AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But then Bailey nudged my elbow with her own and snickered. “I’m just kidding. Yes, he came with me. This is Beckett.” Then she pointed to the other guy, telling me, “And this loser is unfortunately my brother, Booth.”
Booth eyed me up and down before he glanced at Bailey and scoffed, “Thought you said you were never going to date a guy whose name started with B.”
“Yeah, except I’m not dating him,” Bailey argued. Not that her brother was paying her attention anymore; he’d paused to pet the dog and coo lovingly at Humphrey. “And—” Suddenly, she whirled to me. “Holy shit. Your name does start with a B.”
“Right,” I said slowly. “We’ve already had this conversation.”
Booth began to chant in a sing-song voice to the dog about two bees sitting in a tree.
“Yeah, but…” Bailey started only to transfer a scowl at her brother and kick him in the knee. “I said we’re not dating, you ass clown. He’s just—” She didn’t have an immediate answer, so both Booth and I eyed her curiously, waiting for her to label me.
I certainly wasn’t going to help her explain my presence. I was still too put out she hadn’t given anyone prior warning about my party-crashing.
“He’s currently family-less,” she started slowly, “and didn’t have anywhere else to go for Thanksgiving. That’s why he’s here with me.”
Booth lifted his eyebrows as if he didn’t buy that, but then he shrugged and pushed to his feet so he could fling out his arm and give me friendly backhand me in the stomach. “Well, since you’re here, not dating her and all, you can help carry all her shit inside so I don’t have to.” Then he turned away to amble back toward the house, humming the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song under his breath.
“I only have one overnight bag, jackass,” Bailey called moodily after him.
“Well, you usually have an entire trunkful,” Booth shot back over his shoulder without even slowing.
“That’s because I usually stay for a heck of a lot longer than one night.” Then she made a face and sniffed when her brother’s response was the shutting of the front door as he entered the house, completely ignoring her. “He’s such an idiot.” Muttering, she turned to me. “I really don’t pack too much on my trips home.”
I grinned, flattered she even cared what I thought. Then I lifted my hands. “No worries. That was honestly the last thing I would’ve believed about you, anyway.”
Seemingly mollified, Bailey grinned back to me before moving toward the trunk where our two bags had been stored.
I followed her, remembering a much more important matter. “So, you didn’t tell your dad I was coming with you?” I asked, dogging her heels.
She frowned over her shoulder at me. “Of course I did.”
“Your brother certainly seemed surprised by me.”
With a snort, she popped the lid on the trunk. “Yeah, but he’s my brother, not my dad. Trust me, I told my dad.”
“But did you tell him who I am?” I pressed, not realizing she’d grabbed our two bags together until she’d simultaneously swung the straps for them over her shoulder. At her apartment, she’d carried them both down to the car before I’d been aware what she was doing too. But I wasn’t about to let her carry them now.
“Give me those,” I demanded, reaching out.
The damn girl dodged around me and hurried toward the house, one shoulder loaded down with a good twenty pounds. “You’re one big bruise, Bucket. You’re not carrying shit.”
Grinding my teeth, I started after her, determined to at least retrieve my own bag. “Dammit, Bailey.”
The front door came open again, and a new silhouette filled the entrance. I skidded to a halt, nearly swallowing my tongue. I could tell this man was older and fuller and yet shorter than Booth. Ergo, it was probably her dad.
Great. The first impression Bailey’s father received of me was of Bailey carrying my things and me cursing at her.
I was fucked.
“Bailey?” his voice called. “Booth said you were home and…” His voice trailed off when he saw me over her shoulder. “Is that your friend?” He sounded incredulous as he swerved back to her. “I thought…well, I assumed you’d be bringing a female when you said friend.”
My heart sank, and anxiety rose. Bailey hadn’t told him anything about me.
Holy shit, what were they going to do when they found out I was the great rapist of Granton University? For the briefest moment, I wanted to wring Bailey’s pretty, little neck.
And what was worse, she didn’t se
em concerned at all as she stepped into the house and plopped both bags heavily onto the floor by her feet. “Well, that’s what you get for assuming.”
