“No, you’re right, he loves a good belly rub.” Darcey smirked. “He gets all excited—”
Shay’s mouthful of mocktail exploded back out of her mouth on a choked laugh, spraying over her bowl of pasta.
They broke down after that, all laughing their asses off.
Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes. “My brothers may be annoying, overbearing, and pigheaded, but they do have good taste in women.”
“Now,” Darcey added.
“Yes, now.” Lucy snorted. Yep, the beer was doing its job. “You should have seen some of the girls that came to our house.” Lucy leaned down, face close to Shay’s rounded belly. “Your daddy once wore MC Hammer pants to impress a girl.”
“No!” Darcey shrieked.
Shay nodded solemnly. “It’s true. I’ve seen a picture.”
“I have to see this picture.”
“I don’t know where it is anymore. Hugh hid it after I found it and nearly wet myself laughing.”
God, Lucy loved this. These women had come to mean something to her in such a short time. Had become like sisters to her, best friends. The urge to open up to them, tell them everything that had happened with Daniel over these last few months—his now constant harassment, what she’d been going through—was so damn hard to resist. She hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about what happened. But they weren’t just her friends, they were her brothers’ partners. Telling them would put them in a difficult position. She’d never do that.
They talked as they finished their meals, enjoying one or two—in Lucy’s case, three—more drinks as well. Why the hell not, right?
Lucy was perusing the dessert menu, not that she needed to since she knew it word for word, trying to decide if she wanted crème brulée or the death by chocolate mud cake, when her brother’s voice interrupted her contemplation.
“Ladies.”
Lucy lifted her head in time to see Joe plonk his butt beside Darcey, followed closely by Hugh, who dragged a chair around so he could sit by his fiancée. And trailing behind both of them, looking surly as usual, was Adam.
Great. Just freaking wonderful.
Lucy had purposely avoided him since the incident with Brian. What on earth had she been thinking? Like he said, he thought of her like an annoying little sister. God, she’d humiliated herself. Again. Pushing for him to admit something that simply wasn’t there. Luckily, she’d had five beers and—she lifted her hand, calling over the waitress—“A shot of tequila please.”
Currently, she wasn’t feeling a damn thing. She needed to drink more often. Seriously.
Hugh was frowning at her, and she ignored him completely. She didn’t even need to look at him to know he was doing it. Bah! She’d finished feeling bad about disappointing them. She was a disaster. So what? She’d get her life on track, she would. Once the right job came along and she could put the hell she’d been through in the past. At least Daniel couldn’t just show up at her place or wait for her outside her classes. The phone calls and texts would end soon. How long could he keep that up? His wife, on the other hand…
Lucy’s belly rolled, nausea, guilt, one big ball of pain and regret making itself known, reminding her of what a shitty human being she was, of what she’d lost. She inwardly shook those thoughts right out of her head. Not here. Not now.
Sucking down a fortifying breath, she glanced around the table. Adam was hovering close by and as soon as she looked at him, a scowl rearranged her facial features. God, she was pissed at him, freaking fuming, and the urge to push his buttons, to get him to spar with her couldn’t be denied. Honestly, she needed it. Needed things to go back to how they were, how they should be. Her brothers were ordering a “snack,” which meant a full three-course meal if she knew them, and paying her no mind. A nice change.
“You eating?” Hugh asked Adam.
He shook his head. “I’m good.”
She’d bet he was. Not that she would ever find out. The guy gave it up for anything in a damn skirt…except her. Oh no, Lucy wasn’t good enough for Adam Grady. Jerk face.
The music was turned up and she glanced over to the center of the room. Tonight was a special night at Abella’s. It was the owner’s wedding anniversary. The place was packed with family, at least the ones not working. They’d been drinking and celebrating for a while, and now they cheered and a bunch of them headed for the dance floor. She couldn’t help but grin.
Hugh, Shay, Joe, and Darcey were talking and laughing with each other, still in their own little love bubbles.
That left her and Adam. Screw it. She reached out and tugged on the bottom of his shirt.