“Vault of your secrets too, Rox Out.You out of bed before noon means no future planning.”
“There was subtle and quiet future planning,” Roxie said, trailing her fingers through her hair.“There can’t be loud, vigorous future planning under a saint’s roof.”
As Tripp’s lips thinned, amusement raised his brows.“Crack on that firepit and grab the s’mores, I feel some Cam tales coming on.”
“Yeah, right.Like we believe you’d blab, Priest.”The beauty stuck out her tongue after exaggerating his nickname.“He’s boring.Vault of secrets.Yawn.You can share your secrets with me.Tripp does listening and sex, blah, boring when you don’t need the latter.I converse, communicate, reciprocate.If you need to talk it out—”
“She’ll talk it to death.And save it up.You’ll get an overload of Ariella’s life story when you sit with Honey today, Rox Out,” Tripp said.“When’s she due?”And right then, there was a knock on the front door.“Ah, another gorgeous woman come to join our cult…”
Already on his feet and strolling that way, he went to welcome the guest.
Though there was no guarantee Honey was on the other side of the door.“That might be—”
“The press?”Roxie anticipated her.“It won’t be.Honey’s never late.Time to kick the guys out and get drinks.”Roxie took her hand.“Remember this happens at your pace.If you don’t want to get deep and want to talk about… insert random sports team, we can do that too.”She wrinkled her nose.“I don’t know any sports teams.”
“Me either.”She laughed.Roxie did know how to relax people.“Let’s do this.”
If doing this meant Cam’s life would be better, that they could move on, it would be worth it.Did she know for sure it would?No.All she had to go on was the word of the people in the building, some of whom she’d known less than twenty-four hours.
Cam.That’s who she’d focus on.He trusted this process, and she had to trust him.Wow, fast or not, this ride was in motion.It was up to her when it stopped, until the media got hold of it anyway.Shit, this better work out.
TWENTY
GETTING THE GUYS out was harder than it sounded.The whole process of excusing them started again each time another appeared to greet Honey.Hugs happened, kisses on cheeks, hands held and squeezed.Honey must’ve answered some variation of, “how you been doing?”about fifty times.
Huddled at the door, Roxie did her best to reduce the guys’ available space.As much as she could anyway, they were all bigger than the brunette, but that didn’t slow her down.
“Lovely, lovely, lovely,” Roxie chorused, sweeping an arm in an attempt to herd them out.“Some of us have work to do today.Go get on with your lives, geez, slackers.”
The beauty tapped her cheek and Zairn dipped to kiss it while also opening the front door.Husband read wife well, or that was the secret signal to get him moving.
Cam looked her way.With a nod, she let him know she would be okay.Doing this at his home was a blessing, one he perhaps orchestrated.This place was safe.Even if she screwed up, and said something she shouldn’t, Honey would be the one to leave.She didn’t have to go out into the world, she could bury her face in a pillow and wait for Cam to come home and make her better.
Roxie was almost pushing at Tripp to get him to the other side of the threshold.The moment she was able, Roxie closed the door with her weight and sagged against it.
“At times like this, I wish we had a key to turn,” Roxie said, then laid a smile on Honey.“Now can I say hello?”The women hugged.“It’s still a little weird to be touching you.”
Honey laughed.“That doesn’t sound at all inappropriate.”
“Please…” Roxie scoffed and let the woman go.“If I wasn’t doing at least a little inappropriate you wouldn’t recognize me.”One arm hooked around her back, Roxie presented the woman.“Honey, meet Ariella.Ariella, meet Honey.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Honey said, all amiable joy.
Okay, good start, or should she be suspicious?Why couldn’t she trust her instincts these days?
“It is.”
Roxie brought the woman into the living room where they all sat.“Honey is the only billionaire friend I had before meeting Zairn.Not that I knew she was a billionaire back then.”
“I am not a billionaire,” Honey said, taking the strap of her leather case off over her head.“My grandfather is a billionaire.”
Roxie leaned in to stage whisper behind the back of her hand.“And he’s a knock, knock, knockin’, if you catch my drift.”
Was she making a joke about Honey’s grandfather dying?
“Oh, Roxie!Poor Ariella is mortified,” Honey said and laughed.“Please don’t worry, I’m not offended.My grandfather has been telling us he’s on his way out for more than a decade.Usually right around the time the squabbling starts.He hasn’t gone anywhere yet.And he’s a man with a sense of humor, he wouldn’t be offended either.”
“God knows how he kept that sense of humor,” Roxie said, sliding deeper into the loveseat to tuck her feet up beside her.“How are the vultures?”
