“You’re smoking hot. Hell, I’d fuck you if I were a lesbian.”
I feel daring and sexy. If my father saw me, he’d have a conniption.
“Get your butt downstairs. Everyone is waiting on you.”
Trepidation assails me. I heard the constant ringing of the doorbell. “Who are all those people?”
“Friends I’ve known for years.”
“They’re strangers to me.”
“I’ll introduce you. We’ll socialize a bit before leaving for the club.”
“Are they coming too?”
“Yep and the hot neighbor I told you about is tagging along.”
“Mia, no matchmaking plots.”
“You got it.” Her green eyes sparkle in mischief.
“I’m serious.”
“Sure, now come on.”
We enter the family room where a dozen or so people mingle. Lavender and royal blue decorations adorn the space—my favorite colors. A bouquet of balloons floats near a table filled with hors d’oeuvres and cupcakes. Swirl pieces hang from the ceiling, and a birthday banner is taped to the wall. The Martha Stewart in Mia came to the forefront. She truly outdid herself. My eyes mist. I never had a noteworthy celebration on the date of my birth.
“No crying, you’ll mess up your makeup.”
“Thank you so much for this.”
“Welcome, babe.” Mia whistles. “All eyes on me!”
The chatter stops, and I become the center of attention. The shyness in me recoils at being thrown in the spotlight.
“This is the birthday girl, Pepper. All of you motherfuckers better be extra nice to her, or I’m whooping asses.”
A chorus of “happy birthday” greets me. Mia points to each person and supplies their name and then conversations resume.
Drew and I were at each other’s throats all day. His vocal dismay of my liaison with Pepper grated on my goddamn nerves. Our exchange of words escalated to physical blows on the fishing boat. Jensen tried unsuccessfully to separate us, and we all fell into the lake. In the fray, the fish we spent hours accumulating, and the bait, were lost. When we got back to the cabin, Drew shut himself in his room, and I’ve been nursing a beer on the porch swing.
Jensen ambles outside. “Mind if I join you?”
“Yes, I do.”
He ignores me and plops his ass in the space next to me. “You’re more temperamental than usual since Pepper came into your life.”
I can’t deny the truth of Jensen’s statement. “Discussions involving her are off-limits.”
“I didn’t come out here to argue. Talk to me. I haven’t been the best big brother, but you can confide in me.”
“I have nothing to say.”
“You’ve never acted this way over a woman before. Not even Lauren.”
“Save your opinion.”
He sighs in annoyance. “Drew told me everything. You won’t be able to walk away from her, and you’re fooling yourself if you think otherwise.”
