AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knew Jo well enough to know that she wouldn’t mind. She’d be glad I had eaten a salad. However, the determined look on Maddy’s face told me she wasn’t going to budge.
“Then, I’ll help,” I replied.
She sighed and stopped washing to look up at me. “I would really rather do it alone. If you stay in here, then …” She paused and glanced over her shoulder.
She wanted to say Declan would come back and she didn’t want that. I could see it in her eyes.
“Yeah, okay. I get it,” I replied.
Her shoulders sagged in relief. “Thanks,” she said softly.
I didn’t like her washing the dishes, but I couldn’t ignore her obvious desire to be alone. Declan would come bursting in here with all her energy any moment. I wanted to say more, but I gave her a nod, then walked away. If Mom knew I’d let her wash the dishes, she’d be pissed. Hopefully, she would never find out.
Trev and Declan were headed toward the kitchen when I met them in the foyer. It was a good thing I had left when I did.
“I brought the good stuff,” Trev said, holding up a bottle of his favorite rye whiskey.
Unlike my father, who kept tabs on the contents of his liquor cabinet, Trev’s dad had an entire cellar and didn’t notice when a bottle went missing.
“I’ll grab glasses from the bar and meet y’all in the theater,” I told him.
He glanced over my shoulder toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. “Where’s Maddy?”
“Not feeling good. She’s got a headache and going to bed,” I explained.
He grinned and held up the bottle. “I got the medicine she needs,” he replied, then started to walk past me.
“Wait. I doubt she wants that stuff,” I told him.
He shot me a cocky smirk. “She might not know she wants it, but she will.”
“Seriously, man, she’s had a long week. Let’s give her space,” I argued.
Trev looked slightly concerned, but only for a moment. “I won’t bother her if she doesn’t want me to. But just because she is trying to escape you two doesn’t mean she won’t appreciate my charming company.”
“Come on,” Declan said, running a hand up my chest and pressing a kiss to my neck. “Let him go check on her. She might want to see him. It’ll give us some alone time.”
Trev pointed at Declan. “Listen to your woman,” he said, then walked off before I could say anything else.
Damn, this night had gone to shit.
Nine
“Hey, gorgeous. I got your headache fix right here,” a familiar male voice said.
I turned around to see Trev with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He was flashing me that smile of his that said he knew he was attractive and he enjoyed using it to get his way. I liked Trev, and we had agreed to be friends, but not tonight. Dinner with Declan had been more than I could handle.
“I don’t drink. Remember?” I replied.
He set the bottle on the bar and walked around it to come stand beside me. “Well then, let me help you wash the dishes,” he said.
I didn’t argue. I figured there was no point. He took the bowl I’d just washed from me and began to rinse it.
I smirked. “I would bet money this is the first time you’ve ever washed dishes.”
He cut his eyes to me, then chuckled. “You’d win.”
I laughed. It felt good to laugh. The tension in my body eased, and I was suddenly glad that Declan had invited Trev over.
