Page 45 of After You Returned

“It’s always a new deck.” Considering the amount of pranks we play on each other, using a new deck every poker night is a necessity.

“You’re good,” Eli says as he returns with several beers. “I got this deck out of my safe before everyone arrived.”

“Wonderful.” Jaxon rubs his hands together. “The Green King and I are ready to win.”

The Green King is his lucky charm. It’s a Chia Pet, he claims resembles Elvis. It doesn’t. It’s a lump.

“Too bad Nugget and I are going to kick your ass.” Zane rubs a hand over the back of his taxidermized squirrel in a cowboy hat. Told you my brothers have weird ass good luck charms.

Rhett finishes dealing and it quiets down while everyone studies their cards. Time to play some poker.

“I fold.” The cards have not been my friends tonight. I’ve lost the last three rounds.

Kai chuckles. “Pretty sure you already folded when you threw your cards at Eli’s face the previous go-around.”

“He shouldn’t have snapped those freaky fake teeth at me.” I shiver. Eli’s good luck charm of fake teeth freaks me out. He used to chase us around the house with them when we were kids. I had nightmares about those teeth.

“I win this round.” Jaxon lays his cards on the table.

“How the hell do you have a straight flush?” Rhett asks.

Jaxon shrugs as he draws all the poker chips to him and begins sorting them. I frown at the amount of chips he has compared to me. Tonight is not my night.

Rhett deals another round of cards and I bite my tongue to stop my groan at my cards. Time for desperate measures.

I inch my phone out of my pocket and wake it. After Eli and Rhett have their turns, I increase the sound and hit the app.

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Eli jumps to his feet. “Smoke alarm. Everyone out.”

Everyone grabs their beers and lucky charms before filing out of the room to the front exit. Once we’re on the porch with Paisley, who’s holding baby Stephanie, Eli phones his security company to let them know about the alarm.

I wait until he hangs up the phone and jump off the porch. “You’ve been pranked!” I yell before sprinting to my car. Zane and Kai give chase but with my headstart I easily beat them to my car.

I fold into the driver’s seat and back out of the drive while rolling down the window.

“I’m winning the prank war!” I yell before driving away.

Chapter 16

Miles is more tempting than the promise of a chocolate cake with no calories.

Hazel

I’m washing my hands after my patient left my practice when I hear the bell above the door ring. Miles is here.

Heat flushes through my body as butterflies erupt in my stomach. Miles is here for a PT session. I can put my hands on his skin, smell his scent, and enjoy how handsome he is. I place a hand over my stomach and tell it to calm down.

But it’s Miles.

It doesn’t matter. Miles doesn’t want me.

He says he does. He serenaded you. Chased you. More than once. Claimed he wants a relationship.

I force those thoughts away. All typical Miles actions after a night of drinking. It’s not real.

If I’m starting a relationship with someone, it has to be real. The man has to be reliable. Not a man who switches from hot to cold so fast it would givea mermaid whiplash.