Chapter 38

I was surprised to see Tony's car parked in the driveway when I got home. I didn't expect him and Tracey to be home this early. I smiled as I recalled the conversation I'd had with Tony yesterday.

Tony had been sitting on the hood of his car, waiting for me to come home Thursday after school. He had looked visibly nervous when I walked up the driveway.

"Hi, Tony," I called as I walked up to his car. "If you're waiting for Tracey, you've got a long wait. She's catering a party over in Cedarton."

He slid off the hood of his car and held out his hand. "I know. That's why I figured it was a good time for the two of us to talk."

I smiled at him and started walking towards the house. "Well, if you want to talk, come on in. Something to drink?" I'd asked over my shoulder.

"Anything cold would be good, John."

I pulled two glasses out of the cupboard and poured us both a glass of lemonade that Tracey had left in the fridge.

I motioned to one of the chairs at the kitchen table and sat down across from him. "So what's on your mind, Tony?"

Tony cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "John, you know Tracey and I have been dating for a while now."

"Yeah, pretty much since right before school started in September."

"Well, I, um." He closed his eyes and chuckled, then opened them again. "Look, the thing is, I wanted to ask your permission to marry her."

"I think maybe you're asking the wrong Robinson."

We both chuckled. "Yeah, well, since she doesn't have a father to ask, I figured I'd ask you. I figure after this it's going to be a heck of a lot easier to ask her, too."

I grinned, held out my hand and when he grasped it, pulled him into a hug. "Assuming she says yes, I'd be proud to call you brother, Tony."

So, that had been yesterday, and the fact that Tony's car was here early made me cautious. I opened the front door noisily, just in case I was interrupting something they didn't want me to hear. The keys sounded impossibly loud as they bounced on the counter. But they were quiet compared to the moans of pleasure I could hear filtering down the hallway. I turned on the light and opened the fridge. I'd hidden a bottle of champagne in the back earlier today, and it appeared the two lovebirds had been too interested in other things to have noticed it. The bottle was still there, unopened.

I banged a few cabinet doors as I pulled three champagne flutes out and set them on the counter. I'd barely gotten the aluminum foil cover off the cork when Tracey and Tony came down the hallway.

Tony's shirt was buttoned wrong and Tracey's hair was a little mussed up. They both had sheepish, but satisfied grins on their faces.

"I hope I didn't disturb the celebration," I teased, holding the bottle out toward Tony.

"Oh, you," Tracey said as she pulled me into a hug. "You know?"

"Well, your fiancé?" Tracey nodded. "Your fiancé is a traditional kind of guy. He asked for permission yesterday."

"What did you tell him?"

"That he was asking the wrong Robinson."

The cork popped and Tony filled each of the flutes. I grabbed one and raised it in salute. "Congratulations. May you two have years filled with laughter and joy. And a child or two of your own to raise."

Tracey punched my shoulder. Tony just smiled and joined in a group hug.

I kissed Tracey's cheek and whispered in her ear. "Tony doesn't have to leave on my account, just have him put a pillow over your face. I do have to get up for work in the morning."

"John!" Tracey shrieked as I headed back toward my bedroom. She grabbed my shoulder. "I, I didn't think you'd be home so soon."

"Don't be embarrassed, Tracey. You and Tony have a GOOD night." I winked at Tony as I headed down the hallway.

I didn't know until morning that he stayed. His car was still in the driveway when I left for work.

Tony's car was gone when I got home from work that afternoon. Tracey was humming to herself as she worked in the kitchen.

"Hi, Trace, what's for dinner?"

"Well, I thought I'd make you stale bread and rotten apples."

"And here I thought you'd be in a good mood today."

"Well, you see, I have this brother who lives to embarrass me."

"Would you really want it any other way, sis?"

"Not on your life. That's why you get to try my new pasta salad and grilled chicken. How was work?"

I shrugged. "Have you and Tony set a date?"