Finn groans on the other end of the line. “Are you serious right now? Are you a child? For God’s sake!”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, still chuckling. I probably sound a little insane, but I really needed that moment of humor. “Sorry. I’ll grow up now.” I take a breath, shifting back to business. “Seriously, though, what are my options? I need to get this over with.”
Finn’s voice is steady, but I can sense the hesitation. “We’re only six months away from the two-year mark. Can’t you hang on that long? The court will issue the certificate, and it’ll be done.”
“And what stops her from coming after me for more after that? Nothing. I could be tied up in a legal mess for years. I can’t deal with that, Finn.”
“Aye…okay. Let me review everything first thing tomorrow. I’ll give you a call after, yeah?”
“I’d really appreciate that.”
“Damn you, Knox. We could’ve won this.”
“Aye, I know,” I mutter. “But some things are more important.”
nineteen
JULIETTE
My aunt’s already asleep when Knox drops me off. I’m thanking the stars for that because I amnotready for a post-game analysis, especially since tonight involved herboss. But there’s one person I do want to debrief.
Inside, I peel off my shoes, swap my outfit for my favorite sweats, the ones so worn they’re practically held together by nostalgia, and grab my phone. Bree answers on the first ring because of course she does.
“Bree Smith, expert in all things deliciously wicked, at your service,” she announces in that singsong voice that somehow manages to pierce through the background noise of the hospital where she works.
“Are you on your break?” I ask, curling my legs beneath me in the bedroom chair that’s become my favorite spot.
“Fifteen sacred minutes of freedom. My feet are killing me.” She lowers her voice. “Now spill everything before I die of suspense.”
I recount every detail. The way Knox’s hand brushed mine at dinner, the stories he told, the way his eyes seemed to seestraight through me. Bree gasps and interjects at all the right moments, her energy so contagious that I forget ever being nervous at all.
Then I get to the part about unpacking my baggage, and my words start dragging. “So, yeah. I basically handed him a front-row seat to my baggage claim,” I mutter.
She snorts, slicing right through my self-pity. “Okay, first of all?Everyonehas baggage. Second, you’re adorable and honest, so if he’s even remotely decent, he’s not gonna run for the hills. And third,” she pauses, and I can almost see her leaning in for dramatic effect, “youlikehim”
“Maybe,” I mumble, biting my lip to smother the grin threatening to take over. “Oh, his house was insane, by the way. Like, actual postcard-worthy views. And he has this tiny kitten…”
She makes a strangled sound. “Are you sure this man is real? JustJuliette, casually dating a Scottish god with a kitten, a mountain retreat, and a solid sense of humor.” She sighs. “I haven’t even seen what he looks like. Send me a picture.”
I tug at a loose thread on my sleeve. “I don’t have one.”
“You don’t have one?” she echoes, scandalized.
“You could probably check the distillery’s website?” I offer weakly. “Maybe there’s a picture there.”
“Hold, please,” she says, her phone clattering against the counter before I hear the rapid-fire clicking of her nails on the screen.
There’s a beat of silence before she inhales sharply. “Are you kidding me right now?” Her voice practically hits a new octave.
My phone buzzes with a notification. Curious, I switch to speaker and check the text. Bree sent a screenshot from the website. A polished, professional shot of Knox standing beside a copper still, looking every bit like he walkedoff a whisky-themed romance novel cover. Piercing eyes. Lopsided grin. Daring the world not to be completely obsessed with him.
“That’s the Knox you’re talking about?”
“Yep. That’s the one.”
“You’re telling me youhesitatedwhen he asked you out?” Bree’s voice is thick with disappointment. “I’m truly let down. Marry that man. Have his babies. Hide yourself away in the mountains and never come back. I wouldn’t even blame you.”
I laugh, because of course she’s being dramatic, but she also has to be joking.
