Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“I need a minute,” I say to Keaton and the other guys as I march through the house to the guest bathroom, locking myself inside.
I’m just so pissed.
There’s a knock on the door, and I shake my head as I lean on the vanity.
“I’ll be a minute.”
“Open up,” Gray says, his voice firm but kind.
I take a deep breath and then cross to the door to unlock it. When Gray comes inside, I let him fold me into his arms and hold me tightly.
“I don’t like to fight with Liv.”
“From the way she brushed away tears as she left, I’d say she doesn’t like it either.”
“She left?”
“Well, they were about to, yeah.”
I push away from him and hurry out of the bathroom, just catching Liv before she can open the front door.
“Don’t go.”
“It’s probably for the best,” she says, not looking me in the eyes. “We can talk later.”
“I don’t want you to go,” I repeat and step between Liv and the door. “Let’s just call a truce. We’ll work it out tomorrow.”
She takes a long, deep breath. Vaughn doesn’t say anything at all, just watches the two of us with wary eyes.
“I am hungry for some ribs,” Liv says slowly. “But Keaton might murder me by poison.”
I grin, relieved that the worst of it has passed. “Then we’ll all die together. Come on.”
Chapter 10
Gray
“You are absolutely not skinny-dipping tonight,” Olivia says to a guy smiling smugly back at her. I can’t keep all the names straight. How do they remember without name tags? I know Stella said that her family was big, but I had no idea. “Liam Montgomery, I forbid it.”
“You forbid it?” he says and reaches over his shoulder to strip out of his wild, lime-green shirt. “You know that’s the fastest way to make me do anything.”
“Why can’t he keep his clothes on?” Lucy asks the room. I remember her name because she made a point to come and ask me about my law firm, my family, and anything else I wanted to tell her. She’s cute and personable, and I was surprised to hear that she’s Sidney’s age at almost twenty-three. Lucy seems much older than that. “No one wants to see your bare ass, Liam.”
Liam rolls his eyes and returns to the grill, picking up the tongs to turn the ribs.
Stella, Liv, and some of the other girls are chatting by a table that’s filled with snacks and drinks. Others are inside, talking and laughing.
And I’m standing by the grill with Liam, Keaton, and Drew.
“So, you’re a lawyer?” Keaton says and sips his beer. “What kind?”
“I do mostly corporate law,” I reply.
“You’re a jerk,” Stella yells at Danny, who’s laughing his ass off at something he said.
“Is that any way to speak to your husband?” he demands and props his hands on his waist.
Everyone on the patio goes quiet.
“Uh, what?” Keaton asks. “Your what?”
“Fake husband,” Stella clarifies. “Gray’s handling the divorce as we speak.”
All eyes turn to me, and Keaton raises an eyebrow. “So, not just corporate law, then.”
“I’m doing a favor on this one,” I reply.
“How…what…why?” Liam stumbles.
Stella and Danny explain what happened in Vegas, and Liam just shakes his head.
“That’s some shit I would pull,” he mutters, but he’s staring at his cousin with pride. “Good job, Stel.”
“So, you like to do favors,” Keaton says as he seasons the meat on the grill, but he doesn’t meet my eyes. “What else do you do in your free time? Besides my cousin.”
“Looks like the meat isn’t the only thing getting grilled at this party,” I point out, making Drew and Liam chuckle.
Keaton just stares at me.
He’s an intense guy.
I like him.
“I work a lot,” I reply, thinking it over. “I have neighbors that I’m fairly close to, and I help the teen boy with his homework. I go to the gym. I like long walks on the beach and action-adventure movies starring Bruce Willis.”
Now Keaton’s mouth twitches with humor.
“This is the question that will seal this deal,” he says and shares a look with Drew and Liam.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?”
The three of them wait with bated breath while I hold Keaton’s gaze with mine for a loaded three seconds before answering, “Of course, and anyone who says otherwise is a moron.”
“He can stay,” Drew announces and holds up his red Solo cup in cheers. “He passed the test.”
“Okay, enough,” Stella says as she walks away from her group and over to ours. “Stop ganging up on him, you big jerks.”
“That’s literally our job,” Liam points out. “Do you think we could do anything else, given who our dads are?”
“Cavemen,” Stella mutters and takes my hand to pull me away. We go inside, and she takes a long breath.
“Things okay with Olivia now?”
“We’re okay,” she says slowly. “We’ll talk through the other crap later. I’m sorry that my family is ganging up on you.”