“I don’t know what else you might mean,” he said, keeping his attention squarely centered on Jules. “Need another beer? Callum’s about to pull the burgers off the grill.”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
Alicia hummed.
Rhys pointed his beer toward her. “You should know I was talking about you yesterday.”
“Good things?” Alicia asked.
“I promised you could help with book recommendations.”
Alicia pushed her glasses up her nose. “He’s just trying to butter me up so I don’t talk about him when he turns around.”
“I know better, Alicia. Where are your dogs? Clyde has a crush on Toto.”
“Doggy spa day while I’m here with you fools.”
Rhys turned as Callum called that the burgers were ready.
“Clyde really does have a thing for Toto.” Alicia sighed. “The poor thing keeps getting his heart broken when Toto doesn’t even sniff in his direction.”
Grace laughed. “Your dogs act indignant whenever any other dog shows their love and adoration.”
“Pickles needs to outgrow the adolescent-doggy energy before either of my babies will deal with him. Now…” Alicia circled her finger toward Jules. “Are you going to break our guy’s heart?”
“No. Of course not. It’s not like that.”
“In the year that I’ve known him, he’s never brought a girl home before.”
“He didn’t bring me home. I’m…” She hadn’t even seen his house. Not that she’d bring that up. “He’s hiding me here.”
“Of course he is. He’s tucked you away in one of those in-plain-sight hiding spots?”
“Alicia,” Grace muttered. “Down, girl.”
“I’m not being mean. Just observant.”
Jules smiled. “I like that the Titan men have such kick-butt women in their orbit.”
“Now she’s buttering us up again,” Alicia said with a wink. “Guess we’re going to have to like her.”
“Good. Guess you are.” Jules liked them all. A group of badass women and take-charge men. They had healthy doses of self-esteem but weren’t egotistical. Not a narcissist in sight. It was refreshing, real, and so very different from Hollywood.
Jules rocked on a glider with a beer in her hand.
Scarlett plopped next to Grace with a burger and salad on her paper plate. “What’d I miss? Rhys looks like he won a prize at a fair any time he looks over here.”
“See?” Alicia bobbed her dark eyebrows and tossed her coiled hair over her shoulders in an unspoken told-you-so. “I know what I’m talking about.”
“God. I missed something good, didn’t I?” Scarlett made a puppy-dog face. “Loop me in before I beg.”
“There’s nothing—”
“Jules is the fair prize,” Alicia said, gesturing her way, then stood up. “And I need a burger.”
“I’m not a fair prize.” But the burgers also called her name, and Jules gave up the battle, joining Grace and Alicia to pile their plates high.
They returned to Scarlett. If Rhys was looking at her like they said he was, she wouldn’t be able to keep her own expression in check.
