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“You think Royal King will be there?” She batted her lashes.
“Not funny.”
“What? I’ve been thinking of asking him out after he gave me this.” Emma pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a fresh mini-line-drawing tattoo of a dainty floral bouquet.
I was stunned. “You know the Kings are nothing but trouble, right?”
Emma shrugged. “I’m an equal-opportunity ogler.” She smiled as she swished her skirt from side to side.A townie would know you had to pick sides.
Emma smiled, and her brown eyes lit up. “You know, I wouldn’t mind a good word put in for your friend Connor.”
I nodded. Maybe Annie was right—everyone did seem to have a thing for Connor. Good for him. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Emma brightened. “What about Annie? Just take her.”
I frowned. “No can do. I already tried that, and she turned me down too.”
Emma toyed with the inside of her lip. “Yeah, I think she’s hoping Charles will bid on her.”
I shook my head. “What is with that dude? Annieneverdates, and now this guy comes along and somehow he’s got a hold on her?”
She scoffed. “Yeah, he’s charming and cultured and a business owner. What’s the appeal?” Sarcasm dripped from Emma’s words.
I leaned back against Emma’s car and crossed my arms. “There’s just something about him. I don’t think he’s right for Annie.”
Emma laughed. “Why are the hot ones always so dumb?”
“What?”
“You’re an idiot, but never mind.” She flapped a hand in dismissal. “I think I know what it is.” She pursed her lips. “You’ve got this whole charming, rakish appeal thing going on, and it bugs you that you can’t find a date.”
“It’s fine,” I lied.
“Well, how did it start?” She circled her hands between us. “The whole man-whoring thing.”
I shot her a bland look, and she smiled. “No offense. But seriously, tell me your last girlfriend that lasted longer than ... four dates.”
I sighed. “Well, it was probably...”
I dragged my hand through my hair.
Shit.
Emma laughed. “Exactly what I thought.”
“I guess my last serious girlfriend would have been Margo, in high school.”
Her eyes widened. “Crap. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you know, bring that up.”
I shrugged. I was used to pushing away uncomfortable feelings, and there was just something about Emma, like she didn’t take things too seriously, and maybe I shouldn’t either.
Emma’s voice was soft. “Annie doesn’t really talk about her, but she had mentioned her foster sister was in an accident.”
I swallowed hard and willed my emotions to stay at bay. “Yeah, it was pretty bad.”
“I heard it was a drunk driver.”
I nodded. “Yep, hit and run, but they found the guy, so that’s something.” I shrugged as if that night hadn’t completely changed the path of my life. What no one knew was that earlier that night, Margo and I had been on the phone while she was at a wedding reception at Palomino Stables. We’d gotten into some bullshit argument, and she had been drinking, so she took off walking down a dark country road. The guy who struck her had the decency to call 911, but he’d fled the scene.
