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“Yeah?” He drew out the short word and ended it in a question.
“Adler.” Tristan’s voice came out like a warning.
Adler ignored it. He was fine. He had everything under control.
“I’m dying. Could I have some water?” asked Elizabeth as she and Brady came back to the table.
Brady took a long swig of water and took in the group. “Is everything okay?”
William wrapped his arm around Leila’s waist again. “It would be if Adler would settle down. He’s all worked up, and I’m sure it’s because his piece of nightly meat left him high and dry. Rejection isn’t a feeling he’s used to.”
Something clicked inside Adler. This would not end well. He squared his shoulders. “I seem to remember when your goal every night was to place more notches on your belt then I ever had.” His eyes reverted to William. “And as I remember, you won by a landslide. Last year, when we came here, you were bragging about how many women you had bedded just the weekend before.” He was getting worked up, so he took a deep breath and pushed away from the table. He turned toward Leila. “Careful, Leila. He’s probably already planned for you to be next.”
A spark flared in her hazel eyes, and she stood taller. He’d taken it too far.
William jumped in like he was her knight in shining armor. “Really, being a dick now Adler?” He squared his shoulders and pushed away from the table.
Suddenly everyone seemed to be ready to separate the two men, but Leila was quicker. “Enough. Adler. Shut up. Just. Shut. Up!” She moved next to William and grabbed his hand. “Come on. Let’s step outside. It’s getting a little too warm in here.” She pulled William away, and they walked toward the door.
He stepped away from the table, needing to follow, but Tristan got in his way. “Let her go. She’s not yours, man.”
Adler’s nostrils flared and his blood pressure rose.What the hell!His breaths came in deep puffs. This was a totally new feeling, and he just wanted to pulverize something.
A smirk grew across Tristan’s face. “Well, look at that. Adler can feel jealousy. Seems as if you really like someone. Welcome to adulthood.” He whacked him on the shoulder.
“I need to go after her. He’s not right for her. I need to make her see that.”
“See what? That you can be a dick? Don’t worry. I think she already knows that.” Tristan turned him back to the table and placed a cold beer in his hand. “I think you need to calm down. Elizabeth and Stacey are checking on her. You’re the last person she’d want to see right now.”
He couldn’t stand it when Tristan was right. He looked up, and his eyes met Leila’s across the bar. She was standing with Elizabeth and Stacey with William close by. She was next to William but watching him. His heart skipped, then she looked away.
Chapter 12
“It’s so hot.” Leila turned the air conditioner of her car on full blast as she got ready to leave the boutique Wednesday night. July had shown itself. It seemed like the entire town had been targeted by a fierce dragon and its fire scorched everything in its path. Florida never felt quite like this. Maybe it was the slight breeze that always seemed to be blowing off the Gulf. Whatever it was made the never-ending summer of Florida seem bearable compared to the three months of pure hell here in Tennessee.
The car finally cooled off just in time for her to pull into her dad’s driveway. She chuckled. Would she ever see this as her house? Whenever she thought of home, she thought of Florida and her mom’s house. The one she was kicked out of. Meanwhile, the one she had been welcomed into with open arms is always her dad’s or Diane’s. Never hers or Skylar’s. “You need to start seeing this as your home. You’re here for good, or at leastfor a while until you can figure out how to afford a place of your own.”
She walked to the back of the house. It was a simple one-story brick ranch with a small basement. She and Skylar had just moved into the basement now that it was finally finished. There were two small bedrooms, a living area with a small efficiency kitchen, and a tiny bathroom. It wasn’t much, but it was a place of their own. As soon as she could afford it, she would start paying her dad rent, then see about saving up to move out. But for now, this was home. She unlocked the door and stepped into her living area. She laid her purse on the tiny table in the corner and walked up the steps to find Skylar.
She could easily enter the house through the garage or front door, but being able to enter through her own little apartment made it seem more like her own place. She found Skylar on her back on the living room floor playing with all the dangling toys on her baby gym. Diane was folding laundry close by.
“Hi there, my little princess.” Leila sat on the ground and was greeted with the biggest smile from her adorable little girl. Her heart melted. She loved how excited Skylar always got when she saw her. It made her feel like the most important person in the world.
Skylar rolled over and got a little closer, then pushed up on her arms. She was getting so big. Time was going by too fast. Leila picked her up and planted kisses all over her little face. “I missed you so much today. It looks like you and MawMaw had a great time.”
“We did. She was such an angel today.” Diane gathered her laundry and went to put it away.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Leila sat on the couch. “Dinner smells amazing. I smell garlic.”
“You have a good nose,” replied Diane. “Lasagna, Italian bread, and Caesar salad. It’ll be ready in about an hour.”
Once dinner was over, and the kitchen was clean, Leila took Skylar downstairs to give her a bath and put her to bed. Then Leila relaxed on her couch with her planning binder on her lap. She needed to finalize what they needed for the auction, and she’d have to get together with Adler again soon.
Adler. She absently put her pen to her mouth and started chewing on the end. She hadn’t seen him since the incident at the bar. She shook her head at the memory. When she’d walked in and saw him dancing with that girl, she had to admit her heart fell. After their so-called dinner date, her feelings for him had softened a little and it softened a little more after their meeting at his house. She went to the club that night looking forward to talking with him, maybe even getting another dance. But seeing him with Tabby changed those thoughts, and when William started showing interest, she’d jumped on it.
She went out with William a couple times after that. He was really nice, and they got along well, but there was no spark for her, so that was that. Her phone rang, pulling her from her thoughts.
“Hello.” Irritation oozed from her voice.
