And now, it was time to see how Lottie felt about my inclusion of her father in my latest plan.
I bent, accepting a kiss from Jo-Jo. “Hey,” I greeted her. She was excited, knowing full well what I had up my sleeve.
Her smile became wider as she spotted Bobby. He grinned and held out his arms.
“Come to me, Momma J.”
I had to chuckle, watching her hug him. She fussed over him constantly. Lottie thought it was because he reminded her of Josh. Whatever it was, it was good to see her maternal side out in full force these days with all of us. She’d even warmed up to Brianna, and she adored Trevor. Rex and Gretchen were both welcome additions to her growing circle.
I smiled at Lottie. “You have time to come with me?”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
She shook her head. “So mysterious.”
“You love my surprises.”
My last one had been our wedding. We’d applied for the license, and once we had it, I couldn’t wait. With Brianna’s and Roxanne’s help, I borrowed the top floor of Ravaged Roadside and threw a party. A wedding party. Our friends, family, my Ravaged family, some other guests, and us. We exchanged vows in the flower-filled room, I had The Koi House supply us with dumplings and all Lottie’s favorite dishes, and after we had our fill, we danced as Bobby sang. I took to the stage and performed a few songs for my bride, then we danced the night away with a great DJ provided by RR. We left the next morning and enjoyed each other for a few private days at a spa up North.
All Lottie had had to do was pick a dress and show up. When I confessed to what I had done, her eyes had grown round.
“I don’t want to wait to marry you,” I explained.
“But all the details…” She trailed off.
“Handled. Brianna and your mother are picking you up in the morning to get a dress. That’s all you have to do.”
“My parents…”
“I spoke to them. It’s our wedding. Not theirs. I told them to invite whoever they wanted, but I did give them a limit. Thirty people.”
“I bet that went over well.”
I shrugged, unconcerned. “Jo-Jo was good with it. Your father can figure it out. I refused his offer to pay for it, although your mother insisted on paying for the flowers and the dress. That’s all I allowed them to do. The rest is my gift to you.” I paused. “As long as you say yes.”
She smiled, her eyes glowing. “Then, yes.”
Carmen refused to accept anything for the room, Bobby’s gift to us was himself, the photographer was supplied by RR. I paid The Koi House well for the catering, knowing that it was an unconventional choice, but not caring. Lottie constantly craved Chinese food, so the decision was easy for me and went along with our relaxed vibe. People raved about the food—I even saw Charles going back for more. It was simple and perfect—it was us.
Lottie had been gorgeous in a knee-length, lacy pink dress. I wore a suit, although I removed the jacket as soon as the vows were done and sported a vest. I didn’t wear a tie, but Lottie was good with that.
Neither of us had stopped smiling that day. I’d barely stopped smiling since. I had no idea life could be this good.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had another surprise for Lottie. One I hoped she would love.
“What are you up to?”
I held out my hand. “Come and find out.”
Bobby threw me a wink. “Car’s waiting. I’m gonna feast on cookies, drink my weight in coffee, and hang with my girls.”
I laughed and helped Lottie slip on her coat. I glanced at her feet, noting the swelling in her ankles. She really needed to listen to me about not working anymore. The baby was due in a few weeks. It was time to relax a little.
In the car, she was curious. “Logan, where are we going?”
“To see something I want to buy.”
“Oh.”
We pulled up in front of a familiar Tudor-style house. Lottie stared at it in recognition, then got excited. “Oh my god, whatever they have for sale, we need to take a long time to decide. I’ve been wanting to see inside this place forever!”
I chuckled at her enthusiasm and helped her from the car. It took a lot of effort these days. We walked to the door, and I opened it, indicating she should go inside. She hesitated.
“Um, shouldn’t we knock?”
“Nope, we’re expected.”
Inside, she was confused, glancing around. “Logan, there’s no one here.”
“The owners are here,” I assured her.
She looked around again, and I could see the moment realization hit. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at me.
“What have you done?”
“Bought you a house.”