My arms flop down from the top of my head and hit my sides. “Yeah, I’m free.”
“Hey, we don’t know for sure you’re the target,” Liam says, clapping me on the shoulder as Nate walks towards the bar to make his call. “Whatever has the brain buzzing, knock it off.”
One look at him, and he nods. I’m certain he knows what I’m going to say, but I say it anyway. “Bryn. I’m supposed to work on the backyard after this, but now I’m wondering if that’s a good idea. Fuck. If this guy’s been following me, he already knows about Bryn and Ruby. I need to stop going over there.”
“No,” Luke says, tone firm. He pulls out a chair and sits down, Liam and I joining him at the table. “No, you don’t stop. If you are a target, he’s doing it when we’re all on shift together.”
“Tina wants to see you later this morning,” Nate says, coming back over from the bar area. “I told her we’d be here for a few hours still, so she’s going to head over after a meeting. She’ll bring the detective working on this as well.”
Scrubbing both my hands over my face, I push them through my curls as I lean back in the chair. “Maybe I’m wrong about the comments. Maybe they’re nothing.”
“That would be best case scenario,” Nate nods, but I can tell he isn’t convinced. The wrinkle between his brow shows concern, the lines at the side of his narrowed eyes saying the same. “But it’s better to err on the side of caution.”
“Why don’t we all try and have some fun with this dance shit for the auction?” Liam suggests, looking between Luke and me, and then at Nate who stands behind the empty chair. “Get our minds off this for a minute.”
I’d almost forgotten about that, despite the tutus Liam and Luke are still wearing.
“Boone’s probably wondering if I slept in,” I say, giving a halfhearted chuckle that I don’t feel.
Pulling my phone out, I see a new message that wasn’t there when we were looking at the comments.
Boone:I’ve been up since the ass crack of dawn, where are you?
A second later, I’m video calling him. He answers almost immediately, and some small piece of my heart aches at the background behind him. He’s in the barn, but it isn’t just any part of the barn. He’s in the stables, and judging by the rump I can see behind him, he’s in Rosie’s stall.
The stab of pain in my chest spreads, my eyebrows furrowing as a wave of homesickness stronger than I’ve experienced since moving to Santa Rosé hits me. I wasn’t expecting him to be there. Wasn’t expecting to see my beloved horse in the frame, either. Wasn’t expecting any part of this day, if I’m honest.
“Good to see you didn’t sleep until noon, Showtime,” Boone jokes, but when I can only muster up a fraction of my usual smile, he frowns. “What happened?”
Not wanting him to worry, I shake my head, forcing myself to smile wider. “Nothing, man. Meet the guys.”
I flip the camera around to show the other three around the table to Boone, introducing each of them. They’ve all heard about each other but I’m sure it’ll be nice for them to have a face to go with the name now.
“Where does that come from, anyway? The whole Showtime thing?” Liam asks when the phone has been passed around once.
Boone’s deep laughter comes across the screen. “That’s what we’ve always called him around here, ‘cause he never stops showing off and causing a scene.”
“Shit, that’s fitting,” Luke mutters. “We call him Trip for the same reason.”
“Fuck all of you,” I say, genuine laughter rumbling in my chest, the homesickness ebbing as my two families collide.
“He used to trip at home too. Honestly not sure how he dances as good as he does, ‘cause he can’t walk,” Boone rats me out.
“Little brother, I swear to god, I will come all the way back there and kick your ass,” I warn.
Liam leans over in his seat, grabbing me around the neck to give me a noogie. “Don’t worry, Boone, we got your back.”
Dropping the phone to the table, I wrestle against Liam, grabbing his wrist above my head, and then dropping to my knee to get some leverage. My head pops out of the headlock, and a second later, we’re both on the ground, me pinning him to the floor.
“At least buy me dinner first, big boy,” he says, fluttering his eyelashes at me.
I grin. “In your dreams.”
“Liam doesn’t have brothers, does he?” Boone says from the phone, now being held up by Luke in our direction. “That was lame. He had you down in five seconds.”
“Yeah, my sisters put up more of a fight than that,” Luke chimes in.
“I’m a lover, not a fighter,” Liam defends as I pop up and offer him a hand.
