Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

09:45

Chapter 76

She was telling him that she would stake her life on every word she said, claiming responsibility with the utmost sincerity.

Could it be that he had misunderstood her all along?

But how could he explain away the accusations of bullying a young lady? Who else had he bullied, if not her?

Tarquin’s expression darkened as he contemplated. He hadn’t mistreated her. He had his reasons for detaining her, and he conducted himself with integrity.

“What’s on your mind now?” Keaton nudged him.

Tarquin snapped out of his reverie, took a hard drag on his cigarette, and fell silent.

“Keaton, where did you and Tarquin run off to? Come on back, everyone’s here. We’re just waiting on you two,” Booker called out to summon them.

“Okay,” Keaton replied, “we’ll be there in a sec.”

go. Stop

stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray,

that girl. If you plan on doing anything to her in the future, you’d better be discreet, or my sister will make a scene. She won’t confront you directly, but she’ll take it out on me,

“That’s all the

easy for you to say. You don’t have a sister. You have no idea how devastating an older sister

rolled his eyes and continued back

them cheerfully, “The prodigal sons return! Now that we’re all here, as today’s birthday guy, let

have a toast.”

glasses to honor Booker’s birthday.

of the table, Tarquin didn’t stand up. He simply clinked his glass on the table and

aback, followed suit. What was supposed to be a sip turned

downing of glasses.

best of spirits, intercepted, “Why aim for Tarquin? Go toast with Booker. It’s

intent to shield Tarquin from more drinks and noting

insisting that they would see Booker’s bachelorhood ended that night, accompanied by raucous laughter and risqué