Mason cursed. “Stop being such a—”
“Don’t.” Kieran patted Mason’s shoulder.
Mason pressed his lips together.
“It’s a valid question.” Blaise wanted nothing to come between the six of them. These men were the closest thing he had to family—brothers. The only ones who could understand the wild ride he’d been on with Blai$e. He didn’t want to lose that. Or them. “Hadley said I should tell you.”
Wes’s posture went ramrod stiff. “She knows?”
“She knows.” Hadley had described their relationship as a business transaction, but this week they’d become closer. No kissing, but their touches and glances made him want…more. If only she could stay in Portland, but she would fly home on Sunday. “I’d been keeping the past hidden, locked away deep inside me, pretending what happened didn’t matter. That was a mistake. One I didn’t realize until I told her.”
“I’m happy you did,” Adam said.
The others nodded.
“So you like her?” Wes asked, his tone more neutral.
“I like her.” How much, Blaise wasn’t ready to admit, not even to himself.
Dash laughed, his smile growing. “You know, when I found out she was a matchmaker, I thought you’d hired her so you could win the bet. Looks like I was wrong.”
“The same thing crossed my mind after I ran a search on her.” The smile tugging on Wes’s lips brought a rush of relief to Blaise.
Which was why he couldn’t lie to them.
“The bet has come up,” he said.
“I mentioned it to Hadley at the restaurant on Saturday night,” Mason admitted.
“Of course you did.” Wes snorted. “Misery loves company.”
Kieran laughed. “We’d be miserable without our lovely wives.”
Mason raised his glass of whiskey. “We want you three to be as happy as we are, and if Blaise’s matchmaker can help with that…”
Wes rolled his eyes the way he always did. “Be honest, you want to split the fund six ways. Which is what will happen if Dash, Blaise, and I marry in the next nine months.”
Blaise decided keeping quiet was the smartest move.
Mason shrugged half-heartedly. “Who wouldn’t want to split the money?”
“The last single man standing.” Smiling, Dash leaned over the table. “Is Hadley going to find women for Wes and me to go out with?”
Wait? The guy sounded excited. Was Dash willing to go along with Blaise’s plan? That would make things easier when Hadley found potential matches to introduce to the guys. He didn’t want her worrying about making a mistake. “I’m sure she could. Are you game?”
“As long as I don’t have to do anything other than pay for the date, sure,” Dash said. “You know me.”
“Mr. Status Quo, hates change, don’t make me be social,” they all said in unison.
“I’ll drink to that.” Dash took a sip of his beer.
Tonight was not turning out as Blaise imagined. He’d built this up in his head, but only Wes had any issues, and those seemed to come more from concern about Blaise. His friends were the best. “I’ll mention it to her.”
“What about you, Wes?” Kieran asked. “Do you want Hadley to find you a date?”
Wes shrugged. “It’s been a while.”
“Annabelle?” Mason asked. Of course he would be the one to say the name of the woman who was never mentioned around Wes.
