Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1799

Keaton narrowed his eyes mischievously. "Come on, guys, that's not fair. We've been friends for years. You can't just ice me out because I'm having a baby."

"Mr. Murphy and Mr. Windham aren't getting any younger. You should really be more considerate of how much they want grandchildren."

"It's time to stop talking about waiting ten or twenty years to have kids!"

Booker and Gale froze in sheer horror.

Cormac Murphy and Mr. Windham whipped their heads around, their faces turning purple with rage.

Sensing the sudden, explosive shift in the air, Winona subtly elbowed Keaton and shot him a glare. "Why are you stirring the pot?" she hissed under her breath. "Booker and Gale didn't even say anything!"

Keaton shrugged casually. "They were communicating with their eyes. And it's true—they've been planning to avoid having kids for the next two decades."

Right as the words left his mouth, the elevator doors slid open.

Realizing the catastrophic danger they were in, Booker and Gale lunged for the elevator, but their fathers blocked their path.

Cormac Murphy and Mr. Windham turned to Winona and Keaton with terrifyingly calm expressions. "You two go on ahead. We need to have a private chat with our boys."

Suppressing a grin, Keaton quickly pulled Winona into the elevator and hit the button to close the doors.

The moment the doors shut, the deafening roars of both fathers echoed through the hall. "You ungrateful bastards!"

Keaton burst out laughing. Winona shook her head in disbelief. "You're a terrible friend."

"Don't worry," Keaton said smoothly. "I only throw my friends under the bus. I'd never do that to you. I always prioritize the woman I want over my buddies."

Winona rolled her eyes. "Are you actually proud of that?"

"Absolutely," Keaton replied, his voice softening. "Falling for you is something I'm incredibly proud of."

The unexpected confession caught Winona completely off guard.

She met his gaze for a split second before her eyes darted away. Staring intensely at the floor, she felt a sudden, frantic flutter in her chest.

At that moment, Richard was standing in the center of the ballroom, laughing boisterously with his guests. "I used to think I'd never get the chance to hold a grandchild in this lifetime. But here I am, turning fifty-eight, and my first grandchild falls right into my lap! Hahaha..."

Noticing a glaring red mark on Richard's forehead, Winona frowned in concern. "What happened to his forehead?"

Janelle pressed her lips together, shaking her head with an exasperated laugh. "He went to the family cemetery to share the good news. He was so overwhelmed while paying his respects that he literally bumped his head against the stone monument. I don't know how he managed to bruise it that badly!"

"He bruised it paying respects?" Winona asked, stunned.

Janelle nodded. "I know. A bit dramatic, right?"

Winona couldn't argue with that. It was definitely dramatic.

Janelle's smile softened. "The surprise you gave him today has made him happier than I've seen him in decades. Honestly, he wasn't even this thrilled when I was pregnant with Keaton!"

After all, marriage and children had been the expected, standard progression of Richard's early life.

But this grandchild was an absolute, miraculous blessing that he never saw coming.