Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7)(78)

Caleb gave her a rather impressive eye roll and shook his head. “It’s not our first date. We’ve known each other awhile now. We rescued a dog together.”

Her mom looked even more surprised. “You got a dog?” she asked Sadie.

“Yes.

“But your lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to having a dog.”

Here we go . . . “Because I’m a tattoo artist?”

“Because you work all day in the spa, and then nights at the tattoo parlor,” her mom said, surprising her. “You work long hours. Most people your age don’t care about their career like you do. I just don’t know how you’d have time to take care of a dog while you’re working as hard as you are.”

To say Sadie was shocked would have been the understatement of the year. “I didn’t realize you’d noticed.”

“Of course I notice.” Her mom hesitated and glanced over at her husband. “It’s been brought to my attention that I can be a little hard on the people I love.”

“She means Dad’s making her go to a therapist,” Clara said.

Her mom waved her hands. “Enough about me.” She refilled everyone’s glass. “Let’s toast to more dates between the two of you!” She lifted her glass. “To many, many more dates.”

Sadie, still feeling a little stunned by her mom’s admission, raised a glass. “How about instead we toast to Clara and Greg’s happiness? And to many, many more years together. Greg, just remember, you should end every argument with three simple words—’you’re right, honey.’”

Clara pointed at Greg. “You could’ve used that advice earlier.”

“You mean when you threatened to kill me while I was making brownies?” he asked.

“You said I was fat.”

“No,” Greg said. “I merely suggested you slow down on the chocolate loading because you seem to always forget that your mom’s cooking makes you sick and I didn’t want you to make things worse.”

“So now I’m fat and stupid?” Clara asked. She yanked her napkin out of her lap and threw it on the table as she stood. “Why are we getting married then?”

Greg calmly stood up and reached for her. “You’re doing it again. Letting the pregnancy hormones drive you insane.”

“Pregnancy hormones?” Sadie’s mom gasped, slowly standing up as well, her eyes on Clara’s stomach. “Is that why you’re gaining weight? You’re pregnant?”

Clara’s eyes filled. “Yes!” she wailed and threw herself at Greg. “I’m sorry I’m so out of control right now. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

He cuddled her into him. “I do. You’re doing too much. You’re working, planning the wedding, growing a human, dealing with your insane family—”

“Hey,” Sadie said.

“Hey,” her parents said.

“How about we all focus on the good news,” Caleb said smoothly, deflating the tension as he lifted his glass in one hand and handed Clara a glass of water with the other. “To the newest addition to the Lane family . . .”

“Of course,” Sadie’s mom said. “And to not telling anyone about the pregnancy until after the wedding. Right, Henry?”

Sadie’s dad downed his champagne. “Right. Why ruin a perfectly good bazillion-dollar wedding?”

Clara let out a low tearful laugh and looked at Sadie. “So how does it feel to not be the screw-up today?”

“Don’t be silly,” Sadie’s mom said on a very false-sounding laugh. “You’re not a screw-up. You’re still getting married, right?” She looked at Greg. “Right? Someone tell me before I drink this entire bottle and throw myself off a cliff.”

“Relax, Mom. We won’t ruin your wedding,” Clara said.

“You mean your wedding. It’s all for you. Isn’t that right, Henry?”

Henry hesitated. “I’m sorry, I lost track. Am I agreeing with you or disagreeing with you?”

Her mom shot him a dirty look, but they both got up and hugged Clara and Greg, declaring themselves over the moon with joy about their future grandchild.

They all cleared the dishes together. In the kitchen, Caleb rolled up his sleeves and began rinsing them, much to her mom’s horror.

“Guests don’t do dishes,” she said, trying to shoo him away. “And anyway, it’s Sadie’s turn.”

“She can stuff them into the dishwasher while I rinse,” Caleb said.

“No she can’t,” her mom said. “She does it wrong.”

“Okay,” Caleb said to Sadie. “Switch. You rinse and I’ll load.”

“She does that wrong too,” her mom said.

Sadie watched Caleb’s eyelid twitch. She looked at the time. It’d been an hour. Seemed about right. By the end of the evening, they’d both be at risk for a stroke.

“That was so sweet of you,” her mom said when Caleb had insisted on continuing to do the dishes until he’d finished. “If you end up marrying Sadie, knowing your way around a kitchen is a good skill to have. I’m not sure she even knows how to turn on the oven.”

“Of course I do, Mom,” Sadie said. “And it’s a good thing too, because after we leave here, I’m going home to turn on my oven and stick my head in it. Is it hot tub time yet, Clara?”