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“I one hundred percent agree, Padre. Get Sky and come on out. We’ll take care of gathering everybody we can.”
“Okay,” I said. “See you soon.”
CHAPTER17
~Schuyler~
Iwas just finishing my makeup and hair when Pax walked into the bedroom.
“Hey,” I said, turning and gesturing to him with my mascara wand, “did you get what you needed from god?”
He chuckled. “When I said I was going to the church to see a friend, I didn’t mean God, but yeah, I did.”
“Oh? Who did you go and see?” I turned back to the mirror and put the final stroke on my left lashes and then put the tube back in my bag.
“Father McLeod. He was my grandfather’s best friend and was kind of like a godfather to me growing up.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Even if heisa priest,” I said and carried my stuff out to put it back in my larger bag. When I turned to look at him again, I saw the tension in the set of his shoulders and the lines on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I didn’t mean anything by the priest comment.”
“No, it’s not that. We’ve uncovered some things about the house. I just talked to Dev and Hanlen on my way home. We’re all meeting at the plantation to go over everything. Are you almost ready?”
“Yep. Just need shoes.” I took my boots out of my bag and slipped them on, taking time to properly crisscross the ribbon laces and loop them before tying. I glanced back up at Pax where he stood leaning against the doorjamb and saw that same look. “This is more than just info on the house,” I said. “Do you regret last night—or this morning, rather?”
“What?” he said and hurried over to me, cupping my cheek in his palm. “No. Oh, no. Not at all. Never. Doyou?”
“Nope,” I said with a smile and turned to kiss his palm before continuing with my other boot.
He took a step back so he wasn’t crowding me, and I sensed that he had more to say. I peeked up at him again. “But?” I asked.
“No buts. Not really,” he answered. “But here’s the thing, Sky. Whatarewe?”
I shook my head and looked back down. “Do we need a label? Can’t it just be two people enjoying each other? Friends with benefits—even though thatisa label?”
“Enjoying,” he said, and I sensed that maybe I’d said the wrong thing. But then he continued. “That’s present tense with a promise of a future. Does that mean that what happened wasn’t a one-time thing for you?”
I stood and walked closer to him, looping my arms around his neck. “I’m game for more if you are,” I said and leaned in to kiss him. Sweetly. Passionately. “But I’m also not big on titles or labels.”
He nipped my lower lip and then pulled back a little. “Sadly, I kind of am.”
“That’s because you’re old-fashioned,” I quipped and lowered my hand to squeeze his very bitable ass before moving to my bag on the bed. But then I couldn’t help but tease him a little more. I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Or is that just old?”
It had the impact I hoped for. He lunged, taking me to the mattress and eliciting a squeal out of me as he tickled me, nipping and nibbling on my neck and my ear.
He sighed. “I’ll show you just hownotold I am later. But for now, we really do need to get to Arborwood.” He lifted himself off me and then helped me to stand.
“That’s a shame,” I said with a wink, but then brushed by him to leave the room.
Pax was quiet on the drive to the plantation house, and I wondered what was going through his head. He kept casting furtive glances at me and didn’t seem to want to let go of me, constantly running his thumb over the back of my hand as he drove. This was more than just what’d happened and was continuing to happen with us. I just didn’t know what it was about.
When we pulled up to the house, I saw nearly everybody’s car. “Wow, when you said the team, you meant it. This must be big,” I said.
“Lots of stuff has come to light.” And that was all he said. Nothing more. My stomach did a little flip, and I wondered what was up.
When we walked into the courtyard, I saw that everybody was in the outdoor seating area we’d set up for the premiere of the Arborwood episode wrap party. It was beautiful outside today, and I was glad that we were enjoying it. “Hey, guys.”
Everybody looked up from what they were doing or stopped talking and turned to us, issuing waves and hellos.
“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Hanlen said.
