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.”

Stop overthinking for now. The birthday boy is calling

out his cigarette in the ashtray, and followed

quite a shine to 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, and then I’ll be forced to draw a line between us. That could mess up our

“That’s all the guts you have,

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

continued back

cheerfully, “The prodigal sons return! Now that we’re all here, as today’s birthday guy, let me just say thanks for coming out to

have a toast.”

raised their glasses to honor

He simply clinked his glass on the table and knocked back his drink

aback, followed suit. What was supposed to be a

downing of glasses.

the best of spirits, intercepted, “Why aim for Tarquin? Go toast with Booker. It’s his birthday, and you guys should be getting

sensing Keaton’s intent to shield Tarquin from more drinks and

bachelorhood ended that