Hit and Run Part 17
Title:Hit and Run
Author: Marsabi
Summary: Natalie is a victim of a hit and run
Warning:None
Rating: PG
Part 17
It was the day before New Year’s Eve, and Natalie was packing up her things to move back to her own home. Luke was there helping her get everything organized.
“Going to miss you!” He told her. He carefully closed her suitcase up.
Natalie held a bear that Luke had bought her in the hospital in one hand, and her notepad in the other.
“Me too,” Natalie smiled at him.
Luke picked up the suitcase and moved it near the door. “The family is coming by today at what time?”
“F-Four.”
“Oh at four?”Luke frowned. “I promised Grandmother I’d go and pick up some party supplies for her big New Year’s Eve bash. Do you mind if I am not here?”
Natalie shrugged with a look of sweet innocent. “SSay bye now.”
She gently embraced her brother.
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.
“Everything is ggonna bbbe ffine,” Natalie told him with serious eyes.
Luke gave her a puzzled smile. “As long as you still visit me plenty, it sure will. “ Luke cleared his throat emotionally. Then he said, “I’ll go tell Reid to watch out for Mom and the others arriving and everything, okay?”
Natalie just nodded. She watched Luke hurry down the stairs.
Step one: Get Luke out of the way.
***
“So, I’m just going to the party store and then to my office,” Luke told Reid a few minutes later. He picked up his wallet and his keys. Natalie had come downstairs and was turning on the television.
“Do we need to go to this?” Reid grumbled.
“Of course,” Luke said automatically. But he had no passion in his voice. Reid looked at him curiously. Luke had been moody the last few days.
“Worried about the trial?” Reid asked him now.
Luke shrugged, “No. They’ll be found guilty.”
“Yeah, I think so too. They confessed and turned on each other, so…”
“You’re okay to see Nat off?” Luke asked, sparing a glance at Natalie.
“Sure. Whose picking her up again?” Reid asked.
Luke shrugged, “Not sure. Mom. Maybe Faith. I don’t know.”
Reid waited for Luke to add a “Be nice,” but he didn’t.
Confused with Luke’s passive attitude, Reid stepped closer to him.
“I know you’ll miss having Natalie here,” Reid offered, questioningly.
He searched Luke’s eyes.
“I will,” Luke agreed, but he gazed out the window. “It hasn’t been the best of times for her.”
“She’s getting better.”
He nodded absently. “I’ll see you,” he told Reid with a quick, distracted kiss.
Luke then gave Natalie a wave and walked out.
***
Natalie and Reid looked at each other as the door closed.
“Do you think Luke is…acting off?” Reid asked her hesitantly.
Natalie shut off the television and nodded.
“I think I know why. “ Reid shot her a smile. “You’re leaving.”
Natalie sighed at him and shook her head, “N-no. Not that.”
She came over to Reid.
“No?” Reid frowned.
“No.”
“I got it,” he said suddenly. “ New Years, right?” Reid made a face. Luke- like all alcoholics- dreaded New Years Eve. Reid could understand if the coming of the holiday was making him upset. He didn’t want to go out to some crappy party anyhow ; he’d rather cuddle with Luke and just be together. Maybe he should bring up the idea of skipping it again.
Wack
Natalie smacked him with her notepad.
“ Hey? What’s that for? Stop it!” Reid held an arm up to protect his head.
“Gget a clue!” Natalie told him furiously.
Reid tried to duck her blows as she wacked him again and again.
“Ow! Natalie!” He rubbed his head gingerly. “What the hell? ”
Natalie grabbed her pad and wrote Luke thought he’d be married by this coming year, dummy!
She gave her pad to Reid.
Step Two: Wake Reid up!
“But?” Reid’s mouth fell open. “We agreed to just wait… and with all the stuff going on with you and -“ He gave Natalie an irritated look. “You must be wrong. Luke hasn’t even brought up getting engaged again. Neither of us has been thinking of all that.”
Natalie folded her skinny arms over her chest and just shook her head at him. He was hopeless. It was a good thing she had made a plan.
Just then, the doorbell chimed.
Reid frowned at Natalie and went to answer. She must be wrong. Luke had not once mentioned the engagement in weeks and weeks. Reid stumbled over his own feet. Luke had not once mentioned it? That was, well, so not like Luke. A little worried now, Reid opened the door.
The Snyder clan piled inside. Luke’s siblings and grandmas and mother all nodded at Reid, and then greeted Natalie.
“I thought you were with Luke?” Reid said to Lucinda.
“Natalie called and I came,” Lucinda answered laughing, “Bigger fish to fry.”
“Luke can get the supplies alone,” Lily added, “but we’re needed here.”
She looked at her daughter, and Natalie smiled widely.
“Where’s Holden?” Reid said.
“Oh, we females came instead,” Emma smiled as she looked around the house.
“I’m not a female!”Ethan piped up and then ran to play with Reid Jr., who was desperately trying to escape the little boy’s grasp.
Emma cleaned up some stray cups.
Faith plopped down on the couch and was busy texting .
“Assk them about Luke,” Natalie told him pointedly.
“No!”
“Ask,” She pouted.
“Fine,” Reid groaned. “When did you become such a bully?”
Natalie smiled.
Reid turned to the family and asked hesitantly, “Did Luke -er- mention our engagement to you guys at all? I mean, he didn’t right? “ He looked at them, seriously lost.
“And I thought you were a genius,” Lily said to him.
“If it had been a kitten,” Ethan rolled his eyes in his small face, “Like I told him - you’d be his husband by now.”
“Darling,” Lucinda patted Reid’s arm, “ the poor boy wants to carry you off in my jet to Vegas.”
“What?” Reid backed a few steps away. The color began to drain out of his face.
“What about the sex plan? “Faith suddenly said, looking up from her phone. “Did my prude brother wimp out on my idea?” Faith asked.
“Sex idea?” Reid parroted, wondering if he could just rewind this whole conversation.
“Did he take you skating?” Emma smiled, as she cleaned up some more. “The pond is really a magical place.”
“Wait!“ Reid demanded, flabbergasted. “Has he been discussing everything we do with all of you?” The idea made Reid’s stomach flip.
“We’re his family,” Lily replied. She went over to Faith and made a point of taking her phone away. “You and I are having a talk later,” Lily told her.
“What is wrong with Luke?” Reid asked, still whirling from the fact that they all seemed to know about all his latest adventures with his boyfriend.
Emma put down the cups and put her hands on her ample hips. “No, what’s wrong with you?” She scolded Reid. “What are you making our poor Luke suffer for?”
“I-I “ Reid stammered.
“Careful, darling, “ Lucinda warned, “she may never bake you another pie.”
“But it is a good question. Just why aren’t you marrying my son?” Lily asked.
“What? I’m not. I mean, I will. I- I just -“ He looked around at all the accusing eyes on him and started to sweat. “I figured Luke would bring it up again at some time and we’d go from there.”
Reid gazed down at his frog ring and began to twist it around on his finger.
Meanwhile, Natalie and her grandmother made quick eye contact.
“Of course,” Lucinda said shrugging at Reid, “It might just be too late. I don’t know if he’d have you anymore, even if you asked.”
Reid bristled, “Hell, yeah, he’ll have me!” But a slightly nervous look entered his eyes.
Lucinda noted the muscle leap in Reid’s jaw and had to stifle the urge to laugh.
“Language,” Lily said, gesturing toward an oblivious Ethan. He was trying to dress up Reid. Jr. in a leftover Santa hat. The poor one-eyed cat meowed pathetically.
Reid gazed around helplessly.
Natalie almost felt bad for Reid. Perspiration dotted his forehead. He looked vaguely sick. But the plan was working.
Step Three: Turn the family on Reid to knock some sense into him
Natalie gazed at his flushed and panicked face; he would be Luke’s husband in no time now.
Lucinda stepped up for another swipe at him. She was enjoying this immensely.
“Not going to Vegas?…Hawaii then? Mexico?” Lucinda offered. “Or Disney World. “ She turned to Lily. “Remember that time when Luke was six and in love with Mickey Mouse?”
“I think it was Pluto.”
“How about whisking Luke away in a Cinderella carriage?” Lucinda drawled.
“I’m not going to Disneyland,” Reid said with a look of sheer terror.
“Oh you’d love it darling. There are giant crowds of people, screaming toddlers, and parades.”
“Luke’s favorite ride was A Small World, “added Emma. “You go down in a tiny boat in the dark and puppets sing to you.”
“Sounds like a level of hell,” Reid shuddered.
Natalie moved a step nearer her mother and gave her a small nod.
“Oh by the way,” Lily said suddenly, “Guess who I heard might be in town by Valentine’s Day? “
“WWho?” Natalie asked.
“Noah,” Lily said with a smirk. “He called me from L.A. just yesterday. He misses Oakdale and was thinking about a visit.”
“HHe is coming on VValentine’s Day?” Natalie said, her eyes twinkling.
Lily nodded, glancing at a stony-faced Reid, “Poor thing is lonely to see…well, everybody.”
Reid began to pace the room.
Natalie exchanged a quick wink with her mother.
“I heard he is making a very romantic film that he wants to show in town .”Lily added. “ I
know Luke will be excited for him.”
“Luke doesn’t need to see any of his films,” Reid grumbled. “He caught the live show and it sucked.”
“Reid!” Lily said and pointed again at Ethan. The boy had the cat on its back and was rubbing his face in the belly fur.
“Sorry,” Reid muttered.
“You don’t still have a problem with him, do you?” Lily asked smoothly.
Reid’s answer came swiftly, “I don’t care about him at all.”
“Good cause Noah was thinking of asking Luke to help him at the film’s premiere; they always made a good team, both of them so creative and all.”
“TThey always wrote each other cute ccards for Valentine’s dday,” Natalie added. She owed her mom a lot for thinking of this Noah part. Reid was starting to swallow continuously as he listened. His fists were all balled up.
“I wonder if Luke still has any of them?” Lily mused. “I kept all my old love letters. Of course, I always fall in love with my first love again and again. “
“Luke is a lot like you Mom,” Natalie replied sweetly. “I-I bet hhhe has the ccards.”
“Ever write Luke any love poems?” Emma inquired.
“I write to Luke all the time,” Reid snapped, “not that it is anybody’s concern.”
Reid’s mind raced desperately back to the last time he’d left Luke a note. What had he wrote the other day? Going to Memorial early. See you later. Can you pick up some milk? Something like that. Reid winced at the memory of it now.
He jumped on the defensive, throwing up his hands and turning to them.“Luke doesn’t want to see Noah. He wants to spend Valentine’s with me damn it. He wants to marry me,” Reid
argued. “And soon.”
Didn’t he? Why had Luke not just asked him again?
“Are you sure?” Lucinda pushed, “maybe wait until his birthday.”
“We could help with the proposal,” Emma beamed with sudden excitement.
“I’ve been married more than once,” Lily added, “ I have some ideas.”
“No!” Reid practically snarled at them.
Reid’s head was pounding. He put a hand to his temples.
“ Reid’s right.“ Faith spoke suddenly. “ You guys would only offer him boring, traditional proposals. Listen to me,” Faith offered and she went over to Reid and ran a finger down his shirt, “ You start with some dirty pictures of yourself - “
“No, no and no!” Reid snapped , moving away from Faith and the rest of the group. “Thank you, but no.”Reid took a deep breath to calm down. He faced them and willed himself to remain rational.
“ Luke and I will just sit down and discuss it logically like two adults and. ..” He trailed off . The entire family was scowling at him now.
“That’s your plan?”
“Talking? Logical discussion?”
“You have met Luke, right? ”
“Let us help!”
Reid’s jaw clenched. “I will figure it out. On my own. “ He took in their doubtful expressions. “Fine. “ Reid shrugged. “I’ll be romantic. “
They stared at him.
“I can be romantic!” Reid said hotly.
“If you say so, dear,” Emma patted his arm.
“Good luck with that,” Faith snorted.
Lily and Natalie just shook their heads at him.
Natalie walked over to him and said with a sympathetic smile, “CCall me when you need some ideas.”
Natalie knew it was only a matter of time before she would put into action Step Four.
“Sure,” Reid said absently. He was certain he could handle it all alone. He was a brain surgeon after all. He could figure out how to do a simple proposal. Really, it was not a big deal.
So why was his head about to explode?
“Well,” Lucinda said, “we will leave you to it then.” Then she leaned over him. “If you change your mind, darling, you need to book Cinderella’s carriage months in advance. But I can fly you to Vegas and get you to a drive thru- wedding chapel in less than in 24 hours.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Then they gathered up Natalie’s things. Reid gave Natalie a warm hug. He would really miss the kid. But he was relieved when the rest finally left.
“See you at the party!” They all called out as they went.
Reid closed the door firmly after them. Good riddance!
He looked around the room. How could have missed it? Luke’s crazy antics? His undertones of sadness sometimes? How could it not have occurred to him that Luke was secretly worrying about their stalled engagement?
And now…romance.
Reid collapsed down on the couch. He buried his hands in his hair.
Romance? Had he really promised romance?
Reid was really, really happy that Ethan had left - cause he cursed loud and long.
Then he anxiously waited for Luke .
Author: Marsabi
Summary: Natalie is a victim of a hit and run
Warning:None
Rating: PG
Part 17
It was the day before New Year’s Eve, and Natalie was packing up her things to move back to her own home. Luke was there helping her get everything organized.
“Going to miss you!” He told her. He carefully closed her suitcase up.
Natalie held a bear that Luke had bought her in the hospital in one hand, and her notepad in the other.
“Me too,” Natalie smiled at him.
Luke picked up the suitcase and moved it near the door. “The family is coming by today at what time?”
“F-Four.”
“Oh at four?”Luke frowned. “I promised Grandmother I’d go and pick up some party supplies for her big New Year’s Eve bash. Do you mind if I am not here?”
Natalie shrugged with a look of sweet innocent. “SSay bye now.”
She gently embraced her brother.
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.
“Everything is ggonna bbbe ffine,” Natalie told him with serious eyes.
Luke gave her a puzzled smile. “As long as you still visit me plenty, it sure will. “ Luke cleared his throat emotionally. Then he said, “I’ll go tell Reid to watch out for Mom and the others arriving and everything, okay?”
Natalie just nodded. She watched Luke hurry down the stairs.
Step one: Get Luke out of the way.
***
“So, I’m just going to the party store and then to my office,” Luke told Reid a few minutes later. He picked up his wallet and his keys. Natalie had come downstairs and was turning on the television.
“Do we need to go to this?” Reid grumbled.
“Of course,” Luke said automatically. But he had no passion in his voice. Reid looked at him curiously. Luke had been moody the last few days.
“Worried about the trial?” Reid asked him now.
Luke shrugged, “No. They’ll be found guilty.”
“Yeah, I think so too. They confessed and turned on each other, so…”
“You’re okay to see Nat off?” Luke asked, sparing a glance at Natalie.
“Sure. Whose picking her up again?” Reid asked.
Luke shrugged, “Not sure. Mom. Maybe Faith. I don’t know.”
Reid waited for Luke to add a “Be nice,” but he didn’t.
Confused with Luke’s passive attitude, Reid stepped closer to him.
“I know you’ll miss having Natalie here,” Reid offered, questioningly.
He searched Luke’s eyes.
“I will,” Luke agreed, but he gazed out the window. “It hasn’t been the best of times for her.”
“She’s getting better.”
He nodded absently. “I’ll see you,” he told Reid with a quick, distracted kiss.
Luke then gave Natalie a wave and walked out.
***
Natalie and Reid looked at each other as the door closed.
“Do you think Luke is…acting off?” Reid asked her hesitantly.
Natalie shut off the television and nodded.
“I think I know why. “ Reid shot her a smile. “You’re leaving.”
Natalie sighed at him and shook her head, “N-no. Not that.”
She came over to Reid.
“No?” Reid frowned.
“No.”
“I got it,” he said suddenly. “ New Years, right?” Reid made a face. Luke- like all alcoholics- dreaded New Years Eve. Reid could understand if the coming of the holiday was making him upset. He didn’t want to go out to some crappy party anyhow ; he’d rather cuddle with Luke and just be together. Maybe he should bring up the idea of skipping it again.
Wack
Natalie smacked him with her notepad.
“ Hey? What’s that for? Stop it!” Reid held an arm up to protect his head.
“Gget a clue!” Natalie told him furiously.
Reid tried to duck her blows as she wacked him again and again.
“Ow! Natalie!” He rubbed his head gingerly. “What the hell? ”
Natalie grabbed her pad and wrote Luke thought he’d be married by this coming year, dummy!
She gave her pad to Reid.
Step Two: Wake Reid up!
“But?” Reid’s mouth fell open. “We agreed to just wait… and with all the stuff going on with you and -“ He gave Natalie an irritated look. “You must be wrong. Luke hasn’t even brought up getting engaged again. Neither of us has been thinking of all that.”
Natalie folded her skinny arms over her chest and just shook her head at him. He was hopeless. It was a good thing she had made a plan.
Just then, the doorbell chimed.
Reid frowned at Natalie and went to answer. She must be wrong. Luke had not once mentioned the engagement in weeks and weeks. Reid stumbled over his own feet. Luke had not once mentioned it? That was, well, so not like Luke. A little worried now, Reid opened the door.
The Snyder clan piled inside. Luke’s siblings and grandmas and mother all nodded at Reid, and then greeted Natalie.
“I thought you were with Luke?” Reid said to Lucinda.
“Natalie called and I came,” Lucinda answered laughing, “Bigger fish to fry.”
“Luke can get the supplies alone,” Lily added, “but we’re needed here.”
She looked at her daughter, and Natalie smiled widely.
“Where’s Holden?” Reid said.
“Oh, we females came instead,” Emma smiled as she looked around the house.
“I’m not a female!”Ethan piped up and then ran to play with Reid Jr., who was desperately trying to escape the little boy’s grasp.
Emma cleaned up some stray cups.
Faith plopped down on the couch and was busy texting .
“Assk them about Luke,” Natalie told him pointedly.
“No!”
“Ask,” She pouted.
“Fine,” Reid groaned. “When did you become such a bully?”
Natalie smiled.
Reid turned to the family and asked hesitantly, “Did Luke -er- mention our engagement to you guys at all? I mean, he didn’t right? “ He looked at them, seriously lost.
“And I thought you were a genius,” Lily said to him.
“If it had been a kitten,” Ethan rolled his eyes in his small face, “Like I told him - you’d be his husband by now.”
“Darling,” Lucinda patted Reid’s arm, “ the poor boy wants to carry you off in my jet to Vegas.”
“What?” Reid backed a few steps away. The color began to drain out of his face.
“What about the sex plan? “Faith suddenly said, looking up from her phone. “Did my prude brother wimp out on my idea?” Faith asked.
“Sex idea?” Reid parroted, wondering if he could just rewind this whole conversation.
“Did he take you skating?” Emma smiled, as she cleaned up some more. “The pond is really a magical place.”
“Wait!“ Reid demanded, flabbergasted. “Has he been discussing everything we do with all of you?” The idea made Reid’s stomach flip.
“We’re his family,” Lily replied. She went over to Faith and made a point of taking her phone away. “You and I are having a talk later,” Lily told her.
“What is wrong with Luke?” Reid asked, still whirling from the fact that they all seemed to know about all his latest adventures with his boyfriend.
Emma put down the cups and put her hands on her ample hips. “No, what’s wrong with you?” She scolded Reid. “What are you making our poor Luke suffer for?”
“I-I “ Reid stammered.
“Careful, darling, “ Lucinda warned, “she may never bake you another pie.”
“But it is a good question. Just why aren’t you marrying my son?” Lily asked.
“What? I’m not. I mean, I will. I- I just -“ He looked around at all the accusing eyes on him and started to sweat. “I figured Luke would bring it up again at some time and we’d go from there.”
Reid gazed down at his frog ring and began to twist it around on his finger.
Meanwhile, Natalie and her grandmother made quick eye contact.
“Of course,” Lucinda said shrugging at Reid, “It might just be too late. I don’t know if he’d have you anymore, even if you asked.”
Reid bristled, “Hell, yeah, he’ll have me!” But a slightly nervous look entered his eyes.
Lucinda noted the muscle leap in Reid’s jaw and had to stifle the urge to laugh.
“Language,” Lily said, gesturing toward an oblivious Ethan. He was trying to dress up Reid. Jr. in a leftover Santa hat. The poor one-eyed cat meowed pathetically.
Reid gazed around helplessly.
Natalie almost felt bad for Reid. Perspiration dotted his forehead. He looked vaguely sick. But the plan was working.
Step Three: Turn the family on Reid to knock some sense into him
Natalie gazed at his flushed and panicked face; he would be Luke’s husband in no time now.
Lucinda stepped up for another swipe at him. She was enjoying this immensely.
“Not going to Vegas?…Hawaii then? Mexico?” Lucinda offered. “Or Disney World. “ She turned to Lily. “Remember that time when Luke was six and in love with Mickey Mouse?”
“I think it was Pluto.”
“How about whisking Luke away in a Cinderella carriage?” Lucinda drawled.
“I’m not going to Disneyland,” Reid said with a look of sheer terror.
“Oh you’d love it darling. There are giant crowds of people, screaming toddlers, and parades.”
“Luke’s favorite ride was A Small World, “added Emma. “You go down in a tiny boat in the dark and puppets sing to you.”
“Sounds like a level of hell,” Reid shuddered.
Natalie moved a step nearer her mother and gave her a small nod.
“Oh by the way,” Lily said suddenly, “Guess who I heard might be in town by Valentine’s Day? “
“WWho?” Natalie asked.
“Noah,” Lily said with a smirk. “He called me from L.A. just yesterday. He misses Oakdale and was thinking about a visit.”
“HHe is coming on VValentine’s Day?” Natalie said, her eyes twinkling.
Lily nodded, glancing at a stony-faced Reid, “Poor thing is lonely to see…well, everybody.”
Reid began to pace the room.
Natalie exchanged a quick wink with her mother.
“I heard he is making a very romantic film that he wants to show in town .”Lily added. “ I
know Luke will be excited for him.”
“Luke doesn’t need to see any of his films,” Reid grumbled. “He caught the live show and it sucked.”
“Reid!” Lily said and pointed again at Ethan. The boy had the cat on its back and was rubbing his face in the belly fur.
“Sorry,” Reid muttered.
“You don’t still have a problem with him, do you?” Lily asked smoothly.
Reid’s answer came swiftly, “I don’t care about him at all.”
“Good cause Noah was thinking of asking Luke to help him at the film’s premiere; they always made a good team, both of them so creative and all.”
“TThey always wrote each other cute ccards for Valentine’s dday,” Natalie added. She owed her mom a lot for thinking of this Noah part. Reid was starting to swallow continuously as he listened. His fists were all balled up.
“I wonder if Luke still has any of them?” Lily mused. “I kept all my old love letters. Of course, I always fall in love with my first love again and again. “
“Luke is a lot like you Mom,” Natalie replied sweetly. “I-I bet hhhe has the ccards.”
“Ever write Luke any love poems?” Emma inquired.
“I write to Luke all the time,” Reid snapped, “not that it is anybody’s concern.”
Reid’s mind raced desperately back to the last time he’d left Luke a note. What had he wrote the other day? Going to Memorial early. See you later. Can you pick up some milk? Something like that. Reid winced at the memory of it now.
He jumped on the defensive, throwing up his hands and turning to them.“Luke doesn’t want to see Noah. He wants to spend Valentine’s with me damn it. He wants to marry me,” Reid
argued. “And soon.”
Didn’t he? Why had Luke not just asked him again?
“Are you sure?” Lucinda pushed, “maybe wait until his birthday.”
“We could help with the proposal,” Emma beamed with sudden excitement.
“I’ve been married more than once,” Lily added, “ I have some ideas.”
“No!” Reid practically snarled at them.
Reid’s head was pounding. He put a hand to his temples.
“ Reid’s right.“ Faith spoke suddenly. “ You guys would only offer him boring, traditional proposals. Listen to me,” Faith offered and she went over to Reid and ran a finger down his shirt, “ You start with some dirty pictures of yourself - “
“No, no and no!” Reid snapped , moving away from Faith and the rest of the group. “Thank you, but no.”Reid took a deep breath to calm down. He faced them and willed himself to remain rational.
“ Luke and I will just sit down and discuss it logically like two adults and. ..” He trailed off . The entire family was scowling at him now.
“That’s your plan?”
“Talking? Logical discussion?”
“You have met Luke, right? ”
“Let us help!”
Reid’s jaw clenched. “I will figure it out. On my own. “ He took in their doubtful expressions. “Fine. “ Reid shrugged. “I’ll be romantic. “
They stared at him.
“I can be romantic!” Reid said hotly.
“If you say so, dear,” Emma patted his arm.
“Good luck with that,” Faith snorted.
Lily and Natalie just shook their heads at him.
Natalie walked over to him and said with a sympathetic smile, “CCall me when you need some ideas.”
Natalie knew it was only a matter of time before she would put into action Step Four.
“Sure,” Reid said absently. He was certain he could handle it all alone. He was a brain surgeon after all. He could figure out how to do a simple proposal. Really, it was not a big deal.
So why was his head about to explode?
“Well,” Lucinda said, “we will leave you to it then.” Then she leaned over him. “If you change your mind, darling, you need to book Cinderella’s carriage months in advance. But I can fly you to Vegas and get you to a drive thru- wedding chapel in less than in 24 hours.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Then they gathered up Natalie’s things. Reid gave Natalie a warm hug. He would really miss the kid. But he was relieved when the rest finally left.
“See you at the party!” They all called out as they went.
Reid closed the door firmly after them. Good riddance!
He looked around the room. How could have missed it? Luke’s crazy antics? His undertones of sadness sometimes? How could it not have occurred to him that Luke was secretly worrying about their stalled engagement?
And now…romance.
Reid collapsed down on the couch. He buried his hands in his hair.
Romance? Had he really promised romance?
Reid was really, really happy that Ethan had left - cause he cursed loud and long.
Then he anxiously waited for Luke .