I glance at the guys’ table and see Nash talking with Jensen. She was cursing Nash up and down earlier.
“There’s an empty seat near me.” Scarlett leads me over, and I slide onto the stool.
“I’ll get you a drink,” Lottie says and shifts to move away from the table.
“She can have some from the pitcher.” My cousin Jude’s wife, Sadie, holds it up and reaches for a plastic cup.
“Is that margarita?” I ask. She’s already pouring it. “Oh, I… um… I think I just want…”
Fuck, spit something out, Romy, they’re all staring at you.
“She likes strawberry better.” Lottie leaves the table before anyone can stop her.
Sadie lowers the pitcher to the table and shrugs. “I always forget everyone’s favorite.”
My cousin Emmett’s wife, Briar, slides in beside me. “Saw you walk in with Zander…” She raises one perfectly arched eyebrow, stirring her drink.
I shift in my seat “Yeah.”
“Here you go!” Lottie slides the drink in front of me.
“Thanks.” I shoot her a look of appreciation. Maybe I was wrong, and we can pull this off.
“Briar, you took my seat,” Lottie says.
I’m sure Lottie wants to stay by my side tonight, make sure no one suspects anything because, although she doesn’t agree with the secrecy, she’ll honor it for me.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen Romy in weeks. Someone’s been stealing all her time,” Lottie says.
“Yeah, what’s the story there?” Gillian asks.
My cousins stare me down from all sides of the table, so I say, “We’re just… I’m helping him with the video.”
They all look at one another and laugh.
“Okay,” Sadie says. “I saw the way he pulled you to him when you walked in.” She nods toward the area where the crew is all hanging. “Even now, he hasn’t really stopped looking at you.”
Everyone at the table turns and looks over, but I keep my back straight. “I’m sure he’s just looking around.”
Lottie offers me a sympathetic smile because she knows. I think Scarlett assumes I hooked up with him at some point, and Briar keeps glancing at my untouched drink. I feel as if I’m in a boiling pot of water with the lid on.
“I’m pretty sure he’s only looking at you.” Sadie pours herself another margarita and holds the empty pitcher. “Jude, can you get us more?”
He comes over and takes it from her, kissing her cheek and murmuring something in her ear before he walks away.
“It’s amazing how much men can change for the women they love,” Scarlett says. “If I asked Jude to get a refill, he would’ve flipped me off.”
The whole table laughs.
“Daisy is having a sleepover at her grandpa’s tonight, so we’re making the most of the hours we have.” Sadie waggles her eyebrows.
I turn to Briar. “And Colter?”
“Aunt Bette and Uncle Wade have him for the night.”
The group turns to talking about how Aunt Bette and Uncle Wade are the only ones without grandkids. Poppy and Scarlett say their parents don’t care, but they think they’re secretly hoping for one of them to get pregnant by accident.
Poppy shakes her head and laughs. “Seriously, if I told them Nash knocked me up?—”
