Page 6 of Lumberjack Bride

Dad stands up, looking as weary as I feel. “I’m with Leo on this one. Can we skip to the part when I slip Claudia a twenty when you’re not looking to make her feel better?”

Claudia perks up and slides over to him as he reaches into his back pocket. “Fine by me,” she says.

Mom glares at him. “Laurence...”

He hands the money to Claudia.

“Thanks, Daddy.” She pops up onto her toes and pecks his cheek. “Anyway, I’m heading home but...” she twists toward Hazel, “I’ll be at the hotel bright and early tomorrow to prepare for the p-a-r-t-y...”

Hazel shushes her as my jaw drops. “Claud.”

My sister slaps a hand to her mouth. “Whoops. I mean... for the little, girly get-together where nothing naughty was ever going to happen. No, sir. Bye.”

She runs off, abandoning us before I can say anything.

“We’ll be going, too,” my mother says as she leans in to hug me. She kisses my cheek. “Proud of you, honey.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I say.

Dad gives a quick wave and they turn to walk away.

“Goodnight,” Hazel tells them, showing them her warmest smile as she avoids my eyes.

I take a quick step into her line-of-sight. “A party?” I ask. “Like… a bachelorette party?”

Bobby’s excited eyes silently bounce between us.

Hazel bites her lip. “Okay. Well... No, not a bachelorette party, per se…”

“You said no bachelor party,” I say. “I assumed that included the -lorette version as well.”

“It did,” she squeaks. “But Claudia wanted to welcome me to the family and I never had a sister and she made this huge deal out of it and I...” Her voice falls. “She’s very persuasive.”

“So, you were going to have a secret bachelorette party the night before our wedding?”

She deflates. “Well, when you put it like that, it’s pretty bad.”

Bobby pulls out his phone. “Leo, I have several strippers on speed dial for occasions such as this. Just say the word.”

Hazel frowns at him. “You have strippers on speed dial?”

I step between them. “He’s a very good assistant,” I say, defending him.

“Thank you, sir,” he says.

Hazel’s expression shifts and she gazes up at me with soft, seductive eyes. “It was just going to be me, and your little sister, and a few of her friends playing dress-up at the hotel with champagne and room service. I’ve already told the front desk not to allow anyone up to my room that looked like their pants were held together with Velcro.”

Bobby nudges my leg. “Don’t fall for it, man,” he whispers. “Strippers.”

I look from her to Bobby’s eager grin. He holds up his phone, begging for me to let him make that call. Another glance at Hazel’s big eyes and the decision is made.

I shake my head. “Stand down, Bob.”

He sighs. “Fine. I’ll just save that one for my sister’s wedding next month.”

Hazel blinks in confusion. “You’d call strippers for your sister?”

“No, for me.”