Right now, I didn't.
Did I want to?
Eh… The jury was out on that one.
He only nodded, then said, "Archie? Congratulations on graduating and on NYU. I know Senior would have preferred that you go to Harvard. Legacy is fine, but making your own path is something to be respected."
Then he slipped his sunglasses back into place and walked away.
I could say that was honestly the weirdest conversation I'd had with Edward in my entire life.
It might also be the longest.
Soft arms crept around me and gentle hands flattened against my chest as Frankie brushed her lips to my ear. "You good?"
Twisting, I hooked an arm around her and pulled her close. "Always," I promised. "We ready to grab the other brother boyfriend and your dad and get some food?"
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, no one's said that in front of Hank yet."
Glee filled me. "You love me, right?"
Her soft groan and laugh were all the permission I needed. But I did walk us back over to them. It was the least I could do and, so far, Hank had been taking all the challenges like a pro.
I was looking forward to his expression on this one.
What?
Can't a guy have a little fun when testing out the worthiness of his girl's sperm donor?
That's what I thought.
Chapter Six
Friendship Before Love
Frankie
Joe and Hank walked ahead of us. We’d ended up going to the lake and eating at one of the little cottage restaurants overlooking the water. It was laid back and relaxed. The seafood had been a great choice. Ian and Archie followed behind, while I walked with Sara. I’d kind of hoped Rachel and her family would join us, but the huge noisy crowd had made plans of their own.
Rachel and I were getting together later in the week for a girls’ day before she jetted off to Europe for her summer vacay. I refused to be envious, while at the same time, I was wild with jealousy. She planned to hit several art centers in Europe, backpacking for parts of it, but basically photographing her way across the continent.
“Come with,” she’d invited. “I’m pretty sure we can work it out for you to come along. I’m staying in a lot of hostels and stuff, so it’s not like we even have to worry about reservations.”
Beyond tempted, I still said no. I’d promised the summer to the guys. I’d taken last summer away, so we hadn’t had our last high school summer blowout together. Though, they’d certainly done their best to make it a summer to remember. This year was about us and Ian’s birthday and really living it up between high school and college.
In all likelihood, Archie had planned something. He loved planning, and the guys were his more than willing accomplices.
“Fine,” Rachel huffed. “But next summer, we do a couple of weeks somewhere. Just us girls where we go and explore the history and the art.”
That, I agreed with. I just had to find a way to break it to the guys that Rachel and I were going to run away together for two weeks of fun.
Sara bumped my shoulder. The sun had dropped in the west, and though we were walking slowly along the boardwalk toward the cars, the breeze off the lake had turned the day beautiful and cool. “How are you feeling, sweetheart? I really haven’t had a chance to talk to you alone.”
While we weren’t totally alone right now, we did have some privacy. “Better than I could have imagined,” I admitted. “I like Hank. I like him a lot. I’m still stunned he came all this way. I loved that Lyssa and Marsha came to graduation, and all of you. Thanks for the cheering, by the way.”
She chuckled. “Of course, we told you, you will always have a mom when you need one.”
My heart squeezed. She, Alicia, and Carly had all made that clear. They would be there for me whenever I needed a mom. The fact I had earned such a crappy one, but somehow found three fantastic ones, left me a little teary.
“And I like Hank too, and I think Joe does. He’s stopped interrogating him, and now they are just arguing sports.” She rolled her eyes playfully and squeezed my arm. “You’ve grown up to be such an amazing young lady. I’m glad he has gone out of his way to meet you, so he can get to know you too.”
Hank had rolled with all of it. The moms. The dads. The questions. Even Maddy. He’d handled her like a champ. Once we were back at the cars, I got a hug from both Joe and Sara. Ian was coming back with us, but he promised to see his parents later. We had family dinner coming up.
The drive back to the apartment was almost silent. Ian drove, and Archie offered Hank the passenger seat. He’d given Archie an amused look before he accepted. When Archie wrapped an arm around me, I tucked my head against his shoulder. It had been a long day, but it had also been a good one.
I had so many photos on my phone now. Photos of all of us. Of Hank—my dad.
My dad.
My. Dad.
At the apartment, he didn’t intend to come up. “Actually boys, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to talk to Frankie alone for a few.”
Archie studied him for a long moment, then glanced at me. I appreciate the trust and the quiet request in his eyes. I nodded. I got it, he continued to be wary, and I loved him for it. Hank—Hank seemed genuine, and as much as I liked him and hoped I wasn’t wrong about him, trust had to start somewhere.
With a gentle kiss to my temple, Ian murmured,
