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“Can you put the damn phone down,” Hudson says. “You’re giving me the jitters. Is there a problem at the resort?”

I quickly lock my phone. Because the last thing I need is him reading over my shoulder.

“A problem at the resort?” Bennett repeats, looking worried. “Do you need me to head over?”

“This guy is all in,” Jesse says, smiling at Bennett like they’re besties. “Do you know he talks about the resort non-stop? When I picked him up earlier he had a thousand questions about tidal drift and average wind speeds. I had to point out that we were going out to get drunk, not to talk business.”

“Makes up for all the times you go on about guitars,” Hudson says, looking amused. He and Jesse have bonded a lot since they’ve become brothers-in-law. “I bet you’d bore Bennett stupid talking about Stratocasters.”

“You play guitar?” Bennett asks Jesse. “I play too.” He looks stupidly excited that they have something in common.

“You should come over some time,” Jesse says to him. “See my collection. We could jam.”

Hudson catches my eye and smiles, like we’re two moms happy our kids are bonding. Jesus, is this where we are now? We used to be fun.

Parker stands. “Who wants another drink?” he asks. “West, come help me.”

“I think you can carry six glasses of whiskey by yourself,” I point out.

“But I’m getting snacks too.”

“Snacks?” Hudson asks. “What are we, five?”

Parker shrugs. “Autumn made a charcuterie board. I made a man board.”

“What’s on it?” Asher asks, looking interested now.

“Jerky, pretzels, and those chips shaped like little horns,” Parker says. “Oh, and wings if we don’t eat them all before we head back out. Come on, man, help me out,” he says to me.

“Okay, I’m coming.” I reluctantly follow him. A moment later, laughter erupts around the firepit.

“Where’s the heart attack on a plate?” I ask Parker when the kitchen door closes behind us.

“I lied. I don’t have one. They’ll have forgotten about it by the time we go back out.” Parker opens the fridge and grabs a couple of bottles of water instead, setting them on the counter. His easy smile fades, and for the first time all night he looks serious. “I wanted to get you away from them,” he says quietly. “We need to talk about Eden.”

His words hit me like a bucket of cold water.

“What about her?” I ask, keeping my voice easy as I pop open one of the bottles and take a sip. “If she’s been complaining to Autumn about me refusing to get a black water system, tell me if you’d want to swim in your own shit.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Parker says, wincing at the thought. “I want to talk the fact you’re married. And the fact you and her…” He lets out a breath. “have consummated the marriage.”

My stomach tightens.Shit.And then I force an easy grin on my face. “Jesus, you had me there for a minute.” I laugh. “Me and Eden? Don’t even go there.”

Parker doesn’t smile. He just leans back against the counter, arms folded, giving me the kind of steady look that makes it impossible to joke my way out of this. “Don’t waste your breath denying it, man. Eden told Autumn. Autumn told me. You married her in Vegas, then you moved her in with you.” He shakes his head.

“Eden told Autumn?”

He sighs. “Yeah. And I really wish she hadn’t told me, but she did and… fuck.” He pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “I don’t want to get caught up in this. I don’t want to know what’s going on.” He looks at me with the kind of annoyance he used to get when we were in college and his team lost a game. “I’m not judging you. God knows I fell for Autumn when I shouldn’t have. And I hid it from Hudson for way too long like the pussy I was. But you? What are you doing? Eden’s young. She’s vulnerable. And you should know better than to be toying with her emotions.”

“You think I’m toying with her?” I ask, my voice low.

“You’re sleeping with our best friend’s sister.”

“She’s my wife,” I correct him, and he lifts a brow. “And you know nothing about what’s going on.”

“Then explain it to me,” he says, looking like he’s desperate to be anywhere but here. “So I can calm my own damn wife down. I’d prefer she not run straight to Hudson and initiate World War Three.”

I shake my head. “There’s nothing to explain. This is between me and Eden and nobody else.” And right now I want to strangle her pretty neck for putting me in this position. She told Autumn and let me walk into this without a warning?