“Really?” Layla wrinkled her nose. “He’s a good guy. Quiet, but it would probably be beneficial for him to get involved a bit. I like it. And…maybe your mutual,ahem…friend will come to the games. I’d love to meet her. Talk to you later, Dex!”
Uh…
And I supposed that was a lesson in how to start rumors about yourself.Nice going, Dex.
Sure enough, Reg called a couple of hours later.
“Why am I finding out from my little sister that you met someone? A her, no less. Who is she? Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Is this what our taxpayer money goes to? Nosy cops poking into the private affairs of innocent citizens?” I snarked, idling in my driveway while I waited for the garage door to open.
“Private affairs? Nice choice of words,” Reg remarked. “Do I know her? Give me a hint.”
“There’s no hint to give. I’m not seeing anyone and if I was, you’d be the first to know. That was the deal, right?”
Reg was quiet on the line for a beat. “Yeah.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hating that we still stumbled to find our balance with each other. But maybe that was to be expected after a year-long secret friends with bennies liaison. I had no regrets, and I didn’t think Reg did either.
We were good friends who’d had amazing sex and had amicably agreed to end things and avoid inevitable complications before anyone got hurt.
I’d gotten hurt anyway. I’d been more invested in our fledgling relationship than Reg. In a twist, I wasn’t great at casual dalliances, but he was the one with kids, a difficult ex, and a high-profile job, so…I understood. We’d slowly worked our way back to neutral, and I was grateful for that. Everyone needed friends they could trust without question, and I trusted Reg with my life.
But I couldn’t tell him about Freya without spilling the beans, and I wasn’t ready. Not till she hit the twelve-week mark.
“Feel free to kill that rumor on my behalf if you hear it while you’re out there keeping law and order in the Four Forest area,” I said lightly. “I’m not seeing anyone.”
“You got it. Now tell me about Big V.”
“Oh, c’mon,” I groused.
“I’ve heard he’s a nice guy…just quiet. Doesn’t seem like the type who’d be interested in flag football.”
“Wow. Tell your sister to quit gossiping.” I parked in the garage and switched my Bluetooth to my cell as I moved into thehouse. “And whattypeplays flag football? You’re being weird, Chief.”
“Okay, okay. Sorry.” Reg cleared his throat. “What are you doing tonight? I was thinking of grilling some kabobs. The kids are with their mom, and Coop and Silas are coming over. And you know my dog loves you.”
“True,” I replied, even though his eighty-pound golden retriever loved everyone. “But I can’t tonight.”
“Boo. I guess we’ll catch you next time. Hey…any news on a surrogate?”
“I’m in talks with one,” I admitted, figuring it was close enough to the truth.
“That’s fantastic! What do you know about her? I’ve heard the agency you’re with is top notch, but if you need an additional background check, I’m your man,” Reg boasted playfully.
If I’d only thought of that sooner.
“That’s okay.”
“All right. Good luck, Dex.”
“Thanks.”
I toed off my shoes in the mudroom, left my keys and cell on the console table in the hallway leading to the kitchen, and headed for the fridge. I gulped orange juice straight from the container and set it on the island, wiping my mouth as I studied the impressive view from my great room. My house was part of the newer development in Wood Hollow on the ridge above Lake Norman. The forest was thick to the north, then gave way to a rugged landscape that reminded me of old cowboy movies I’d loved as a kid.
I had a huge yard and at the end of my cul-de-sac there was a new park. Beyond that, a well-tended albeit steep trail led to the lake. The house itself was a two-storied four-bedroom modern log cabin with wide dramatic windows, black siding, and rustic gardens. I’d had a designer from Pinecrest help with the interiors. Not something I advertised amongst my friends who, on principle, hated anything to do with Pinecrest. Too snooty.
Maybe so, but there’d been no time to purchase furniture or deal with color palettes and run two businesses. And truthfully, I hadn’t known where to start. I wanted this house to feel like a real family home, and since I’d never really had that, I didn’t know the first thing about how to create that vibe on my own.
