I shake my head, feeling the weight of the expectations pressing down on me.
“I’m sure Jaxon won’t mind,” Lila offers.
“What won’t I mind?” a voice asks from behind me.
I turn, catching Jaxon, Trent, and Carter as they follow behind a waitress on their way to a table. Jaxon stops in front of our table, and I quickly confirm the location of his security team by the front entrance.
“Hey, Bryn, Lila—” Jaxon’s friendly greeting cuts off when his eyes land on the top of my middle sister’s head.
Everyone’s eyes dart to Izzy, who is practically hiding behind the drink menu. I look back at Jaxon in time to see him wrestle his shock under control. It’s taken some coordination on my part, but I’m pretty pleased to say I’ve successfully been able to keep Jaxon and Izzy from running into each other while staying at the same hotel—until now, I guess.
“What…what can I help you with?” he asks, his eyes still glued to my sister.
“We’re trying to convince Kelsey to come to watch JT and Jameson this afternoon,” Lila says. “But she thinks she needs to be at the security meeting.”
“We can handle the meeting,” Trent offers, a smug smile on his face.
I want to punch him.
“We can, Kelsey,” Carter agrees, his offer so much more sincere than his brother’s.
“I’ll think about it and get back to you,” I offer.
“Are you all coming to the concert tonight?” Jaxon asks, looking around the table at the last second as if curious what Lila and Bryn are doing.
“Not tonight,” Bryn says with a shrug. “The guys won’t be done, but some of us will be there tomorrow.”
“I’ll be working it tonight,” Lila adds.
“Did Kelsey hook you up with passes?” Jaxon asks, his gaze back on Izzy’s menu.
“No,” Bryn says with a pout. “She didn’t want to abuse her power.” She does little air quotes around the last three words, and I sigh.
“I’ll make sure Annie leaves five backstage passes for you,” Jaxon says, his eyes begging Izzy to look at him.
She doesn’t, her face remaining hidden behind the menu. “Just four is fine. I don’t listen to country music.”
I swear Jaxon, the man who has energy and charisma shining from him at all times, deflates at her words.
“Well, I’ll have her leave five, just in case.” He offers a halfhearted smile. “And, Kelsey, you should go to the golf tournament. Carter and Trent can handle the meeting. It’s essentially just rinse and repeat at this point, isn’t it?”
Bryn and Lila both look at me with victory in their eyes, but it’s the slight shudder I feel run through Izzy’s leg that’s touching mine that makes me agree.
“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll do great,” I say. “Carter, can we chat in the hall for a minute, then? Just to make sure we’ve got everything covered?”
“Of course,” he says, nodding to his brother and Jaxon to continue on.
“Why didn’t you guys ask me to grab breakfast?” I ask once we’re out in the hall. It wasn’t what I meant to ask first, but it just came out. I hate feeling like important meetings are happening without me.
Carter’s face drops, clearly following my train of thought. “It’s nothing like that, Kels. Trent asked if I wanted to grab breakfast after our meeting, and we ran into Jaxon in the elevator. It wasn’t a premeditated thing.”
I stare at his face, trying to find some sign that he might be lying, not that I have the best track record of spotting the signs of deceit on a man’s face.
“I promise, Kels.”
“Okay,” I say slowly. “I believe you.”
“Am I allowed to kiss you in front of all these people?” he asks, staring at my lips.
