Page 103 of Revenge Honeymoon

Hunter stared at his phone.

“And put it on speaker,” Max added.

“Yeah, we want to hear the whole conversation.”

“Fine.” Her brother pressed his phone to his broad chest. He was six-foot-three and beefy, as her grandma used to say. “But you guys have to promise to be quiet. Like, absolute silence.”

Emily and Max exchanged glances. They nodded.

Man, she never realized how much fun it would be with Max around. Besides all the bedroom stuff, and the way he supported her business, he also had turned into her best friend.

Hunter set the phone on the counter. The kitchen filled with multiple rings. Her brother stared at the phone with a look so focused, she wondered if he was mentally willing Jayde to pick up.

“Hello?” a breathy voice on the other end answered.

“Jayde, babe, it’s me. Hunter.”

“Hunter?”

Max hid a laugh behind his hand.

“Hunter Small.” A few drops of sweat appeared on her brother’s brow. He scooped up the phone and whispered into it, “We met at Josh’s place. I had the ranch dip, you had the potato chips?” He flashed a nervous smile at Max and Emily.

“Oh, right! Big Hunter.”

His smile widened. “Right, Big Hunter. Just wanted to confirm that I’m happy to be your date for your brother’s wedding.”

“What?”

“At Josh’s. You said you needed a date.”

“Oh, I didn’t need a date. But the maid-of-honor does. She’s coming in from out-of-town. Maybe from Kentucky or Oklahoma? I can’t remember. Anyway, the Best Man wants to sit with his wife, so you can see why she needs a date for the reception.”

“Right. Uh-huh.” Hunter picked up the phone, took it off speaker, and exited through the French doors onto the backyard patio. “I suppose I could do that. She’s never been to Virginia? Uh-huh. Is she tall?” The door closed behind him.

Max and Emily burst out laughing.

“That was perfection.” It was rare to catch her brother in a lie so huge. “I’m going to remember this day for the rest of my life.” With a satisfied sigh, she finished garnishing the plate.

Max grabbed her by the hand. “Sweetness?”

“Yes?” The sudden seriousness in his voice made her knit her brows.

“Let’s take the apartment.”

“But we haven’t even looked at it yet.”

“Not the one-bedroom.” He brushed aside a wisp of hair in her eyes. “The two-bedroom, on the north side of town.”

“But that place was so expensive.”

Max drew out a check from between the ad proofs. “We can afford it.”

Her eyes widened at the number of figures on the check. She snatched it out of his hand. “When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I’ve been negotiating with the Twins for a few weeks now. They were so pleased with how these shots turned out, they want Ruby and me to do a whole other series for their European cruises.”

“Amazing.”

“No, Sweetness, you are amazing.” He caught her by the hips. “You believed in me, in my ideas.”

“They were all great ideas.” She looked up at his incredibly handsome movie star face. Tingles ran up and down her arms. “Those Weird Twins would’ve been stupid to pass up on what you offered them.”

“Oh, Emily,” he rumbled in that low voice she loved. “You are the absolute best thing that ever happened in my life, you know that?”

And they made out in her parents’ kitchen until the food grew cold and the tripod was knocked out of alignment.

THE END