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She was Lily Mack, the famous actress.
My eyes widened in surprise as she and the four other women made their final approach.
“You’re Sawyer, right?” one of the other women asked.
I debated for a few seconds whether I should answer that question honestly. Ultimately, I decided that if I was going to be called out for what happened all those years ago, I didn’t need to add being a liar on top of it. So, I answered honestly, “Yes. Yes, I’m Sawyer.”
The woman smiled at me, looked at the other women, and they all grabbed a seat at the bar in front of me. Then, the same woman declared, “I’m Avalon. I work at Harper Security Ops with Jesse.” She pointed to the woman seated right beside her and said, “This is Liv. She also works there.”
My eyes shifted between the two women, and I was suddenly feeling uneasy. I had foolishly assumed that Jesse spent his days working with a group of men. I knew that anyone, male or female, could be former or current members of the military, but I strangely assumed it was just men there.
I wasn’t exactly the jealous type, and Jesse and I had obviously already discussed how much we trusted one another, but I’d have been lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit surprised that my guy was working beside all of these beautiful women.
“Um, hi. It’s nice to meet you both,” I replied.
“You, too,” Liv returned.
The woman seated beside her extended her hand and said, “I’m Mallory.”
I shook her hand. “Hi.”
On the opposite side of Avalon, Lily Mack said, “I’m Lily.”
Nodding, with a huge smile on my face, I replied, “Yeah. I knew that.”
Lily didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the fact that I was a little starstruck. She offered a sweet smile and a nod in return.
Finally, the last woman interjected, “And I’m Tarryn.”
After acknowledging her, I allowed my eyes to slide through them. “I’m guessing you all know Jesse.”
They nodded.
These women all seemed sweet enough, but I started to feel a bit uneasy. At least two of them worked with him. Lily Mack was here, and she was a celebrity. Jesse was a bodyguard. Had he hooked up with her?
Oh, God.
Were they all his ex-girlfriends?
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Liv noted.
I snapped out of it and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I just… well, I was wondering if you’re all Jesse’s coworkers or… I mean, I know that Lily is probably a client, but… oh God, I’m rambling.”
Mallory didn’t hesitate to attempt to ease my fears. “Avalon and Liv are the only ones who work with Jesse. I am the owner of Grant’s Deli here in Steel Ridge.”
“And I own The Early Bird,” Tarryn chimed in. “It’s a coffee and doughnut shop.”
None of this information made me feel any better. If they didn’t all work together but they all knew Jesse, it was seeming more and more like they might have been ex-partners of his.
I swallowed hard and asked, “How do you all know each other?”
I figured if I kept the line of questioning neutral, I might get some answers without seeming like I was the jealous and possessive current girlfriend.
Lily was the one who answered, “We’re all dating, engaged, or married to Harper Security Ops men.”
I hadn’t intended for the air to leave my lungs as fast as it had, and much to my dismay, the women noticed.
“Oh, my. Sawyer, did you think we all knew Jesse in a different way?”
