Happy Ending (Fisher Brothers 4)

Happy Ending

Ryan

I’d grown tired of waiting to put a ring on it, especially after Nick proposed to Jess.

I hated to admit it, but I was jealous of my little brother. And yes, I knew that I was the first Fisher to give our parents a grandbaby, and no one else had that going for them, but still. I wanted to be engaged and get married. Hell, I wanted it all . . . yesterday.

So while Sofia was passed out asleep—looking absolutely beautiful, I might add—I did what I’d tried to do once before. I put a ring on that otherwise empty finger. I figured if I wasn’t supposed to ask her yet, then it wouldn’t fit, just like it hadn’t the last time I tried to slip it on.

But it did. It slipped right on, and I smiled to myself as I tried to fall back asleep, knowing what the coming morning would bring.

When she shook me awake like a combination between an earthquake and a thunderstorm, I’d forgotten for a second what I’d done. My heart raced with the worry that something bad had happened to Hope.

It wasn’t until Sofia thrust her hand in front of my face, narrowly missing my nose, that I remembered what I’d done.

• • •

Three weeks later, we gathered at the bar to welcome Frank and Claudia home from their honeymoon. We had started doing more family things at Sam’s, even if it seemed like the least obvious place to do so. You’d be surprised at how family-friendly a bar could be when you were the one who owned it. To keep things legal, we got together when the bar wasn’t open to the public so we weren’t technically breaking any laws.

Frank and Claudia walked through the doors, glowing from their tans, and we all went crazy, shouting over one another and trying to get to them first.

Life was funny that way. You didn’t always think you missed someone while they were gone, but the second you saw them again, it hit you just how much you did.

I suddenly felt like I had a million things to fill Frank in on, even though there actually was nothing new. And I wanted to hear all the details about their honeymoon in Tahiti. Well, not all the details, obviously, but they had stayed in one of those over-the-water bungalows, and I wanted to hear all about that, thinking that I could surprise Sofia with a trip there one of these days.

Frank’s smile hadn’t dimmed since they walked through the doors, and I didn’t know if it was because he was so relaxed, happy to see everyone, or for some other reason.

Nick appeared at my side and nudged my shoulder. “Why won’t he stop smiling? It’s freaky, right?”

I nodded. “I was just asking myself the same thing.”

Frank headed toward us with that smile still plastered on his face. He pulled Nick and me into a group hug.

“Missed you guys,” he said, sounding more like me than I did in the moment.

“Is that why you won’t stop smiling?” Nick asked as we shoved him away.

“It’s creepy. Please stop.” I poked at Frank’s cheek, and he slapped my hand away—hard.

“Not sure why I missed either of you jackasses,” he growled, and before I could thank him for going back to normal, that damn smile reappeared. “You’re going to be shitty uncles.”

“What?” I sputtered as Nick said, “No way!”

“That took like two seconds.” I shook my head, crazy excited that there would be another Fisher baby running around soon. “How do you know already?” I stepped behind the bar and poured us each a shot, then handed them out.

Frank shrugged as he reached for his glass. “We think she was pregnant before the wedding, actually. It’s all Hope’s fault.”

I put my shot glass down and gave him a questioning look. “How exactly is it my perfect angel baby’s fault?

“Because,” he said proudly. “I saw her and wanted one.” He looked around and lowered his voice. “And then Claudia gave me that look when we got back home.”

“What look?” Nick asked, leaning closer.

“The look that said she wanted one too.” Frank said it in a way that made sure we knew that they were both to blame for this baby, and I bit back a laugh. “I told her I was going to put a baby in her, and she told me I’d better.”

“Best getting-pregnant story ever.” Nick lifted his shot glass in the air, and when he realized we weren’t toasting yet, he set it back down.

“She basically threw down the gauntlet,” I said, thinking how lucky they were that it worked out. It wasn’t always that easy for most people to get pregnant.