“What iswitheveryone and my gun?” I snapped. “I wouldn’t just shoot somebody willy-nilly.”
“Bobby Moore,” he said at the same time Dylan asked, “Who the hell says willy-nilly?”
Bobby Moore, my shooting instructor, had made the mistake oftrying to flirt with me while teaching me to shoot. I almost shot his leg off when I threw my hand up in frustration because he kept distracting me. In the end, the bullet went through his jeans, just grazing his calf, and that’s when I realized he’d never be the man for me. He was way too weak... blubbering like a sissy because of a minor flesh wound. I still shuddered thinking about what a wimphe was, and Asher loved to remind me. Gah! I hated weak men.
“One time,” I replied. “And it barely broke the skin.”
Asher chuckled. “Sure, we’ll go with that. Did I hear Dylan?”
“Yep,” I said, stepping away from the laser-beam glare Dylan shot me. “She says ‘hey.’”
“I hate you,” Dylan breathed out, and I blew her a kiss.
“I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Sounds good,” I said, and hung up.
* * *
Dylan
“Addison Angeline Allen, don’t you turn your back on me,” I demanded in the most threatening tone I could conjure.
“More coffee?” Addison asked.
I slid my mug toward her. “Please tell me your brother isnoton his way here.”
“You couldn’t possibly want me to lie to you, could you?” she asked, looking appalled. “Dylan, you know I’m not that kind of girl.” Then she beamed me her signature,hundred-watt smile, reminding me why I could never stay mad at her. She was like a cute little blonde-haired, blue-eyed demon whose good intentions were sure to lead me straight to my own personal hell.
“He can’t see me like this, Addie. I’m so...” Destitute, jobless, beaten, pathetic; none of the adjectives I could come up with did my situation justice.
“Are you kidding me? Right now is theperfect time for him to see you. You’ll tell him what your boss did and he’ll swoop in and drag the asshat to court, saving the day and forcing you to finally admit you’re in love with him so the two of you can get married and give me lots of gorgeous nieces and nephews.”
Addison was also a hopeless romantic.
“You think you got this all figured out, don’t you?” I asked, preparing to crush herdreams.
She nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve even found you the perfect dress.”
And I bet the glamorous creation would cost more than I made in a year. I needed to derail this train before it flattened the pennies left in my savings account. Don’t get me wrong, when it came to Asher, Addison and I had the same goal in mind–I’d marry her smart, funny, kind, handsome big brother and have his babies—butI intended to make my own way in this world first. I was working on a plan to dig myself out of the hole I’d been born into so I could climb up to his level, but losing my job would take me back to square one. And at twenty-four years old, and acutely aware of my biological clock ticking toward thirty, I didn’t want to start over.
Feeling defeated, I collapsed on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.“You don’t get it, Addie. I want Asher to see me as an equal... as someone he’s chosen to love because of what I bring to the table. Not because he has to rescue me like some damsel in distress, getting harassed by my pervert of a boss.”
She put her hands on her hips and stared me down. “You’re an idiot, you know that? Ash has been in love with you since—”
“Since when?” I interrupted. “Sincethat stupid “Seven Minutes in Heaven” game when I threw up in his lap? I’m surethatmade quite the impression. Not my best moment, Addie.”
She cracked a smile, shaking her head at the memory. Some people get sweaty hands or stutter when they’re nervous. Turns out I throw up... all over the boy I’d spent my entire life crushing on. Epic.
“That was years ago, and you—”
“Can still barely talkto him without losing my lunch,” I finished for her. “Admit it, Addie, I’m a lost cause.”
“So you like the guy so much it ties your stomach in knots. It’s... it’s sweet.”
I barf on him and she calls it sweet. See? Hopeless romantic.
“And when he finds out what your boss did to you, he’ll—”
