“Thought you’d never ask,” she practically purrs. She abandons her beer and takes his hand.
Cally scans the room until she finds her husband. William Bailey is on the other side of the bar, talking to my mother, who is still mourning the fact that Will married Cally instead of one of her daughters. “I think I’ll go too. My sister’s watching the baby, and I don’t want to keep her out too late on a school night.”
“Same here,” Hanna says, her eyes seeking out Nate. “I want to get home to the girls. Thank you for coming tonight, ladies.”
We all say our goodbyes, and Nix and I watch the happy couples retreat.
“Bitches,” Nix mutters when we’re alone.
I grin, because I know she says it with affection. “Seriously unfair, isn’t it?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” she asks.
“Of course.”
Her shoulders sag as she sighs. “Before moving here and meeting you all, I didn’t think I wanted to get married. Like, ever. In my experience, men are good for one thing, and if you expect anything more than sex from them, you’re going to be disappointed.”
I try not to look shocked, but that’s quite a strong opinion and I’ve never heard her say so before. “Not all guys are assholes.”
She nods. “Yeah, I know that now. It didn’t take much time around Asher and Will to prove me wrong.”
“They’re good guys,” I say. “Nate and Max too.” I cock my head. “Huh. Maybe I should set you up with Max.”
She throws up her hands, palms out. “No way. The last thing I need to do is let myself fall for a guy who’s still hung up on Hanna.”
“Fair enough.” She’s right, but I still hate seeing Max alone. If I ever doubted Max was a stand-up guy, the last year has proven it. He deserves someone good.
Nix grabs her purse. “I’m going to go, but I’ll see you at the wedding tomorrow.”
I stand and give her a hug before she goes, then I grab my own purse and open the chat client to type a reply to my favorite stranger.
Tink24: I’ve been thinking about you, too. You do know how to put ideas into a girl’s head.
Understatement of the century, but it’ll do. I slide my phone into my purse, say my goodbyes, and head for my car. I’m unlocking my door when my phone buzzes again.
Riverrat69: Would you think I’d lost my mind if I told you I wanted to meet you?
Chapter Five
Sam
“Sam!” Dad calls when I walk in the door. He has his campaign face on. Hey, look at me! I have children and I’m so proud of them. To be fair, Dad is proud of us even when potential voters aren’t involved, but the effusive praise is saved for the masses. “Come in here,” he says, ushering me to the conference room. “I want you to see what Connor has mocked up for the next wave of social media images.”
I step into the room and freeze. Liz is working at a laptop on the big oval table that sits in the center of the room. Liz, with her sweet smile and big blue eyes. Liz, with her wet dream of a body and infectious laugh. And Connor is right behind her, his body too damn close to hers, his mouth by her ear as he points to the screen.
Jealousy shoots through my blood, and I have to remind myself to breathe. She’s not mine.
But she sure as fuck isn’t his, either.
“I don’t have to introduce you to the newest member of our team,” Dad says, gesturing to Liz. “I’m going to put Liz’s writing skills to work for a while, see if she’s a good fit for our campaign.”
Liz looks up, happiness all over her face, then she sees me and falters for just a moment, something like regret flashing in her eyes. Does she regret that night, or do I just wish she would? If we hadn’t slept together, this would be a hell of a lot less awkward. Then again, I’m not the only guy in this room she’s fucked.
“You didn’t tell me,” I say to Liz. “Congratulations.”
“I didn’t know until yesterday. And thank you. I’m thrilled that your father is giving me a chance.”
“You’ll do great.” I’m not just appeasing her. It’s true. She can write. I’ve seen the grants she’s written, and those skills will be an asset to my father’s campaign. I’m just not sure how I feel about her working so closely with my family. With Connor.
“She’s a good fit,” Connor says.
“Connor,” I say with a nod. I force a smile for the benefit of everyone in the room, but we’re all faking it here. The only one this isn’t awkward for is my father, and that’s because he’s clueless.