Page 31 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
GOTTA ROLL WITH IT
HENLEY
I pull up to Bree’s house. She’d asked me to come to dinner tonight a few days ago and I’d said that was perfect because I’d hoped to talk to her and the girls tonight anyway.
Now that I’m here, I’m nervous, which is just crazy talk. I wish Tru was with me for this, but she thought it would be best if they heard about us first without her there. She’s right, but I still want her by my side.
She told me she loved me.
I didn’t have any doubts about how I feel about her, but hearing her say it back to me, it means everything.
It also means this has to go well with the girls.
I tap on the door and Bree is the one to open the door.
“Hey. How did you manage to beat Gracie out of answering the door?”
She laughs and there’s something different about her tonight. She looks extra happy. “I might’ve been extra excited for you to get here.”
My face contorts in surprise. “Okay. What’s going on?”
“Dad!” Gracie yells. “Is that you?”
“Yep, it’s me, peanut,” I yell back.
“Come on back. I thought I might get a minute with you to myself, but they’re so excited about the dessert we’ve got, they’ll probably cram dinner down your throat if you don’t eat it fast enough.” Bree laughs and is already moving briskly toward the kitchen.
“Way to get me curious and leave me hanging,” I call behind her.
She smiles at me over her shoulder and I grumble like I’m irritated even though I’m not. Nothing can wreck my mood tonight. Tru loves me.
I hug the girls and we sit down at the table.
“Why don’t you pass your plate once you’ve got the noodles and I’ll serve the sauce,” Bree says.
“Everything looks great.” I smile at Cassidy who’s accidentally bumped into my foot.
“Audrey made the spaghetti sauce,” Bree says, smiling at Audrey.
“Sign me up.” I pass my plate to Bree and she pours the sauce on and puts three meatballs in the center.
“Thank you.”
I take a few bites, commenting on how good it is, but mostly wondering when I should come out with my news. The table jostles and our silverware rattles, which startles everyone. I look over at Bree and see how nervous and fidgety she’s acting.
“You okay over there?”
“What? Yeah.” She laughs. She makes a face. “I’m okay. Great, actually. I’ve just got something to tell all of you, and I guess I’m a little nervous.”
We all stop and look at her. I set down my fork.
“What is it, Mom?” Cassidy asks.
Bree looks at her girls and puts her hand on her neck before she leans in. “Alex asked me to marry him and I said yes!”
There’s silence for a few seconds and then I lift my glass to her. It’s only water, but it’ll still work.
“Congratulations! That’s great news, Bree. Right, girls?” I add when they don’t say anything.
“Congratulations, Mom,” Audrey says, her smile sweet.
She clinks her glass to mine and everyone else does it too, a delayed reaction.
“Do we get to be in the wedding?” Gracie asks, perking up.
“I’d love for you to be in the wedding if you want to,” Bree says. “All three of you.”
She looks at Cassidy, who’s twisting her cloth napkin as tight as it will go.
“Alex will never replace your dad, no matter what,” Bree tells Cassidy. “But isn’t it great to have two men in your life who care about you so much?”
When Cassidy finally looks up at Bree, she nods and smiles and it’s like we all exhale at once.
“Congratulations,” she says simply. But it’s enough.
Bree relaxes into her seat and then for the rest of the meal, we talk about all things wedding.
“Alex wanted to be here tonight too, but I thought it’d be best if I told you first. Maybe we can have a little party to celebrate with him tomorrow night though,” she tells the girls.
I personally wish he had been here tonight, and I hope that if…no when I get to this stage with Tru, that the girls will be farther along in their relationship with her than Alex is. But it’s not my place to decide that. I know we’re all just doing the best we can do and we won’t always make the right call.
However, I’m certain the right call for me tonight is to wait to share the news about Tru. As much as I’m dying to tell them, I want Bree to have her moment and I don’t want to pile onto the girls when this is already a lot.
There are messages from the guys when I’m heading home, all wanting to know how it went. They’re the best, ready to celebrate Tru and me being official like we’re all in high school.
I’m here for it…when it actually happens.
But on a whim, I message back.
It didn't happen. Bree is engaged. I felt like that news held precedence. But I still feel like a party. Want to come over? Bring whoever you want…dates, kids, all the people. I'm going to see if Tru and her mom can come over. I need a distraction tonight. It's been a great day. And I want to end on a high note.
Rhodes
Henley making a plan after eight o’clock…count us in. Levi and I will be there shortly. We won’t stay long since he’ll be crashing soon, but we’ll come say hey. Maybe Elle too. She said she was heading out soon, but she might be up for seeing Tru, her new BFF. Eye roll emoji Just no pics.
Elle is a Mustangs cheerleader now, so she’s not really supposed to be around us, but we’re being discreet for her. She’s our friend, but she’s not going out with us in public anymore to ensure she keeps her job. We miss her, but it’s exciting that she’ll be out there this season.
Bowie
Becca and I will be there too.
Penn
I'm with Sam right now. Is it okay if I bring him over?
Of course. I can't wait to see the guy. It's been too long.
Weston
Sadie says she's in. And Caleb's probably good for a little while, or I might call and see if my mom would want to watch him. But if she hears it's at your house and that Stephanie’s coming, she might want to come too.
Everybody's welcome. We could put Caleb in the portable bed if you want to spend the night. Invite your parents. Come on.
Weston
Okay, it's a party!
I get home and order a bunch of pizzas in case anyone hasn’t eaten, and they start arriving at the same time as everyone else does. I let Tru know that the conversation with the girls won’t be happening tonight after all, and she agreed it was best to let the girls digest the news about Bree and Alex first. Tru and her mom haven’t gotten here yet and Weston and Sadie are going to be a bit late. Sadie’s parents called right after Weston was talking to me and they’re going to watch Caleb.
Levi is in rare form tonight. I think Rhodes imagined him falling asleep on the way or soon after he got here, but he is wound up . The little guy is one of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen. His curls are amazing, and his eyes are the color of amber, and they’re always smiling like he’s thinking about the punchline. He starts dancing when I turn on the music.
“SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake comes on. Rhodes lifts his eyebrows.
“You been holdin’ out on me? I didn't take you for a Justin fan. I thought we were all about Britney.”
“I didn't know it was on here,” I admit. “But hey,” I point at him, “get your sexy on.”
He laughs and starts swiveling his hips back at Levi, who throws his head back and laughs as he tries to do the same moves.
“Go ‘head, be gone with it,” Rhodes sings.
And that starts a whole chorus of us dancing our asses off and singing at the top of our lungs. Penn slides across the floor in his socks, taking the lead. And I cover all the background vocals. Rhodes, for all his Justin judgment, and I know there are reasons—Tru’s told me all about the Britney memoir—he also happens to know every word.
I’m sore from practice today, but it feels damn good to let loose with my boys. We finish the song and high-five each other.
And then I hear the laughing.
Tru and her mom are standing there, laughing with tears rolling down their cheeks. Tru can't even get words out without laughing.
“That…was…” she starts and then cackles again.
Stephanie holds her hand to her chest, wheezing with laughter. “I have never seen anything like that,” she says, “but oh, wow, life made.”
“We didn’t even have our boy West here to back us up. He’s got some great moves too.” I wink, and that sends them into another wave of laughter.