“It’s so nice to meet you!” Rabecca says.
Her smile falters, and her eyes dart to me, a frown now on her face. “Is everything okay?” I hear her whisper to Mikayla. Yeah, she said that loud enough for me to hear.
“Do I look that bad?” Mikayla asks, placing her hands on her face in horror.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her.
“I had a fight with my mom, then my brother got me all worked up,” Mikayla explains, fanning her face. “Caine, do I still look like I’ve been crying?” she whispers against my chest.
I scowl at Rabecca.
She mouths,Sorrywith a sheepish frown.
“You look too good for my brother,” Lance says. “My offer is still open.” He opens his arms, and a giggling Mikayla goes right into them.
“I’d hate to stain that nice shirt,” I warn him.
But the asshole just laughs.
“I’m Hugh,” my other brother says. “Good to finally meet you.”
“Did you invite your family tonight?” Mikayla asks. Her nose is crinkled as she smiles.
“No,” I say forcefully, eyeing everyone.
“We invited ourselves,” Hugh says. “You’re the dumbass who told Pat where you were going.”
“Because I needed him to cover the ranch. Who the hell is working?” I ask in frustration.
“Calm down, Grandpa,” Pat says with a laugh. I punch his arm. “Dad is working. And Max is helping.”
I snicker as he rubs his arm. Good, I hope it leaves a bruise.
“I’m Dr. Kyle Phillips, but you can call me Kyle.” We all look at my friend. I raise a brow and drop my chin down.
What the fuck?
“Um…” Pat says.
“What the fuck?” I ask because… what the fuck?
“What?” my former best friend asks, raising his arms out.
“I never knew you were so formal,” Rabecca says. “I got a grunt ‘I’m Kyle,’” she adds in a bad imitation of Kyle’s voice.
“I heard you’re a nurse,” Kyle says when I pull out Mikayla’s chair.
“You get that she’s with me,” I tell Kyle.
“For now,” he says, grinning. “But you’ll inevitably fuck it up.”
“This dinner may be better than our first one,” Mikayla laughs, reaching for my hand after I sit down. “Don’t be so grumpy,” she teases in a sillyvoice, squishing my cheeks together. My eyes fall on her lips when she pulls me down for a kiss. “I’m here with you,” she whispers against my mouth.
With both my hands, I cup her head and kiss her brow and smile.
“Hi! I’m Pamela…” I turn when she speaks and again her smile drops. “Fuck me!” She drops her arms, resting one hand on her hip.
“Pamela!” the owner scolds when she walks by.
