He smiled, and his cheeks flushed. “Guessed it wasn’t just lunch, then, huh?”
“Yep.”
He took a bite of his food. “Damn, this place is really good. How’d you find it?”
“A friend and I came here.”
Knox ate a few more bites and set his napkin on the table. “Mom is hounding me to tell her who the father is. She doesn’t believe I don’t know.”
“She’s hounding me too, but I doubt that’s why you wanted to meet for lunch.”
“You’re right. Here goes. I want to move to New York City to live with Tara.”
I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck. “That’s such wonderful news. I’m so happy for you, Knox.” I sat back down.
“I made the decision to talk to you about it after Mom called. I was hoping that, since they knew, you wouldn’t be as uncomfortable with me being so far away.”
“You did so much for me in the last several weeks; how could I deny you anything? But you’re right. Now that our parents know, I don’t feel so alone.”
Not to mention that the baby’s father was also in the picture. Soon, Knox and my parents would know it was Tackle. Very soon.
“When are you leaving?”
“As soon as I get my place packed up.”
“So, tomorrow?” I laughed, but I knew my brother. He wasn’t the kind of guy to accumulate a lot of possessions.
He laughed too. “Yeah, probably. I, uh, have something else to tell you.”
“Okay.”
“I asked Tara to marry me.”
I jumped up for the second time and hugged him.
“It’s going to happen kind of quick, which means her friends are hosting an engagement party for us next week. I hope you can be there.”
“Of course I will be. I wouldn’t miss it.”
After lunch, Knox left to pack and tell our parents his news. I planned to join him in Newton, but decided to swing by the Chestnut Hill house first.
Sort of. I never went straight there. First, I stopped at the market and the drugstore. At each place, Cowboy made sure I didn’t have a tail that I hadn’t picked up on myself. Today, like every other day, when I got the all clear from him, I drove to the house and parked in the garage.
“Hey, you,” said Tackle when I came inside and found him waiting for me in the kitchen. “Hungry?”
“No, I met Knox for a late lunch.” He dished himself a bowl of pasta that smelled so good I was tempted to eat again. I followed him into the dining room that was now furnished, as were most of the other rooms in the house. The parlor was one of the only ones on the main floor that wasn’t, since we were waiting to tell Knox about the house and that Tackle was my baby’s father before we moved the furniture over that was in my side of the duplex.
“He called, and I told him I’d see him at his place later.”
“Oh.” We’d been sleeping at the Chestnut Hill house every night since the bedroom furniture had been delivered.
“I thought it might be a good idea if you stayed at your place tonight too, just in case he comes by, looking for you.”
“That makes sense.”
“Sorry about this.”
“Don’t be. I think he’s planning on leaving as soon as tomorrow anyway.”