“Y’all have fun. Tell Will to stop by when she gets back. I have some urgent town matters to discuss with her.”
Urgent matters, my ass. If my sister weren’t such a rule follower, I would ply her with liquor over lunch just to ease the pain of an unnecessary meeting with our father wherein he’d, no doubt, assert his importance.
“Will do. Bye, Daddy.” I returned his wave and strolled out of his office and across the hall, collapsing into the chair in front of my sister Willow’s assistant’s desk.
Avery managed to always be pulled together in a way that made me feel underdressed no matter the circumstances. How the woman could make a ponytail look professional, I would never know.
She glanced up from her computer, red hair bobbing in that perfect ponytail, and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t make it past his highness’s office without being summoned?”
“No. Who the hell locked my secret entrance?”
She heaved a deep sigh. “The firefighters popped in for a quick inspection yesterday, and we got our asses handed to usfor not keeping it locked at all times. Something about fire safety andblah, blah, blah.” She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, you poor thing. Being subjected to the growly orders from our local heroes. I’m sure that was such a hardship for you.”
“I never said the scenery wasn’t nice to look at while they were here.” She laughed and waggled her eyebrows. “But give it a week. We’ll start getting lazy and won’t lock it, and then you can use your escape hatch again.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“Don’t you forget it.”
“Like you’d let me.”
Looking completely unrepentant, Avery just shrugged. “I know my worth, what can I say?”
I laughed under my breath. “Will about ready yet?”
“Her calendar is clear, but she just took a call on her cell.”
Cell phone meant personal call, which meant I had no qualms about interrupting or being rude.
“Will!” I hollered toward my sister’s open office door. “C’mon, I’m hungry.”
She popped her head out, phone pressed to her ear, and held up one finger in the universal sign to wait a minute before ducking back inside.
Avery rested her elbows on her desk and leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “Ten bucks says next time she comes out of there, she’s going to be red-faced and flustered.”
I narrowed my eyes at Avery. “Who’s she talkin’ to?”
“I’ll give you two guesses.”
Which meant her fiancé, Finn Thomas. Which also meant there was no way in hell I would be taking that bet.
“Pass.”
“When I first moved here, word on the street was you never turned down a bet. And now look at you.”
“I never turn down a bet I canwin. Accepting any bet just because someone’s got something to prove is how Gary Anders lost his golf cart to me. And last I checked, I don’t have a penis or a need to stroke it, so…” I shrugged as Avery laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Will asked walking out of her office, purse slung over her shoulder as she smoothed back a flyaway strand of dark hair. And yep…she was flushed and fidgety.
Ugh.
Of course, I was thrilled for my sister and the happily ever after she was finally getting with Finn. Those two deserved it after everything they’d gone through. But sometimes…ugh. Just ugh.
“I didn’t realize you were hurtin’ for cash so much.” I stood from the chair and led the other girls into the hallway.
“What do you mean?” Will asked, her brows drawn together.
