“Yeah. Us married folk will double up,” Orrin goes on as if we didn’t assume they would be rooming with their wives. “Alyssa can have her own room, and then the remaining six will double up as well.”
“Hell yeah!” Maverick chants.
“Wait, that’s eleven,” Alyssa speaks up.
“Eight bedrooms,” Jade replies.
“Yeah, I know… I get that. But you said to divide it by ten. It should be eleven.”
“Nope,” Brooks speaks up. “You might not be his wife, but you keep his ass in line.” He grins, and the table laughs at my expense.
I’m good with it. I’m not out of control, but I do tend to mope around if my best friend isn’t in attendance. I’m assuming my brothers don’t want to deal with my mopey ass.
“I can pay,” Alyssa insists.
“Nah, it’s all good,” Declan tells her. He looks at me and nods. I can’t read his expression, but that’s a conversation for another day. I’m just glad they’re making it known that she’s welcome.
“I’m going to book it now for Thursday through Sunday. We have to cancel seven days before to get a full refund,” he says, staring down at his phone.
“I can’t believe that place isn’t booked,” Kennedy speaks up.
“That’s why I’m going to go ahead and book it.” Orrin pulls his credit card out of his wallet. “I don’t want to take the chance of losing out on it.”
“I hope everyone can go,” Palmer says. “This sounds like so much fun.”
“Everyone replied like it wouldn’t be a big deal.” Maverick holds up his phone and gives it a shake.
“If the wicked witch lets me take my time. The rule is one week's notice, and I’m giving her two. Hopefully, it won’t be an issue. No one else is off that week that I’m aware of.” I can hear the irritation in Alyssa’s voice at her boss.
“We need to get you out of there,” I tell her.
“Right?” Kennedy agrees. “That’s what I’ve been telling her. She doesn’t need to stick around and deal with that.”
“Are we doing this?” Merrick steps up behind his twin and grips his shoulders. “Are we getting out of town for a few days?”
“We are,” Orrin says, sliding his credit card back into his wallet. “I just booked it.”
“Hell yes!” He shakes Maverick, and they both laugh.
“What’s all the ruckus about?” Rushton asks, stopping to stand beside the twins.
“It’s a go,” Merrick tells him.
“Nice.” Rushton nods.
“What about Blake?” Kennedy asks Declan. “Are you sure it’s good with your parents?”
“I’ll text Mom and Dad. Too bad we didn’t think of this before they left.” His fingers fly across his screen.
“I’m positive they’d still be here if it wasn’t for the fact that Mom volunteered to make dinner for Mrs. Jenkins. She had surgery earlier this week,” Archer explains.
“Mom and Dad are on board,” Declan says, showing his wife, Kennedy, his phone. “They’re happy to keep Blakely for the weekend. They don’t have her as much as they used to, and as you can see”—he nods to the message on his phone—“they miss her.”
“We’re lucky, Dec. So incredibly lucky to have them.”
“Your parents are moving here soon, right?” Jade asks her.
“They are. Their house is on the market. It’s been listed for three days, and there is already a bidding war.”