“No, we’re fine.” Taryn laughed. She didn’t sound fine.. “How are you?” Another pause. “This weekend? Oh, that’s great. You know the guest room is always—” Another pause. “Well, I guess you could go to the Grand Hotel. Seems like a waste of money, though. We’ve got—” She sighed. “Just because I’m married, it doesn’t change anything.”
“You’re welcome to stay with us, Lachlan.” Stephanie whisper-shouted that from the back seat.
I hunched my shoulders.
“Sorry.” This time, she actually whispered.
“It’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be fine? Everything’s fine.” I kept my eyes forward, even as I felt Stephanie’s and Taryn’s gazes on me.
Right. Just keep telling yourself that.
The newlyweds chatted the entire ride home. Taryn might’ve come across as aloof to some people, but when she was in her comfort zone—be that towing a car or with close friends—she could talk up a storm.
Unlike her reserved, uptight, with-a-stick-up-his-ass brother.
Well…your cock had replaced that stick for a short time.
Oh, shut the fuck up.
I pulled into the driveway of Taryn’s home.
Stephanie sighed.
Right. Her home as well. She’d given all the money she’d saved for a down-payment to Taryn and, in turn, Taryn had put her on the deed to the house.
So,theirhome.
“Come in, Cooper.” Taryn squeezed my thigh as I cut the engine.
“I’m happy to carry in your suitcases—”
She smacked said thigh.
“Hey.” I mock winced.
She grinned.
We were both aware she could bench press more than me. She spent her days in a very physical job that required great strength.
I spent my days sitting at a desk and working with some of the most-brilliant minds in the public relations game. “Uh, sure.”
In the end, I carried Stephanie’s suitcase into the house and put it in the bedroom with Taryn’s.
We all met up in the kitchen.
I glanced over at the living room. Where Lachlan had given me painkillers for my hangover just a couple of weeks ago. God, I missed him. Which was absurd…but at least I was no longer in denial about that.
As Taryn poured three glasses of root beer—and yes, it was weird all three of us loved the stuff—Stephanie took my hand.
“What's wrong?” Her soft-blue eyes radiated concern.
“Nothing.” Because there wasn’t a chance in hell I was being honest with them.
Taryn snickered. “Even I can see it. It's not nothing. And if I can see it, you know it’s bad.”
Stephanie frowned. “You’re very sensitive. Of course you’d see Cooper’s distress. It’s so damn obvious.” She pivoted her attention back to me. “I've only ever seen you like this when you were in love with that boy-band member. What was his name?”
I wracked my brain.Boy-band member? What was that? Grade school? Middle school?
