“Easy, Riley. I’ll handle him,” Dex said with a grin. He gave Maya another kiss. “And you. Be nice.”
She growled at him, but he laughed and moved back to the guys.
Maya turned and dragged Ann closer. “What the hell? Y chromosomes have invaded our special dinner night?”
“Special?” Ann blinked. “We’re having spaghetti.”
“Ithink it’s special,” Riley agreed with Maya. “I didn’t have to cook.”
“But you brought dessert, right?” Ann sounded anxious.
“Relax. I brought pie.”
“Seriously though, what’s with all the dick?” Maya nodded to the guys.
Dex must have heard her, because he nearly spit out his drink. “What part about ‘nice’ did you not understand?” He took another swallow, shaking his head.
“Bigdick,” she corrected, and this time he spit his beer over Anson, who swore.
Riley finally smiled. “Awesome.”
“Just following my man’s orders to be nice.”
Ann smirked. “Told you they were together-together.” She accepted both the disgruntled huff and the ten dollar bill Riley handed her.
“I’m so disappointed in you,” Riley said to Maya. “I thought for sure you’d hold out against that square jaw for another week.”
“It wasn’t the jaw that threw me.”
Ann and Riley shared a grin. “Ah.”
“No, you idiots.” She pulled Ann and Riley aside and summarized her emotional evening from the night before.
Riley sighed. “If you don’t want him, I’m calling dibs. Dex issosweet.”
“Such a great guy,” Ann agreed. “Don’t screw this up.”
Riley and Ann stared at her.
“What? Why are you acting like if anything happens between us, it’ll bemyfault?”
Ann answered, “If it were Jack and me, things could go either way. Riley or Anson, we’d obviously blame Anson.”
“Obviously.” Riley nodded. “But Dex is so head over heels for you it isn’t funny. He told me so.”
Maya paused. “He did? When?”
Riley lowered her voice. “Friday night at dinner. Told me he lo—well, maybe I should let him tell you. And get that ‘freaked out’ look off your face.”
Riley had been about to sayloves. Maya knew it. Oh God. Now she wanted to simultaneously run to him and away from him. How could she deal with someone who liked herthatmuch? Especially because she worried she loved him too?Capital LLoved.
“I think she’s going to pass out,” Riley whispered to Ann, and the pair closed in. “Take her in the back and make her breathe into a paper bag or something.”
“Stop. I’m fine.” Maya coughed to clear her throat.Loved.Oh. My. God. “I’m good. Just, ah, thinking about this weekend’s show.”
“O-kay.” Ann clearly didn’t believe her.
“The one in Sisters, right? We’ll be there.” Riley nodded. Of course she would, because Riley cared.
