“Wait…Costa Rica? Isn’t that the wedding she was going to go to with that guy?”
That stopped him again. “How do you know about the wedding and the guy?”
“Maisie told me.”
“When did we all turn into such gossipy people?” he asked with just a hint of annoyance.
Grinning, Axel walked past him and out the door. “I don’t know, but now I kind of enjoy it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day when Maisie comes in and tells me all the stuff she heard.”
Slater followed him out of the cabin and onto the path. “That’s just wrong. What about people’s privacy?”
Axel snorted. “Dude, be serious. There’s very little privacy around here. I mean, there is for the guests, but for us? None. Between all of us living in the cabins, we’ve been practically right on top of one another for almost two years. And then there were very public displays of both affection, not-affection, and sometimes—meaning Connor and Lexi—borderline X-rated affection. So…” He shrugged. “It is what it is. And you took part in some of it yourself.”
“I know. It just sucks when you’re the one people are talking about.”
“Which reminds me, how are things with you and Milo?”
Right. That.
“We haven’t talked a whole lot. He’s been busy at the new office; I’ve been busy with hikes and stuff and doing stuff with Evie.”
“Ah. You’re still avoiding each other.”
“Not on purpose.”
“Oh, it’s totally on purpose. Don’t even.”
They were slowly walking toward the cabin at the end of the path. “He was basically saying that I wasn’t good enough for her,” Slater reminded him. “It was a little insulting. We’ve been friends since we were kids, and yet he thinks I’m scum.”
Beside him, Axel sighed. “No one said you were scum. But you have to admit, your track record with women is a little less than ideal. He was just looking out for Evie. You can’t fault him for that.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Slater…come on. You have to admit that she’s not like anyone else you’ve ever been involved with. Evie’s kind of sweet and a little more reserved. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if her dad was a preacher or something. She’s not someone who just does casual.” He shrugged. “And if you look at it like that, it makes sense why Milo and Nora were concerned.” They came to a stop in front of the cabin. “If Evie means anything to you, then you should be happy to know that there are people who care about her and who are looking out for her.”
“Maybe,” he grumbled, but it all still ticked him off.
In the distance, Evie's laugh rang out, and Slater immediately turned around to look for her.
“If you keep scowling like that, you’re going to scare them both away,” Axel murmured. “And we really love all the work Reece has been doing for us, so knock it off.”
He was about to, but then he watched as Evie laughed again at something Reece was saying and how they playfully nudged each other as they walked.
She’s mine…
He took a menacing step forward when Axel roughly grabbed him and turned him around. “Get it together, dude, or you’re going to make a total ass out of yourself.”
Slater was about to shove him away, but he said the first thing that came to his mind instead. “What would you do if some guy was walking like that with Maisie?”
Some of the fight went out of his friend. “Point taken. But Maisie’s my wife. I’d have every reason to kick his ass.” He took a step back. “Plus, I know she’s not interested in anyone else. We’ve gone to enough places with guys who are from her social circle and she doesn’t give them the time of day. I’m secure in what we have.”
“Yeah, well…I’m not,” he admitted. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to say more because Reece and Evie were practically right there. Everything in him eased, however, when he saw her face light up when she spotted him, and she walked right over and kissed him soundly.
“Hey,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him again. When she pulled back and smiled at him, Slater felt something squeezing inside his chest. “Ready to grab the last of my stuff with me?”
“Absolutely.” Wrapping his arm around her possessively, they turned toward Reece. “Okay, what’s the verdict on the cabin?”
“Girls’ night!”
