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“Ookaay. Then wait for me outside? I’ll just run in quickly and grab them.”
“Yes. Good plan. Let’s hit the road.”
I buckle my seat belt. “Sounds like you’ve got a story too when we get drunk tonight.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” she mutters.
6
Guilt tugs at me as I sit with my brothers at our usual booth at the Inn. It’s not for ditching her with Noah’s ex, who I don’t know why, but seemed a good fit for Pepper. I’ll never admit this—especially not to her, but Charlie’s one of the good ones. And she won’t judge Pepper.
I also know that Charlie—being media obsessed—is very much aware of Pepper’s planned nuptials to Prince Politics, so opening up to her should be easy enough.
The guilt gnawing at me has everything to do with Elliot’s place—and making Pepper do my dirty work.
I’ve been trying to convince myself for the past two hours that it’s not a big ask. Pepper’s done this before. She’ll know what to do. She’ll know what can go and what should stay.
With any luck, the pile that stays is small—maybe even nonexistent.
“Good news. I’ll have a room for Pepper next Friday,” Dad says, returning with another beer for him and me.
I don’t respond. Instead, my mind searches for the last time I saw one of these supposedly renovated rooms. Would she feel comfortable there? Is it safe? Who does he have stay here on a regular basis, anyway? I’m tempted to tell him she’s fine at Elliots, but don’t want to stir more questions.
“Thanks for lunch, Dad,” Noah says, pushing his plate to the side.
“Don’t get too full,” Levi says, coming through the door with an almost eight-year-old running up to us. “Got enough sliders and wings for us later to feed half the town.”
Jackson throws his arms around me first. “Uncle Chase!”
“Hey, kid. You get taller every time I see you.” I ruffle his hair. The kid’s got his dad’s eyes, but his mother’s thick dirty blonde hair. “You excited for your birthday in a few weeks?”
“Yeah. Dad said I got twice as many RSVPs as last year. That means how many people are coming.”
Jackson’s party last year went south when his mom showed up with her boyfriend and his son, who’s slightly younger than my nephew. The spoiled kid dug into the cake first and started ripping apart Jackson’s presents.
The three of us made it our mission to make this year epic for him. Twice as big with advanced planning to get the kid excited about birthdays again.
Dad reaches for Jackson. “Come on. We’ll make you an ice cream sundae.”
“Easy on the sugar, Dad.”
Our old man waves him off and Levi takes his seat beside Noah in the booth, resigned. “Alright, which one of you buttheads is fucking with me? Almost all the RSVPs are from the single moms in town.”
Noah and I chuckle. “Don’t look at us,” I say. “You put us in charge of vendors and games.”
Levi’s eyes move to the bar. “Dad,” he grits.
“Gonna have to tough this one out, hotshot,” Noah says, slapping our older brother’s back.
He points at us. “Do not leave me alone with any clingy moms. I mean it.”
I shake my head at him. “You’re going about this all wrong. What you need is a chick by your side to serve as the opposite effect of a magnet.”
“A chick de-magnet?” Levi quirks a brow.
“Yeah. We just have to find someone willing to put up with your grumpy ass for the evening,” Noah agrees.
My eyes shift to the front door when a familiar blonde enters. She’s changed. She’s in dark denim and an ivory hooded cashmere sweater.
