Surpriseddidn’t even begin to cover it.
“Yeah, I really am,” I said, unable to keep my eyes from straying to Butch even though I was speaking to Hunter. He picked up one of my brownies. “Did my mom invite you?”
“Of course. Should I stand beside you before the camera gets over here?”
He didn’t have to say anything else. I knew that he saw this for what it was. I glanced at my parents and saw that they were being interviewed in front of a video camera. I clenched my jaw in irritation. This wasn’t about them.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’m sure Mom will make sure that we’re seen together. She has a knack for it.”
Butch still hadn’t spoken. He was just standing there, eating his brownie while watching the two of us.
“I can’t believe you planned all this,” Hunter said, his eyes scanning the parking lot.
“I didn’t do it alone. Butch helped me.”
Butch’s eyes met mine for the first time since he’d approached, but he didn’t hold my gaze for more than a few seconds. I swallowed thickly, trying not to let my disappointment show.
“Well, you guys make a heck of a team.” Hunter’s words were nothing but polite, but I could see him putting the pieces together as his gaze darted back and forth between me and Butch. He knew that something was going on between us.
Just then, my parents came upon us, the news reporter trailing behind.
“This is my daughter, Sabrina,” my dad said, throwing a heavy arm over my shoulders while beaming at the reporter. My mom came to the other side of the table, greeting Hunter warmly.
They both acted like Butch wasn’t even standing there. He backed up a few steps but didn’t go far. He was watching us as the reporter started asking questions about the event.
“Hello, I’m Cheryl with the La Playa New Network, or LPNN, if you prefer. I talked to the man in charge of the soup kitchen, Sean Haverty, and he had only good things to say about you,” the reporter said to me, smiling even as she spoke into the microphone in her hand. “I understand you were integral in planning this fundraiser?”
“Well, it’s an important cause,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. I glanced over at Butch before returning my attention to the reporter. “But I didn’t plan it all on my own—”
“Is that your engagement ring?” Cheryl interrupted, and I realized I’d used that hand to brush the hair out of my face.
“Uh, yeah.”
“And this is my future son-in-law, Hunter Albrecht II,” my mother chimed in, clinging to Hunter’s arm. The camera swung around to take him in.
“You must be so proud of your fiancé,” Cheryl said.
“Yes, of course,” Hunter replied.
“We all are,” my mom said. “That’s why we were all so eager to get involved in this cause when Sabrina mentioned it.”
I didn’t like this. I felt like the spotlight was on me and my family. That wasn’t what this was supposed to be about.
“Wow. The Barnett family really is impressive, pulling off such an amazing event.”
Cheryl was speaking into the camera and my heart sank. It sounded like my parents were responsible for the poker run, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I looked toward Butch again and saw that he was already striding away, practically stomping with his fists clenched at his sides.
Shit.
“Actually, Cheryl,” I said, pulling her attention back to me. I’d never been a big fan of being in front of the camera more than necessary, but I needed to clear some things up. “WhileIhelped plan this event, it was really made possible by the people at the club Black Satin and the motorcycle club Outlaw Souls. They sponsored this event.”
My mother’s eyes widened so much that they looked like they might pop out of her head. Not only had I undermined her in front of the camera by contradicting her insinuation that my parents were a driving force behind this event, but she hadn’t known about the involvement of the strip club and Outlaw Souls. There was no way she’d approve of that.
As Cheryl started asking me questions, and I filled her in on the selfless contributions of the sponsors, I could feel the weight of my parents’ stares. They weren’t going to be happy about this, but for once, I didn’t care. I was more concerned about what was going through Butch’s head.
Butch
I tossed back my whiskey, embracing the burn of the alcohol all the way down. I’d left the poker run party while Sabrina’s mom was busy taking all the credit for the event. That, coupled with the presence of her fiancé, sucked all the fun out of it.
