“Oh be quiet,” I said. We’d had this conversation a thousand times already.
“You thought I was just investing out of pity,” Hunter went on with a shit-eating grin.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered.
“We almost broke up over it.” Hunter’s grin widened. “Now look at the company. My initial investment of twenty-five grand is worth…”
I shut him up by kissing him.
“Is it weird being so successful so quickly?” Brad asked. “It must be tough to stay motivated now that your company is growing.”
“Not at all!” I replied. “It can always be bigger and better. I’m already thinking about hiring three new people and moving into arealoffice downtown. I want to expand our offerings to six new types of gemstone, and more band options. Not to mention additional earring, necklace, and bracelet designs…”
Lizzy leaned into Brad and said, “Your sister never stops brainstorming. It’s exhausting.”
I flashed her a smile and turned to Brad. “How’s your job going?”
“Better than ever,” he said happily. “That Sales Manager promotion finally went through. I don’t get commissions anymore, but I’m working forty hours instead of sixty. That’s given me plenty of time to start running again.”
“I was going to say that you look good,” Hunter said. “You’ve lost weight.”
“I’m down fifteen pounds. Five more and I’ll be back in lacrosse shape.”
“Good! You can start dating again,” I pointed out. “Now that I’m EricaCade, we need you to pass on the family name.”
“There’s a huge difference between dating,” Brad pointed out, “and passing on the family name.”
“BABIES,” I shouted, clapping my hands to emphasize each word. “LOTS. OF. PORTER. BABIES.”
Lizzy grabbed two fresh beers from the cooler and handed one to Brad. He accepted it and told me, “I’m not really into the dating scene. Besides, I’m actually already seeing someone.”
I leaned forward in my chair. “What? Why didn’t you bring her over today?”
Brad smiled awkwardly. “Well, I kind of did.”
“And she couldn’t come?” I demanded.
Lizzy was smiling down at her beer, not making eye-contact. Hunter grunted like he’d been punched, then started laughing and smacking his knee below his swim trunks.
“What?” I asked. “What’s so funny?”
Brad’s arm slipped around Lizzy. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.
Even then, it took me fiveverylong seconds to figure it out.
“Oh!” I gasped. “OH!”
“Have we been that oblivious?” Hunter asked.
“We’ve just been that careful,” Brad replied.
“DETAILS!” I blurted out when my mouth started working again. “Tell me things now!”
“Brad started hanging around the brewery while you two lovebirds were on your road trip,” Lizzy explained. “I’m a sucker for a man in a suit, and he always came straight from work. And let’s just say what’sunderneaththe suit is even better than—”
“UGH,” I groaned. “I don’t needthosedetails, Lizzy!”
“Three months, unofficially,” Brad said.