He’s at my side, not even playing that we’re not hooking up. His hand’s gripping mine, and he has his body angled so that he’s half shielding me from the room, and so that he can see both of the entrances to the living room where we’re standing near the front door.
Lucky laughs. “Security-minded to the end. Don’t worry. We know everyone here.”
“Is Decker’s neighbor here?” I ask.
Lucky cringes. “Hope not. That’d get awkward.”
The party isn’t limited to adults, and based on the number and ages of the kids, I’m guessing daycare and preschool friends are among those here. Most of the kids have disappeared into a large playroom off the kitchen, and I heard a rumor that Laney and Theo rounded up their seven cats—yes,sevencats—and took them to a different house rather than risking the cats freaking out at this many people.
“Was Theo’s speech everything we all imagined it would be?” Jack asks as he joins us.
“It was inspiring,” Rhys replies.
Jack and Lucky both snicker. “He…rose to the challenge?”
“Knock it off,” Sabrina says as she slides into the group with us. “Laney showed me the video. It was really sweet, actually.”
“I didn’t realize she was recording it,” I say.
“She asked the operations manager to do it.”
“Oh.”
“Cynthia got Laney in the video some too. It was adorable to see her get teary-eyed over him talking about his former profession. If you’d told me in high school that they’d settle down together after Theo gave up his job as an adult entertainer for her… Just no way. I never would’ve believed it.”
“She’s not posting that video, is she?” Rhys asks, taking the words right out of the frozen part my brain that’s having an instinctive fear response to the idea of a video like that going viral.
I was standing right next to Laney.
I might be in that video too.
Someone could recognize me, and then my father would see it, and then?—
Stop thinking, Margot. Everything’s fine.
“Nope. Friends and family only.” Sabrina gives my brothers a cheeky grin. “Clearly,favoritefriends and family only. You must not be it. Have you seen Zen? They’re not a big fan of crowds like this.”
“Saw them leaving,” Decker says as he rounds out the family group. “Said they’d call later.”
“Hey, Grandpa’s here,” Lucky says. “Catch you later. Margie—ah, yeah. Have fun with Rhys.”
Decker snakes through the crowd with Lucky on their way to talk to a tall older gentleman who’s just inside the kitchen with his arm tucked around a shorter older woman.
“You any good at darts?” Jack asks me.
I shake my head. “One talent I don’t possess.”
“Excellent. Lucky and Decker always kick my ass. Be nice to win for a change.”
He grins, and I laugh at his honesty. “Great. Lead on. I can’t wait to lose.”
He leads me and Rhys downstairs to a walk-out basement where he waves at his dad, who’s playing pool with someone I don’t recognize.
“Your parents are here?” I murmur as he hands me a set of darts.
“Yeah. Sabrina’s mom and Theo and Emma’s dad too.”
“Big party. They all know about what was at the retreat center this week?”
