Page 172 of Burning Bridges Duet

I pull back, thumb brushing her cheek. “Sorry, beautiful. Should’ve opened the door for you.”

“No, everything’s fine.” She waves it off, grinning. “You were too fascinated by your car, and that’s great. We picked it right.”

“You picked it right,” I correct, smirking.

“Besides,” she adds, buckling up. “I don’t even know what a doorknob feels like anymore with all of you around.”

“And…” I say, starting the engine. “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

“Hey, have you decided yet?” Chase leans forward from the back. “If you’re doing the new game or the sequel?”

“Yeah, sequel first.” I merge into traffic. “The demand’s insane. I can do the new one after.”

“Smart.” Liv nods in my peripheral view. “The fans will lose it when the news gets out.”

“Or…” Chase hums. “You could just buy a house on the beach somewhere nice, and never work again, like GG is planning to.”

I reach over and rest my hand on Liv’s knee, my thumb tracing that familiar scar, the one that reminds me how strong she is, through her leggings. “I’d have to take Liv. Doubt you lot would let that happen.”

“Vacation, though?” She covers my hand with hers, squeezing. “All of us? Gunner could hold down the studio.”

“Yeah, we’re due. Recharge with just us sounds great.”

“True, but before we plan that trip,” Chase cuts in. “Do you think the Muffin Man has any muffins left? I’m starving.”

“Ah, shit, sorry.” Liv winces. “Should’ve brought you something.”

“No problem,” Chase says easily. “I’d kill for muffins anyway.”

“You have to be quick then.” I chuckle. “In and out. Ryder had the genius idea to set up a spontaneous acoustic concert on the patio, and someone put it on the socials. The place is probably a zoo by now. It was already getting started when I left.”

Liv tilts her head. “You think Jaxon still has time to join us?”

“Yep. Temps are covering, and as soon as we grab Ry, the crowd’ll thin out anyway.”

I rest my hand higher on her thigh, thumb stroking lazily. She laces our fingers, and I steal a glance at her soft smile, seeing her olive-green eyes on me.

Best day.

Even better life.

We pull up to Jaxon’s Sunshine Beach Brunch, and holy hell, the inside and the patio are packed. People are even spilling onto the sidewalk. Ryder’s in the thick of it, I can barely see him from here, his acoustic guitar slung low, but his voice is cutting through the chaos.

We all get out of the car just when Jaxon storms past with brunch plates, barking, “Sit or go, people!”

The two temporary servers weave through it all like pros.

Someone yells, “Oh my God, Ryder from Dirty Velvet in a tiny beach brunch restaurant!”

My stomach twists, anxiety creeping in at the crowd, and Liv stiffens beside me, too. I grab her hand, intertwining our fingers again, this time more tightly. “We got this.”

Another voice cuts through, “Ugh… “Wonderwall?” So cliché.”

We all burst out laughing, Ryder included, flipping the heckler a grin mid-chorus.

Then I squeeze Liv’s hand, take a deep breath, and pull her through the fray toward my twin.

Halfway through the chorus of “Wonderwall” for the fourth—no, fifth—damn time, I can barely keep the grin off my face. Every strum, every “today is gonna be the day,” is like twisting the knife in Jaxon’s back.