“Then get back out there,” Cal says.
“I’m going to dinner.A man has to eat.”I roll on deodorant.
“Where’s Summer?”Special K asks.
“Off with Bryttni.”
“Who’s Bryttni?”Finn asks.
“None of your business.”
“I need Summer back here in one piece,” Special K barks.“She’s gotta help me repair the northern pasture shelter and set up new predator lights.We got ourselves another coyote issue.”
“So, who’s Bryttni?”Finn asks again.
“I said it’snone of your business.”
“Well, whoever she is, you sure she isn’t planning to off Summer so that she can have you all to herself?”
I shake my head.“You’re not the biggest idiot in the world, Finn, but you’d better hope the number one guy doesn’t die.”
Everyone laughs except Finn.
“Or…” Cal’s still chuckling.“Maybe there’s something super-funky happenin’ down in Sin City with Declan and his girlfriends.”
Everyone laughs except me.
“If that’s the case,” Finn says, “then Declan finally has his chance to disappoint two women at the same time!”
“Dumbasses,” I mutter, ending the connection.
I throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and head to the suite’s huge sectional couch to catch some football.This place has two sitting rooms, a full dining room and kitchen, and two bedrooms and two baths.And three TVs, of which this is the largest.
I grab the remote and get comfortable just as I hear the beep of the scanned key card at the door.
“Hi, you!”Bryttni bounces over to me and drops a kiss on my lips.“Whatcha doing?”
“Football.Is the makeover finished?”
“Of course not!These things take time.”
“Oh.”
She plops down next to me on the sectional, smiling.
“Bryttni,” I begin.“Can we talk a minute?”
Her smile fades and she scoots away.“What about?”She tips her head to the side and looks at me like she’s already bored by whatever it is I’m about to say.
I can’t believe I’m doing this.Sitting inches from me is a flaming hot girl wearing a damn near see-through bikini and I’m about to tell her that I’m not interested.That the room is hers.I’ll pay for all her expenses and travel home.But I’m leaving, because I’m finally realizing what a dumb fuck I’ve been.
I need to have a heart-to-heart with Summer.I can’t pretend anymore.
“Listen, Bryttni.I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.You’re a very—”
“Nope!”She jumps up and charges to the door, opens it, and spins around to glare at me.“No, you willnot, Declan McCall!You will not ruin my New Year’s Eve!We’re going to have a great time tonight!”
“It’s MacLaine.”
