Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Are you looking?” Dave asks. “I haven’t seen you get serious with anyone since you and Darlene split.”
I frown. “I haven’t exactly been a monk, but no. You’re right. But Darlene and I… We really just grew apart.”
“So you’re not nursing any old feelings?”
“No,” I say, and I’m telling the absolute truth. “We were used to each other. We probably should’ve ended a year before we did. We held on way too long.”
“How do you feel about waitresses? That cute little Nora who works over at Lisa’s has been after you since she moved here.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, she made that clear again today when Jason and I crashed Angie’s bridesmaid luncheon. She’s beautiful, no doubt, but she’s too flirty. She and her friend Sadie both.”
He smirks. “Oh God, Sadie. She hasn’t been around in a while.”
“She went back to Denver to visit her folks, I think. She’ll be back soon. But yeah, she was after Jesse in a big way. Remember how that pissed Bree off?”
Dave laughs. “God, yes. But Sadie and Nora are both gorgeous. And both available.”
I rake my gaze across the yard. “I don’t know that I’m looking. I haven’t seen anyone who strikes my fancy.”
The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. I’m still nursing that jealousy inside my gut. Who the hell is that guy with Tabitha?
And why does he have to be so damned good-looking?
“What about Tabitha?”
Fuck. Am I that transparent? Warmth spreads to my cheeks…and my groin.
I’ll try to play this cool. “Angie’s friend?”
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous. And her eyes…”
I blink. “Yeah. They’re kind of like Darlene’s, only more so.”
He nods. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. She’s really attractive, and you know she’s smart since she got into medical school.”
“Not interested,” I say.
Again, the lie tastes like acid in my mouth.
Because the truth of the matter is that I am interested. Really interested. And I have no right to be.
Especially after what I did to her last night.
I don’t think she said anything to anyone. If she told anyone, it would have been Angie, and then Angie would have come to me.
But Angie is getting married tomorrow. Tabitha wouldn’t bother her with petty family drama when she deserves to have a perfect day.
And I shouldn’t either. I’ve already done enough damage, and I’ll let it lie through the end of the weekend.
“Why not?” Dave is saying. “If I weren’t happily married, I’d be all over that.”
“You and I aren’t really the same,” I say.
“No, we’re not.” He elbows my ribs. “Because you were way more of a horndog when we were younger than I ever was.”
I scoff at that. “That’s crap, and we both know it. You are one of the original Three Rake-a-teers. Donny taught you and Brock everything.”
Dave laughs. “Funny. Now that I’m happily married—and Donny and Brock are too—I don’t even think about that kind of stuff anymore.”
“Yeah, well, talk about horndogs. I sure got my share, but the three of you…” I shake my head.
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “Did I ever tell you that Brock and I had a threesome once?”
I drop my jaw. “The fuck?”
“Yeah, some girl in college. We shared her. We didn’t touch each other, of course. That would’ve been gross. Being cousins and all.”
“Not to mention that you’re both dudes.”
“That too.”
“The whole thing sounds kind of gross to me,” I say.
“The girl had a great time. But yeah, we never did it again. It was just too…weird.”
I rub my eyes. “Dude, you just gave me a picture in my head that I can’t unsee. Fuck you for that.”
Dave laughs. “You seem to be feeling better. Saying ‘fuck you’ to me always puts you in a better mood.”
I slide my gaze over to Tabitha again. She and her companion are now grabbing hors d’oeuvres from the spread.
“You know who that is with Tabitha?” I ask Dave.
“She’s with someone?” He glances toward the table. “Oh, yeah. I think that’s the new massage therapist who’s working over at Willow’s.”
I suppress an eye roll. “A freaking massage therapist?”
“Yeah. I wonder how he and Tabitha met.”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Excuse me for a minute.”
I don’t know.
But I’m damned well going to find out.
Twenty-Three
Tabitha
True to his word, Stephen takes only whole foods from the buffet table. Carrots, celery sticks, pineapple chunks, cherries, strawberries. A few beef skewers.
But I don’t hold back. The samosas look amazing, and even though they’re deep-fried, I grab several of them. Ditto for the deviled eggs with smoked trout.
“Are those fried in seed oils?” Stephen asks me, gesturing to my samosas.
“I have no idea. Angie’s mom would probably know. She’s a gourmet chef, and according to Angie, she does a lot of the cooking herself for these events.”
“Can we ask her?”
Seriously? I’m beginning to think inviting Stephen here was not a good idea. I mean, I get that he’s all Zen and everything and wants to keep toxins out of his body, but bothering the hostess of a party with questions about her food? A party that he wasn’t actually invited to but came to as my guest?