Page 6

Reddington

Could eyeballs bleed? I wasn’t too sure factually, but I felt like if they could, mine would’ve while I was looking through way too many fucking options for an engagement ring.

Good news was that thanks to my jackass younger brother, Nathaniel, I knew exactly what not to get Jade.

See, in all things, but especially ring shopping, I used him as the exemplary example of what to avoid.

Jackass that he was—sorry, it begged repeating—he’d bought her a ring, planned on proposing, and then had decided to call the whole thing off before he even got down on one knee.

Real winner, I know. His feet weren’t cold.

His damn brain was. It being on ice was the only explanation as to why he didn’t act as quickly as possible and slip that ring on Jade’s finger so he could forever claim her.

Instead, he made the worst decision and broke up with her.

He’d never been good at making decisions, or anything for that matter, but that was one hell of an asinine move.

Jade was the entire package. Even I knew that, and I hadn’t been the one waking up and rolling over to the sight of her in the morning.

The navy-blue velvet box I’d picked up on the way here was burning a hole in the pocket of my seersucker sports coat as I walked the rest of the way to a table next to the window on the far side of the dining room.

See, I was at the country club where my parents were members for, oh, I wasn’t sure I could recollect the number of years, but definitely the better part of my existence.

I’d asked my mother if we could meet up.

You know, so that I could share the wonderful news that her best, brightest, and oldest son was getting married.

She’d insisted on meeting here for lunch after her tennis match.

“Mother,” I acknowledged, placing a hand on the back of her chair and bending down to bring my lips to her cheek where I gave her a light kiss by way of greeting. “How are you doing? How was tennis?” I walked around to the other side of the table, pulling out the chair and sitting.

She lowered the glass of cucumber water from her lips and swallowed. “Reddington, I’m so glad you called. Tennis went splendidly.”

I nodded curtly and placed my arms on the table, clasping my hands firmly together as I prepared to tell her the news of my engagement.

Yes, it was fake. No, I didn’t feel that was something she needed to know.

The way I saw it, Jade and I were the only two people who should be privy to that piece of information.

“As I mentioned over the phone, I have something to tell you.”

She put a hand up and shut her eyes briefly before reopening them.

“Reddington,” she said, but of course, I already knew where this was going.

This was Mitzy Lyons we were talking about.

I should’ve remembered that before I’d spoken.

“We don’t need to get into that right away.

Would you like something to eat? I’m enjoying the Cobb salad. ”

I cleared my throat and remained calm, even though internally I felt like I was sitting on a grenade and about to combust if I didn’t say what I came here to say. “Maybe next time.”

“A drink then?”

I nodded, cracking my knuckles as though to expel some of the heightened energy buzzing through my body. “Sure. I could use a single malt whiskey.” And to say what I had to say.

She spotted a waiter walking away from the table next to us and waved a hand as he passed by. “Excuse me.”

When she was done asking for my drink, she brought her attention back to her salad, forking some and bringing it to her lips. She swallowed before engaging with me. “How are you?”

“Good.” Sorry, I tried it her way, and it turned out it wasn’t a grenade I was sitting on, it was dynamite.

I couldn’t take it any longer. We could catch up another time.

Not that there was much to catch up on except the very news I came here to tell her.

Besides that, we spoke fairly regularly and not much happened in my life outside of work, so not much to share, fortunately.

I looked around and decided to try again, this time throwing a wrecking ball into my mother’s small talk.

“Mother, I’m engaged, and we’d like for you to throw us an engagement party.

” I could use the plural since technically Jade and I were a we and us now, right?

Swallowing hard, my mother rested her glass on the table again and sat forward, her eyes growing wide. “You’re engaged? And you only just thought to tell your mother now? Who is the woman, Red?”

Nate’s ex. I know, it’s like a goddamn soap opera. I should’ve been the one swallowing hard, but instead, I played it cool. “Jade Logan.”

“Jade Logan,” she repeated, letting the name roll around on her tongue for a beat. She looked heavenward, her brows creasing in the center of her forehead as she obviously tried to search the recesses of her mind. “I know that name. How?” All right, so it was buried deep.

Well, she isn’t the daughter of one of your friends, if that’s what you’re thinking.

I shook my head. How could I say it? Oh, who was I kidding?

I couldn’t stomach people who beat around the bush, so I sure as shit wasn’t going to do that.

I’d never done it before. I was a straight shooter. “She and Nate used to date.”

That did it, her eyes were officially as wide as could be. They were just shy of popping out of her head and rolling onto the table straight toward me most likely. “You’re engaged to your brother’s ex? When did you two start dating?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Does it matter when two people are in love?” Or didn’t prepare a story to back their lie and weren’t sure how to answer that question without making up a tale as tall as the day was long.

Hopefully what I’d said sold it enough to where she wouldn’t give me crap about this.

I wasn’t exactly certain that my parents liked Jade, but I hoped they did enough to accept the news and move on.

“I suppose not. This is wonderful news. An engagement is certainly something to celebrate. Don’t worry, I’ll throw you an engagement party.” Score one for acceptance and moving on. “We’ll do it right here at the club. I’ll make all the arrangements, just have Jade call me with her guest list.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled. “My eldest son, getting married.” The smile reached her eyes, and I could tell she was getting nostalgic, her mind reeling through memories.

That was always what happened when that almost teary-eyed look gleamed in her eyes.

“I remember when you were walking around in nothing but diapers.” And there we go.

I sighed heavily and rubbed my temple as the waiter brought over my drink. Perfect timing. “Thank you,” I told him as he walked away with a nod. Not thinking twice, I brought the glass to my lips and let the liquid dance on my tongue before swallowing.

Turning my attention back to my mother, I shut my eyes briefly before reopening them.

Her lips were moving, but I’d tuned her out.

I was skilled like that. I wasn’t an ass, okay?

Well, most days, anyway. But I’d been down memory lane with her too many times to count.

I could tell you every single story about me in diapers, in the bathtub, my first steps, every time I’d spit my pacifier out, much to my mother’s dismay.

I wouldn’t, by the way, because that would put me (and you) to sleep.

“. . . Wait, are you sure Jade doesn’t want to be part of planning the event? It is her engagement party, after all. You know, when your father and I were—”

I put a hand up. “I know her and this is exactly what she wants.” Or at least what she would want if she even knew I had come here with every intention of asking my mother to plan an engagement party for appearances.

Shit, I was going to have to tell Jade about this, wasn’t I?