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“I know Caroline is the daughter you deserve.”
“I didn’t say that,” she whispers, huffy. “Just the same. If you see areas where you could improve, why don’t you go through with it?”
“Pardon me.” I didn’t know Talon was listening in until now, when he practically places himself between Mom and me. “I was hoping to catch you when you weren’t being overly critical of your daughter, but it seems I’m going to have to break in or else risk never getting the chance to introduce myself. My name is Talon, and I’m Ainsley’s date this evening. And I think she looks just great the way she is.”
It takes my mom only a few seconds to recover from the verbal slap, but I do appreciate those seconds of shock and embarrassment written all over her face. “Don’t worry,” she responds, laughing. “You don’t have to go out of your way to compliment her, thinking it’ll score points with me. There are no illusions between my daughter and myself. She loves nothing more than embarrassing me whenever she has the opportunity.”
What a perfect time for Dad to wander over with a martini in hand. “We’re used to it by now,” he says with a dry chuckle. “Though I suppose the fact that she managed to get a date for once means she’s getting out in the world a little.”
He blurts out a laugh that tells me this isn’t his first martini. “Unless she hired you or something like that. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
I’m going to die here and now.
“If she had, I’d be lucky to have such a kind, thoughtful, and charming client.” Talon doesn’t bother hiding his disdain as he looks my father up and down. “It’s clear her upbringing had no part in it.”
Whoa. This time, my mom is unable to hide her feelings. Her eyes are about to fall out of her head, while Paul just about chokes on his surprised laughter. Aunt Mary wastes no time hustling over to the bridal party, where my aunt and uncle are having their pictures taken.
“Was that meant to be an insult, young man?” my father demands.
“I’m only speaking the truth as I see it.” He straightens his spine, wearing a shark’s smile. “If that truth insults you, maybe that’s something you need to work on.”
This never happens. I thought he said he knew things about my family. That can’t be true, or he wouldn’t speak that way to my father. Nobody talks to him like that, not ever. As much as I’ve wished they would. If I ever found a genie in a bottle, that would be my first request. For somebody to take him down a peg or two. Now, I guess I’ll have to wish for a small fortune or something.
“Oh, look, they’re getting ready to serve dinner.” My mother wastes no time, grabbing Dad’s arm, practically shoving him into his chair as he sputters and growls and glares at Talon.
“I have to say, I admire your balls.” Paul lifts his drink in a mock salute. “What a shame you probably won’t have them by the time the night’s over. I would offer my condolences to Ainsley, but I can’t imagine her finding any good use for them.”
“Do you spend a lot of time imagining your cousin playing with balls?” Talon fires back in a light, almost playful voice. “Seems like a pervy thing to do.”
Okay, this is fun to watch, but unless he cools down, we’re going to end up in a viral brawl video before the night is over. “Enough,” I whisper once we’re seated. “I appreciate it—like, you have no idea. But I’m used to this.”
Talon’s eyes blaze when they meet mine. “That’s the thing. You shouldn’t have to get used to it. And I’ll be damned if I sit here and watch them tear you down. Not tonight.”
He’d better be careful. We both need to.
Or else I could end up falling for a guy I just met.
5
TALON
If I didn’t have a job to do here, I would grab her cousin by the back of his neck and smash his face into the punch bowl until he stops breathing. How dare these people take digs at Ainsley.
Can’t they see the kind of person she is? She surpasses them in every possible way. She’s gentle and kind, patient and understanding. I’ve seen evidence of that for myself in the way she’s interacted with me. I’ve seen it in the way she withstands her family’s cruelty without letting it harden her. I saw it throughout her social media—the animal charities she donates to and the shelter where she volunteers a few days a month. She genuinely cares. Maybe she sees some of herself in those abandoned or forgotten animals.
I’m losing my grip. That could be the problem. Like it’s not bad enough, I spent way too much time stalking her and her family online. Now I’m making up stories about her in my head.
It seems I managed to shut everybody up, at least. Her aunt and uncle weren’t here when I told her old man off, but their infrequent, stolen glances at me say Aunt Mary filled them in. There’s not much conversation going on, probably as a result. What, did they not have anything better to talk about tonight than Ainsley?
When everybody’s distracted by the couple’s first dance, I take the opportunity to lean in and murmur in her ear. “Looks like I made it so they can’t talk about their favorite topic. You.”
“I still can’t believe you said those things to my dad.”
“I was only defending you.”
“Oh, I’m not blaming you,” she whispers, eyes wide. “I’m… grateful.”
“It was nothing. Hell, I enjoyed it. I would do it again.”
