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I take a deep breath.
“The most important thing is to make sure Larinda doesn’t call off the engagement,” Paige says.
“Definitely,” Nash agrees. “Do everything you can to keep them together until we can figure this out.”
Oh, is that all? Just convince the woman I love to stay engaged to a man I hate without explaining why?
My sister’s apologetic expression doesn’t make me feel any better. Worse, actually, because it means she suspects the feelings I don’t want anyone suspecting.
“We got you, little bro,” she says softly. “We’re going to figure this out.”
There’s that sad puppy look again. Yep, no question she knows I’m in love with Larinda. I have no energy to tackle the parent thing anymore, either. Paige is off the hook for that too.
“We’ll see you in Little Rock,” she says.
13—LITTLE ROCK (THE GREEN ROOM)
LARINDA
“How did coffee with your parents go?” Steve asks.
It’s an hour before the VIP meet and greet, and I’ve never been so excited to pose for photos with random strangers. I’ll take anything that isn’t sitting around talking about my messed-up love life or planning a fake wedding.
I give Steve a pointed look and discreetly nod toward the other occupants in the room.
He nods back.
“Coriander, Sage,” he calls to the women currently debating the merits of iced coffee versus regular coffee versus… milk? “Would you mind giving us a minute? We have… important… business… stuff.”
I shoot him an irritated look, and he mouths an apology. Thankfully, my childhood friends don’t seem to notice the obvious lie. They don’t notice much, which is helpful in most situations.
“No prob!” Sage chirps. “We just found out there’s a hot tub outlet around here. Want anything?”
“Do I want a hot tub?” I ask, staring at her. “No, thanks.”
They actually look disappointed. What exactly was their plan?
“Well, let us know if you change your mind,” Coriander says on her way to the door.
Sage flutters a wave and follows her out.
“They know a hot tub outlet isn’t a room of usable hot tubs, right?” I say.
Steve shrugs. “Maybe? Either way, it’ll keep them busy for a while. Remember the candle outlet?”
I cringe. “So many candles.”
“So many.”
I’ve known Coriander and Sage (previously Mary and Laura) since I was ten. We had nothing in common except our fifth-grade classroom and mutual appreciation for glitter pens. They just really liked following me around for some reason. More than fifteen years later, they still do and I’ve never had the heart to ask them not to.
I’m not great with confrontation.
“So the meetup?” Steve asks.
“Right. Yes. I had it.”
“And…?”
