“You’re wrong,” I told her, smiling when she tilted her head to the side. “Your brother is the best.”
After the Roasters’ win, June took Bella out for a round of drinks at the tavern, and I took my tired ass back to Jared’s house for a bubble bath. It was going to be hard to go home to my subpar clawfoot after soaking in his tub the last couple of days.
I had just relaxed back against the small, puffy pillow when my phone buzzed across the bamboo bath tray. I’d suggested it to Jared during the first night we’d stayed over at his place. Much to my delight, the tray had arrived via overnight delivery before we’d sat down to breakfast the next morning. Along with a variety pack of bath bombs.
I propped the phone up with my soapy fingers and answered his call.
“Hi.”
“Hi, angel.”
“Guess where I am.”
Jared groaned when my hand sloshed through the bathwater.
“Naked. Inmytub.”
“Got it in one, baseball boy.”
“Switch to video.”
Ooh, I like where this is heading.
I did as he asked—well, ordered really—and smiled when his bare torso flashed to life on screen. After a few seconds of rustling, he settled back against the mountain of hotel pillows and lifted the phone to his face.
“That’s better.” He fingered his beard “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.”
“You played a great game today. Did you get the pictures I sent?” I had sent him a few photos from tonight’s public screening.
He nodded. “Dani and Clarke already have a few of them queued up to share to the Roasters’ social media tomorrow.”
“That’s cool.”
“How are you and Belles getting along?”
“Like cheese and crackers,” I told him, choosing my words carefully. And even though he didn’t get the inside joke, a lazy smile split his face. “She went out for drinks with June.”
“Drinks?”
“Yeah, they’re probably down at the bar on the interstate now, picking up some bikers for unprotected sex.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s not funny.”
I swirled my finger through the frothy bubbles over my belly. “She’s doing fine. We handed out popcorn during last night’s movie, and she came to work with me today and hit it off with Xan. In fact, I think they’re going for a hike together tomorrow.”
“Damn, she didn’t waste any time.”
“Yup,” I said around a smile. “She’s an official Pacific Northwesterner now. Her flannel shirt and Birkenstocks come next week.”
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I get home.”
“What do you mean?”
I tried not to get distracted when he rested his arm behind his head, showing off the belladonna tattooed on his triceps. “Like, where is she going to stay?”
Dani had temporarily offered Bella the use of her room, but she would be back with the rest of the team the day after tomorrow. Neither of us had an extra room for her. Jared, however, had a spare house next door.
“What about the other unit?”
