Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 33887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Hale and Oskar didn’t see eye to eye on a number of things, but after a rocky introduction, he’d been pleased to learn the man was solid. He loved his children completely. And it had been a privilege to watch as Oskar and David worked at figuring out their relationship as two grown men, before they started settling into it.
But he felt for the guy.
Because Hale knew from experience having a mother that thought the world revolved around her was not fun in the slightest, and with Inger, it included almost stifling adoration of her only son. This was something Oskar could enjoy when he lived in another state, but being close, it was overpowering.
As for Emilie, she’d had some hard knocks lately too. But instead of doing something she’d managed not to do even if she was deep in her twenties—growing up—she often acted out because the world wasn’t falling in line with what she considered her worldview.
And that, particularly, drove Oskar right up the wall.
“Let me guess,” Elsa drawled, “they’re running late.”
“Emilie says ten minutes out, which means at least twenty,” Oskar told her.
Hale didn’t miss David’s lips going tight and Kristine’s sudden interest in the corner of the room.
Yeah, they all knew the drill, and none of them liked it.
“Whatever this is, and I think we all know it’s not a family meeting, can start without them,” Hale declared. “My sense is, there’s catering staff here, and they can open the door if we’re otherwise engaged.”
Oskar’s eyes fell on Dru across the room, he muttered, “I’ll go see to that,” and he moved away.
“You look especially beautiful today,” David said to Elsa, watching her like he was trying to figure something out.
This was true and not. She always looked beautiful and had impeccable style.
But for certain, the glow was discernable.
“Things have been busy with whatever this is, but we need a Cohen family meeting very soon,” Elsa told him.
For a moment, David seemed nonplussed.
That moment didn’t last long before his gaze flew back and forth between Hale and Elsa, his eyes lit, and then they grew moist.
Christ.
The man had guessed.
He’d guessed his daughter was pregnant.
That didn’t give Hale any tension.
That made Hale wish all the more they were going to have a daughter so he could be as connected to her, as close and loving, as David and Elsa were.
Elsa got near to her father because she knew he’d guessed too.
“Dad, this is about Mika and Tom,” she warned low.
“Are you…?” he asked.
“Yes,” she confirmed.
Immediately, David handed off his cocktail to Kristine and engulfed his daughter in a hug.
Kristine shot Hale a confused look, and all he could do was tip his head to the side.
When David let his girl go, he touched her cheek and whispered, “My baby.”
“Always,” she replied.
Shit.
Hale’s throat got tight.
Yeah, he hoped like fuck they had a daughter, either this one, or one of the three to come.
“Matt? Hale?”
He turned at Jamie calling his name and saw the man standing in the doorway.
“Could you come with me?” Jamie requested.
“Apparently, this show is getting on the road,” he muttered, smiled at David and Kristine, kissed Elsa’s cheek, then he and Matt walked to Jamie.
Jamie said nothing, he just led them through his house to the back, and then out to the garden.
“Holy fuck,” Hale whispered as the emerged into the space, at the same time Matt murmured, “Jesus Christ.”
There were rods of lights dripping from the trees, shooting ones coming out of planters and the bedding beside the flagstone decking and walkways. Also snugged among the plants in the edging and urns were flickering, battery-operated pillar candles, dozens of them.
And at the far end of the garden, an arch had been erected. It hung to the ground with fringe that at the top had some macramé, and shooting from the sides were fluffy beige fronds of some plant, these liberally mingled with greenery and cream, peach and orange flowers. Two massive tufts of these arrangements shot from the base at each side, intermingled with more pillar candles.
It was daytime, but Jamie’s back garden was shaded and filled with foliage, so it always seemed like a sheltered, shadowy sanctuary. This had been used to its fullness with the lighting and decorations.
Tom was walking toward them from the arch.
He wasn’t wearing a tux. He was in a dark brown, three-piece, bespoke suit with a peach tie. His precisely tipped pocket square was orange.
Jamie faded back into the house when Tom arrived at his two sons and said, “What do you say? You boys care to stand up for your old man?”
Even as Hale’s throat closed, he heard Matt’s grunt.
Then they were in a group hug.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Tom kidded, but his voice was gruff.
Neither Matt nor Hale had to answer.
It was a definite yes.