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Judd watched as Grace giggled at whatever it was that Carlos was whispering in her ear, her face lighting up as she quickly hugged the other man before stepping away and heading in his direction.
He knew those two were up to something, what with the way they had been shooting each other glances all night and secretly giggling in corners.
And he had known them both long enough to know that they were up to no good.
So when Grace finally made her way back to him, falling to sit beside him on the old swing, he couldn’t help himself from asking.
“So what are you two hooligans up to?” Grace simply raised an eyebrow in his direction, giving him a look that said he didn’t want to know. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I’ve been watching you two.”
“It’s nothing, Judd.” He simply hummed as he shot a look in Carlos’ direction, watching as he chatted away with Nancy about something that was apparently hilarious.
“You two aren’t gonna cause some kind of scene are you?” Because when they were younger, that’s exactly what they had both done, and with Iris Blake in tow too.
No one had been safe from their shenanigans back then and he doubted that any of that had changed.
“I’m not telling you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her lips into a line, her eyes settling on some far off point.
“I’m your husband…” He didn’t know what that had to do with anything, but it just kind of came out. “I thought we told each other everything.”
“We do.” He shifted his gaze back down to her and she sighed. “But you can’t keep a secret to save your life Judson Ryder, so think again.”
“A secret?” Oh this was better than he had imagined. “What kind of secret could Carlos possibly… ohhh…”
And then it hit him.
There was only one possible secret that Carlos Reyes could be keeping from everyone but Grace, and he had a very strong feeling that it had something to do with TK Strand.
“Shush.” She shoved at him playfully and that had confirmed all his suspicions right then and there. “He doesn’t know when, so just, keep your big cowboy mouth shut, you hear me?”
“Yes ma’am.” He knew better than to open his mouth about this one, but she had to know it was going to eat away at him. “I hope he knows who he’s supposed to call first…”
“Oh don’t you worry dear, I get first dibs on this one.” He chuckled before pressing a kiss to his wife’s head.
“How did you manage to get a spot above Michelle in that line?” Not that he would have been offended if the eldest Blake sister had been called before them, but this, this was intense.
“I told him that if he wanted Harlow to be his flower girl, he’d call us first.” Why was he not the least bit surprised by his wife’s terms and conditions?
“I should be surprised that you bribed him with our daughter, but I’m not.” Harlow was Carlos’ favorite person in the world, even above TK if you asked him, and he wasn’t surprised that she was a good bargaining chip.
“Well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.” She offered a little shrug and a smile and he felt his heart skip a beat.
“I can’t believe I married such an amazing woman.” Because honestly, he never would have thought of something like that.
“Yeah, some days I can’t believe it either.” The giggle that left her lips after that comment had him chuckling, his arm falling to wrap around her shoulders as he tugged her close.
It was going to kill him to keep this a secret, but if it kept his wife this happy, he would do his best.