“Thanks, but Autumn, seriously?” Layla hid her small laugh with a sip of lemon water. “We won’t see you for at least a couple of days once Declan’s plane lands this afternoon. Much and many rounds of hey now going on, I suspect.”
“That’s not true.” A quick blush moved across Autumn’s fair skin as though she didn’t want her friends to think too much about her and her boyfriend Declan reconnecting after nearly two weeks apart. “He and that brother of his are staying with my dad and Declan will have to play babysitter so I doubt there will be a lot of time for… hey now.”
“Still can’t believe there are two Declans in the world. Seems unfair to all other men.” Mollie raised her glass of apple juice to Autumn as though saluting the redhead’s choice of boyfriends.
They’d all been surprised the month before when Declan was called in by his birth father’s attorneys imploring him to settle some business with the estate in Ireland. That surprise turned to outright shock when Declan discovered not only did he have a half-brother, Quinn, but that the he was being asked to watch after him by the courts. Seems Quinn O’Malley was a spoiled, entitled hellion and the great country of Ireland was through with him. He was Declan’s problem now.
Autumn shrugged, dismissing Mollie’s compliment. “Declan isn’t too eager to have Quinn here.”
“I guess not, not after that Skype chat with him cursing Declan in the background,” Layla said remembering that conversation. They hadn’t had a good look at Declan’s younger brother, but could hear his thick Irish accent cursing Declan, America and anyone who tried to take his pint from him.
“It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure and by the way, don’t think I didn’t notice you changing the subject.” Autumn gave Layla one of her motherly I’m-On-To-You frowns. “Why did you finally end things with Walter?”
Layla lowered her shoulders, running her fingernail over the space between the edge of the table and the surface. “He wanted me to move in with him.”
“What?” Layla tried not to laugh at how wide Mollie’s eyes grew.
“Yep. He said he needed to ‘keep his eyes on me.’” Layla emphasized Walter’s stupid phrasing with air quotes. “When he said that, I just couldn’t stand it another second longer.” Looking around the table, Layla ignored how Mollie leaned on her elbows and how Autumn’s eyebrow lifted. Sayo seemed more interested in her phone. “Anyway, I told him I didn’t need anyone keeping their eyes on me and called him a sackless wonder.”
“That’s mature,” Autumn said, trying not to laugh.
“True, though.” Layla grinned at Mollie as her best friend stretched her mouth into a wide smile. “So I take it he didn’t let that go easily.”
“Of course he didn’t. He keeps calling and texting. Fifty-two times at last count before I silenced my phone.” Swallowing, with her eyes diverted from her friends’ curious expressions, Layla took another sip of her water. “I ended up here,” she waved around the pub, “getting shitty.” With Donovan, she said to herself, hoping that Mollie—who knew her better than anyone—wouldn’t glean the slightest hint of what Layla had gotten up to the rest of that night.
“Speaking of getting shitty, I need you guys at Joe’s by two tomorrow, for Declan’s homecoming. Dad wants us to handle the side dishes while he mans the grill,” Autumn said, pulling out her wallet when the waitress laid their tabs on the table.
“I’m leaving the hospital at noon so it should be no problem getting there on time,” Sayo said, her voice quiet. “Is it just us?”
“Yeah, us and Donovan. Declan didn’t want everyone from the squad there. You two will still show, right?” Autumn moved her chin and nodded at Layla and Mollie.
Layla remained silent, watching her friends scribble on the receipts and hoping that Mollie would play along with whatever lie she was about to invent. She wasn’t ready to be around Donovan and didn’t want to see the smug grin on his face. If she went to Autumn’s barbeque and Donovan was there, she couldn’t be sure she’d be able to refrain from scratching his eyes out.
“I’m gonna be late,” Mollie said. “I promised Vaughn that I’d work out with him at one. We won’t be long.”
“Oh, can I tag along?” Layla didn’t like the silent, blank expressions on her friends’ face. She knew what they were thinking, but she wouldn’t help them tease her. “What?” she said releasing a long breath.