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)
“Emilie,” Hale heard David snap.
But Hale had no attention for David, seeing as he was rising from his chair because Emilie was charging across the space on a direct trajectory to Elsa.
“We need to take this outside,” he growled when Elsa’s sister arrived.
He didn’t even have the chance to do a quick scan to see where Tom and Mika were, because Emilie was glaring murder at Elsa along with speaking.
“What is it with you?” Emilie demanded of Elsa.
“Again, we’re taking this outside,” Hale decreed.
Elsa rose out of her seat.
Emilie ignored Hale and her tone was snide when she said, “Big time job. Fame. Fortune. Rich fiancé. Now you’re having his baby so People and TMZ can talk about how perfect you are and how in love.”
Oskar was suddenly there, and he murmured to Hale, “I fucked up,” before, to his sister, he said in a steely voice, “We’re taking a walk, Em.”
She ignored Oskar too, shouting, “God, can’t you leave anything for me?”
Now David was there. “If you don’t pipe down this minute—” he started to threaten.
Emilie whirled on him. “I’m not twelve, Dad.”
“You could have fooled me,” David retorted.
Emilie’s torso swung back in affront.
“Please, let’s move this outside,” Elsa begged.
And rounding it out, now Inger was there, appearing hurt.
“Honey, why didn’t you tell me?” she asked Elsa, sounding as hurt as she looked.
“We just found out,” Elsa explained. “Dad guessed. I was going to call a family meeting imminently. I swear.”
“Damn, Tom, Mika, I’m so sorry,” David muttered, and Hale’s gut sank.
Because they were now standing right there as well.
“You’re having a baby?” Tom asked, his gaze shifting between Hale and Elsa.
“It wasn’t planned, but we’re thrilled,” Hale told him. “We just got it confirmed, but we didn’t want to steal the limelight on your day, even before we knew how big this day was going to be.”
Hale noted vaguely Inger looked mollified that Tom didn’t know, but mostly, his attention was on Tom, who was now studying his new wife closely.
“You knew?” he demanded.
“I was sworn to secrecy, Tommy,” she replied. “We made a cocktail promise.”
“Oh, well, there you go,” Tom drawled. “I’m going to be a grandfather, and didn’t know it because you made a cocktail promise.”
Mika aimed a stretched-lips look to Nora, then Genny.
Not a good call.
“Both of you knew too?” Tom asked, his voice rising.
“Obviously, Elsa went to Genny first,” Mika shared.
Way not a good call.
Inger gasped.
He heard Elsa sigh.
“Just to point out, this time, it wasn’t me,” Sasha chimed in.
Chloe didn’t quite swallow her laugh in time for it to be inaudible.
Another not great call.
“Jesus, everybody knew?” Tom demanded of the room at large, a room that was now crowded with the entirety of their twenty-three guests, and the pastor.
“Tom, we thought you’d asked us here to announce your engagement,” Hale informed him. “We were all happy for you and we wanted you both to have that without anything interfering.”
“I have the capacity to feel a great deal of love and joy about a variety of things all at once, son,” Tom retorted.
“I’ll bear that in mind next time,” Hale muttered.
“Are you seriously angry?” Mika inquired of her new husband.
Tom turned to his new wife. “Honey, when you’re the last to know Cadence is having a baby, you tell me how you’d react.”
“Valid,” Mika muttered before she gave big eyes to Genny, who was one of the best actresses in the country, but at that moment, she was failing at fighting her smile.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Nora waded in, followed by the bartender and two of the catering staff, all of them holding trays of filled champagne glasses. “You two are married. Your ceremony was life. Everyone is thrilled for you. They’re pregnant. They’re happy. Now today is doubly joyous. Please, I beg you, get with the program.”
She took one of the glasses that were being passed around and raised it.
“To love. To family. To friends. To the future. And to the best times of our lives shared in the greatest of company,” she toasted.
There were some “hear, hears” and a few “cheers” and everyone lifted their glasses and drank.
Once that was done, Hale witnessed Tom giving Elsa a tight hug.
He then turned that on Hale.
“Thrilled for you, son,” Tom whispered in his ear.
“Me too, Tommy,” Hale replied. “And just in case you didn’t get it, I’m thrilled for you too.”
“Don’t worry. I got it.”
With that, Tom broke it off, did the pat on the face again, and it felt as good as the last time.
“I call the baby shower!” Blake shouted.
“Oh no you don’t,” Chloe snarled. “She’s my sister-in-law. Or she’s going to be. I get first dibs.”
“What’s that saying about snoozing and losing?” Blake drawled smugly.
“Ladies, please,” Nora waded in again. “Obviously, Imogen, Mika and I are throwing the shower.”
“I guess I’m chopped liver,” Inger grumbled under her breath.