“That. Is.So. Cool!” Rory exclaims making baby Mia jump in my arms, though she doesn’t wake up, thankfully. “I mean, not about the whole framing for a crime or whatever thing.” She waves a hand dismissively. “I’m sure JM and Pascal would have cleared that right up, regardless. But you’re a total badass, Briar. You bested Brooksandinfiltrated Chrissy’s event in a disguise?—”
“I got caught,” I remind her.
“Eh,” she says. “That was for the best. You’re here now and you got a sexy Brooks for your trouble.”
I force a smile, but my eyes drift across the room—right to the objectively sexy Brooks.
His eyes come to mine and my pulse starts skittering through my veins.
“Right.” Marie puts her phone away. “I think maybe that’s our cue to go.”
“No way,” Rory exclaims. “We’re finally getting to the good stuff.”
Chrissy sighs.
Tiff hides a smile.
“And now we’re getting back to Rory being impossible to train,” Marie says dryly.
I tear my eyes from Brooks and watch as Chrissy wrinkles her nose. “I know, but what can we do?” she says. “I’ve already tried positive reinforcement.”
“Seriously?” Rory snaps.
“Did I or did I not help you devour an entire bag of peanut M&Ms last week?”
“If by devour, you meanyouate most of the bag, then yes.”
A gasp of outrage. “You had at least half.”
“Did not.”
“Didtoo.”
“I’m breastfeeding”—Chrissy’s chin comes up—“my body needs extra nutrition.”
“I don’t think M&Ms count asnutrition.”
“They have peanuts in them. That’s protein.”
Rory snorts. “Should we ask the Eagles’ nutritionist to weigh in on that?”
Marie looks up from her phone and winks at me. “I’m thinking theybothcould use some training.”
My mouth twitches and I’m about to chime in when I realize that our group has suddenly grown by one.
Pascal is standing next to Brooks.
And he looks…
THIRTY-THREE
BROOKS
“Meow!”
I look down at my feet, see the kitten that Thorn had claimed—or that had claimed Thorn. Its accusing eyes pierce into mine. “Don’t look at me,” I mutter. “He’s the one with the heart of ice who left you behind.”
“Meow!”
