“How sweet. Is he a builder?” Lainey asked.
Emelia shook her head. Her brown-haired ponytail swished over her top. “No, he owns a gym in town. Maybe you’ve seen it? PushYourLimits.”
“Hmmm. No, but I’m still exploring. I think after tonight and these wonderful bars, I may need one.”
“Sooo,” Isabelle said, grinning as she placed her wineglass on the table. “What exactly does a historic restoration consultant do? Because it sounds kind of cool.”
Lainey laughed. “Mostly it’s a lot of spreadsheets, dust and trying to convince the city historic renovations are worth the time and money spent.”
The women laughed.
“And I hear you have Brotherhood backup,” Naomi said casually. She was a quiet one. Very observant, Lainey noticed.
Lainey tensed and reached for her wine. This was not a discussion she wanted to have.
“Wait, who did they send?” Felicia asked. “I know Will and Colt weren’t assigned to it.”
Who the hell were Will and Colt? How did these women know about the Brotherhood? Oh, God, were they a cult?
Lainey sighed. Her imagination was running wild. Most definitely the fault of the glass of wine she inhaled. A cult indeed.
Naomi grinned. “Nope. Finn Ryder.”
“Ohhh,” Joy said. “Mr. Life of the Party himself.”
“You know he’s Dani’s next-door neighbor, don’t you?” asked Joy.
Well, no, she didn’t. What the hell was going on?
“Yeah. Finn and Dex work for the Brotherhood and live in the house I inherited before I moved in with Will. You might haveseen it when you drove in. It’s right next door on the corner,” Dani said.
Oh lordy. Was he home when she drove over to Dani’s to discuss refreshments for the welcome-back party at school next week? He didn’t stop by. Was he wondering why she was there? Did she even care?
“I didn’t,” Lainey confessed.
“Are you having problems at the site?” asked Felicia. She took a piece of cheese and a cracker and took a bite.
Lainey sighed. Guess work followed her home. “Some vandalism, spray paint on a mural, little things. Probably kids.”
“That’s awful, but Finn is good at what he does. Being in construction, I’m sure, is helpful,” replied Felicia.
Lainey forced a smile. “He’s been very helpful.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass. There was more to say, but none of it belonged in the middle of girls’ night. Especially with women she just met.
Naomi cocked her head. “Did you two already know each other?”
“Hmmm.” Lainey swirled the wine in her glass. “We grew up in the same town. Old friends.”
A pause.
Then Joy grinned. “Old friends, huh. Isn’t that code for ‘more than friends’?”
“Well, there’s nothing going on now or in the future. He has a job to do, as do I.”
No one said anything for a moment, then Isabelle told a funny story about something that happened at her farm. Everyone laughed and thankfully forgot about her and Finn.
The night stretched out for another hour with laughing, stories about the guys and casual confessions. The wine was gone. The lemon mint bars disappeared, and all that was left on the cheese and cracker board was just crumbs.
