Page 22 of One Quick Obsession

“I hear that tone. But you promised.”

I frowned. “What? What did I promise?

The sigh was loud enough to make my lips twitch. “Tonight is the Spring Flower Party. You promised you would come. In fact, you were bullied into it because you lost a coin toss, but you still told us you would be here after you lost the bet. I expect you at five o’clock tonight. It’s early because there will be children and teenagers there, but you still need to show up. As you know, the Cages need to show their faces at events like this.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed right back. “That damn thing is tonight?”

I ignored the laughter that sounded much more like Weston than it did Isabella. My friend would pay for this. “It is. I sent you a text about it yesterday, and it’s on your calendar. You know, the shared calendar that we Cages have? You might not answer back in any of the group chats often, but I know that you know that I know you have a calendar that you use. It’s color-coded and everything.”

I resisted the audible groan. I was as organized as the next guy, but the connections and over the top Type A of some of my siblings nearly drove me over the edge. “Aston and Flynn color-coded the ridiculous platform. James is the one that adds random shit to it just to annoy me.” I paused, remembering a time where a certain person had added timeslots for excessive brooding and labeled it as Grumpy Ass Mother Fuckin’ Hudson. “On that note, so does Theo.”

“Our brothers do love to annoy us. But that’s why we love them. And that’s why I love you. But you’re coming tonight. You haven’t been out of your cabin for like a month.”

Because it had been a month since I’d nearly killed a man on Scarlett’s property. She’d had no idea how close I had been. With just a few movements, I could have snapped his neck and not felt an ounce of remorse. The fucker had laid his hands on her. Just like the old man had done to her mother. And Scarlett had been scared.

Scarlett Blair never got scared. She could stand up to anyone, including Ronin and her father.

But she had broken down in my arms at one point because of those men. And she had nearly done it again. Yes, I would’ve killed him. I still didn’t know why I hadn’t. Because of my own restraint or due to Scarlett being right behind me.

Either way, I had stayed on my own property since then, not bothering to come to town. I had promised to go to this damn party after the St. Patrick’s Day parade when I had stormed off, and now I regretted every single moment I had ever spoken to Isabella.

“Be there at five and wear something nice. Maybe don’t scowl the whole time. You’re welcome to scowl most of the time. Weston will because I’m dragging him.”

That made me smile. “So he’ll be in hell as well?

“It’s a dance. There’ll be punch. And alcohol. And food.”

“And flowers. Because it’s spring, and we like to plant flowers in the beds at each street corner, as if we’re not going to get snow.”

“They’re the spring flowers that are hardy through bouts of snow. The summer flowers we get in will do just as well. Be part of the community, Hudson.”

I heard the worry in her tone and pushed it back. I didn’t need a mirror shoved into my face. “I’ve been part of this community longer than you.”

“No, you haven’t. And we both know it.”

I cursed. “I really don’t like that you don’t back down.”

She laughed into the phone. “Of course I don’t. I’m the eldest daughter. It’s a thing.”

“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t grow up with you girls.”

“All the more reason for you to get annoyed by us now. And if you don’t show up, Weston will have to drag you down, and then he’ll be grumpy. And while I love my grumpy husband some days, grumpy because you annoy him won’t be my favorite thing.”

“As long as I don’t make Weston grumpy, that’s the most important thing,” I said dryly.

Isabella chuckled and sounded far too pleased with herself. “At least you’ve learned. Now go shower, because I know you’ve been working on the cabin and the old Ackerson place all day.”

I paused. “And how do you know that?”

“Because I stopped by your place earlier and you weren’t there. I have my ways.”

“Well then. Glad to know that if I ever die and am rotting alone on my carpet, I won’t be rotting for too long.”

My sister clucked her tongue. “This is why you need a pet. That way they can bark and let the neighbors know.”

I thought of Scarlett being alone for so many hours in the day. She might be safe at the resort, but at home? Maybe she was the one who needed a dog. Or a cat. Then I couldn’t help but think of a cat in my place. I may love animals, but I was always afraid they’d get out in this damn forest since I liked to leave my doors open on the way to the studio, and I’d never see them again. “Sure, let me get a pet and then the cat or whatever can eat my dead body. No, thank you.”

“And on that note, I’ll see you at five. Don’t be late.” Then she hung up, always getting the last word.