While Logan goes to one of the bars to get me a drink and a sparkling water for himself, Ava sidles up to me in the high ceilinged, spacious ballroom, a smug smile on her face.
“You’re the reason he keeps saying no to me?”
“Or maybe he just wanted to say no?”
“Highly unlikely,” she says, flicking her long dark-brown hair over her shoulder. “Is the sex any good? Guys like him are either really good or really shitty. There’s no in-between.”
“There’s zero chance I’m talking to you about that.”
“I’ll just assume I dodged a bullet. If it was good, you’dwantto tell me.”
Without a doubt,hedodged her attention, but I’m not going to add any fuel to Ava’s fiery personality. The absolute last thing I need is for Ava to double her efforts to get him at the end of the season because I said the wrong thing.
Living in the moment is my new mantra when it comes to this relationship with Logan. No looking ahead, and no peering behind.
When I catch sight of Maren, I leave Ava to weave through the crowd, and I hope Logan will find me.
As soon as I approach, Maren narrows her eyes. “Ava’s the one who makes bad decisions, not you.”
Since I cannot win an argument with her over whether what I’m doing with Logan is wise, I get right to the point. “Why did Alex step away from the team?”
She releases a long breath and glances around, drawing me away from the crowd. “No one knows, but Rory is pregnant.” She looks around again, taking me more into the corner of the ballroom. “The doctors are worried she might have to go on bed rest, so Alex is scaling back everything to be more present withher and Grace. He’s shifting some responsibilities to Nick and Brice, others to Advisory Council members.”
“Rory’s okay?” Although we’re not close, she has a phenomenal reputation in Bellerive as being the people’s queen. Which is funny because as a Canadian she’s not at all “of the people.”
“Freaked out, which is unusual for her, and hence Alex’s, possible, overreaction. I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns to the team sooner than expected, but he’ll be out until Rory is stabilized. Or gives birth.”
“Have you heard who’s stepping in?”
“No, that one I haven’t heard yet. It’s all really just happened in the last twenty-four hours. You’re worried it’ll be Dalton?”
“He hated the idea of the team. I can’t see why he’d volunteer or anyone would suggest it.”
“He’s here somewhere,” Maren says, rising on her toes to survey the ballroom. “Just so you’re aware.”
“We always knew we were going to run into each other. The breakup was amicable.”
“That’s bullshit, but I’ll let you keep telling everyone else that. He’s a weasel, and you finally saw it.”
The fact that she hasn’t given me a harder time about Logan, and she hated Dalton from the minute she met him, puts my mind a little bit at ease. Maybe the only objections people in Bellerive will have will be minor too.
In my bag, my phone pings. “I should check this,” I say to Maren.
“Yeah, I need to go mingle. Get people to open their wallets. Where’s Logan? Maybe I’ll ask him for money first, since he’s practically family now.”
“Oh my god. Shut up. It’s casual.”
“You don’t do casual, so good luck with that.”
My phone pings again, and I take it out of my purse to see a message from Matilda. “I’ll find you later,” I say to Maren as she leaves, and I start typing a reply on my phone.
Matilda and I exchange a few texts about the exercises she’s supposed to be doing for her shoulder, and I’m so deep into my conversation that I don’t notice when someone approaches.
“I would say he’s a bit young for you,” a familiar male voice says, “but I suspect that’s the point.”
Slowly, I slide my phone back into my purse, and I look up to see Dalton in front of me, two drinks in his hands.
“I got you a gin and tonic,” he says, trying to pass it to me, but I keep my hands to myself. “Take the drink. It’s your favorite.”
