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Kerry pulls out a sleek silver thermos, topping it off with the remainder of the pot, and trades me the still-steaming cup in my hand.
“Thanks. And, uh,” I clear my throat awkwardly, “thank you for clearing out my, um,friendslast night. I hope they didn’t give you any trouble?”
Kerry shakes her head, her pinned, rust-shaded curls bobbing near her ears. She’s picked up her rag and is back to aggressively polishing the granite once more. “No trouble at all, but that’s cuz I didn’t clear ’em all out. There’re a few stragglers in the guest room.”
My stomach sinks. “Stragglers?”
She tucks a smirk into her cheek, but it sneaks out her eyes. “They insisted they were too intoxicated to get home.”
I look to the ceiling with an annoyed grunt. “Uber makes it out here just fine.”
Kerry lifts a shoulder, undeterred. “Better hurry them along before your dad shows up looking for you.”
My stomach squirms guiltily. I grab a banana from the stocked fruit bowl on the island before reconsidering and grabbing two more, making my way back up the stairs toward the guest wing. Without knocking, I swing open the door and flip on the bright lights.
“Rise and shine, interlopers!”
In the guest bed, Pax Richardson and his girlfriend, Madi Wallen, are a tangle of (thankfully clothed) limbs and sour booze breath.
“Fucking A, Michaels,” Pax groans. “Turn off the light.”
“I can’t. You aren’t supposed to be here, and I’m due in the stables.”
Pax pries himself from Madi’s grasp and rolls to his side, planting his bare feet on the floor. He’s wearing his swim trunks, which is puzzling, since our pool is winterized, but I decide not to get into that now.
I chuck the banana at his head, and he doesn’t bother ducking—just picks it up and peels it deftly, cracking the stem with a flick and taking a bite of the flesh.
Leaning against an armoire that was probably new before the Alamo, I ask, “Why’re you here? Kerry kicked everyone out.”
Pax smooths his overgrown sandy hair and swallows a mouthful of banana. “Youkicked everyone out, actually. Aggressively, I might add.”
“Okay, I kicked Brynn andwhatsherfaceout. And I wasn’t aggressive about it. I wasfirm.”
Madi mutters from a sea of down, and I raise my brows at Pax.
“Darcy,” he translates.
“Who?”
Pax shakes his head. “Man, you’re a dick.”
“We prefer the termrodeo fuckboy,” Madi says, opening her eyes blearily.
I scratch at the back of my neck, feeling uncomfortably hot. “Darcy and Brynn. Right. I remember now. Darcy’s the tall one. In my defense,” I say, swallowing a surge of bile that’s only partially from my hangover, “I told them I only do one-night stands. Before anything happened. I was very clear. No repeats, no feelings. It’s not my fault if they got to thinking they’re different.”
Pax pushes out a breath, exasperated, and gropes around for his shirt. I find it on the floor and hand it to him.
“I won’t apologize for it,” I force out, defiant.
Madi scowls, scrambling out of the bed. “You’re disgusting, Case.”
The guilt rises again, but I shrug. There are probably healthier ways of escaping grief, but until last night, sex at least didn’t have major consequences.
“Look, Madi, think what you want, but you’re hungover frommybeer and waking up inmyhouse. You’re giving me a headache, and I have work to do. Kindly collect your things and leave.”
She glares at me and begins to pull on her jeans.
Pax clears his throat. “Look, I know I’m not Walker. No one could replace that guy. He was literally the best human to have ever existed. But I’ve known you since we were in diapers andwatched you do a lot of stupid, reckless shit on the backs of fifteen-hundred-pound beastsfor fun. Hook up with whoever you want…” His girlfriend growls, and he shoots her a look. “Easy. I’m not the one fucking around, and truthfully, they’re old enough to make their own choices.” He turns back to me. “I was…concernedwhen you ran out of here after shit hit the fan with the girls. It was like you had a death wish. You were running off half-cocked, saying something about a corn silo and some list Walker made for you.”
