipstick. “Thanks for being here. I know you came for Lucas, but it made me feel good too.”

  “Of course.”

  “You’re a really good friend, Avery.” She hugs me. “And the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister.” She gives me a smile that reminds me so much of Lucas. “And I’d really like it if you’d be one of my bridesmaids.”

  I put a hand over my chest as I try to calm the euphoria coursing through me that causes my heart to flutter. “Really? Me?”

  She nods as tears flood her eyes. “Of course. You’re family.” She wraps her arms around me and I feel the tears prickling in mine as well. But the overwhelming feelings of happiness and honor are quickly cut short when I realize that she probably wouldn’t ask me if she knew about what her father and I have been doing behind everyone’s backs. I’ve spent so much time focusing on how Lucas would take it that I didn’t even think about Raegan’s feelings and she’s asking me to be a part of the biggest day of her life.

  I am the worst.

  She pulls back and wipes under her eyes and then mine before laughing. “We should get back out there. Wes can only serve as a buffer for so long.”

  When we get back to the table, Theo is signing the check for dinner while Rebecca is touching up her lipstick and Lucas is scrolling through his phone. He nods at me and when I sit down next to him, he grabs my hands in his. “Want to get a drink?”

  Theo isn’t looking at us but I know he’s paying attention. “You don’t want to hang out with your sister and your dad on your last night?”

  “Oh,” Raegan interjects, shaking her head, “I’m going to bed. I love you Lucas, but I barely make it past nine-thirty right now. It is ten-fifteen and I have to be up in seven hours to start puking.” She groans. “We’ll be in New York for work in like two weeks.” She points back and forth between her and Wes. “We’ll go to dinner?”

  Lucas gets up and I notice he’s moving a little lethargically making me wonder if he stopped off at the bar when he went to the bathroom and consumed even more alcohol than the two stiff whiskeys he had at dinner.

  “I love you, Rae.” He hugs her.

  “Oh, you’re drunk. How did I miss that?” She chuckles before kissing his cheek. “I love you too.”

  “Shut up.” He nudges her shoulder. “Big brother, I guess?” He shakes Wes’ hand and when they share a look of respect, Raegan beams at them.

  “Look at this! Two of my favorite guys. Just missing one.” She looks at Theo who stands up and says goodbye to them as well.

  We make it outside and while Rebecca is saying goodbye to Raegan and Wes, Lucas wraps an arm around me. “I’m going to go with Ave,” he says to Theo.

  “Lucas, maybe we should just go back to your house.”

  “It’s my last night in Philly!”

  “Okay, we talked about this earlier,” I joke as I rub his arm. “It’s literally an hour train ride. People commute from Philly to New York every day.”

  “You know what I mean. I’m going to be working all the time. You’re going to be working. It’s going to be hard for us to see each other, you know?”

  “We’ll make time,” I tell him. “I’ll always make time for you.”

  “Awww,” he pinches my cheek. “Fine, yeah let’s just go to the house. That way you can actually indulge with me.”

  Lucas slams his trunk closed, tapping his hand on top of it a few times before turning to me and Avery who are standing next to his car. “Well, that’s it.” It’s barely nine in the morning and Lucas is already packed up and ready to head back to New York. “I know it’s close, but it’s still weird.” He looks at the house behind me and then over at Avery’s house. “Keep my dad out of trouble, will you?” He says, wrapping his arms around Avery and it takes everything in me not to react to that.

  “Sure thing.” She smiles.

  He turns to me and gives me a look that I can’t quite read. “Give us a second?” I nod, before heading back to the house. I’ve never known Lucas to like any kind of dramatic goodbye so I wonder what he’s going to say to her and I try not to watch from the window but I can’t seem to move away. He pulls her in for a hug before kissing the top of her head and when they pull back, I see him rub her face making me wonder if she’s more upset than she let on about him moving. I hate the pang of jealousy that flares in my veins in response.

  I finally pull away from the window not wanting to encroach on their moment or annoy myself further. A buzzing in my pocket breaks my thoughts and when I reach for it, I see it’s from an unknown number.

  It’s Saturday at nine in the morning, who the hell is this?