Page 50 of Line Change

We just finished the meal Holt had catered of grilled salmon, scallops, roasted Brussels sprouts, and wild rice followed by a fruit salad. Not the most exciting, but it is the middle of the season, and we have to stick to our meal plans.

Before anyone can make a suggestion, Hazel lets out a cry.

“Shit. I thought she’d sleep through the entire evening,” Holt says, getting to his feet.

“Haze is here?” Wes asks, getting up too.

“No,” Holt tells him. “She needs to go back to sleep. Not get up and play.”

“Ahhh man …” Wes protests.

Holt shakes his head and makes his way upstairs.

“I should probably check on Mads, make sure Tate isn’t giving her any trouble.” Hunter holds up his phone, waving it around.

“Where’s your daughter?” I ask Brody. His daughter, Abby, is a little older than Tate.

“Home with the nanny. She stays late one or two evenings a month so Aubs and I can have a date night.” He smiles at the mention of his best friend who is now his wife. I don’t know all of their story since I wasn’t on the team when they got together, but from what I heard, it was inevitable. Something about him pretending to be her boyfriend for her sister’s wedding. Whatever happened, it worked out for them.

“That’s nice,” I tell him.

“How are things going with you and Sutton?” Wes asks, leaning toward me.

I raise an eyebrow. “Fine. Why?”

“Just wondered if things had progressed.”

“I told you, I’m doing this to help her out.”

“Right. Right,” he says. “Sure.” I narrow my eyes at the clearly sarcastic way he’s talking but don’t take the bait.

“Look who’s decided to join the party,” Holt says, walking down the stairs holding Hazel.

“Haze, girl. Want to come to your favorite uncle?” Wes holds out his hands.

She giggles and claps her hands as Holt hands her over, and it’s like a punch to my gut. Not because of the relationship Wes and Hazel have or how she clearly adores him but because I want that, and maybe one day I will have that, but I want it now, with Sutton. I rub a hand over my chest, swallowing and averting my eyes.

“You alright?” Elias asks.

Hunter comes strolling back into the room, and I don’t have a chance to answer.

“How’s Tate?” Brody asks.

“Mads says he’s fine. Sleeping.” He shifts back and forth on his feet. “So what’s the plan?”

Holt shrugs. “Don’t have a plan. We could watch a movie. Have a fire.”

“Now here me out,” Hunter says, and I scoff. “What about if we go to my place and have a fire there?”

“But we’d be crashing the ladies’ party,” Elias points out.

Hunter turns to him. “That’s kind of the point.”

“I do miss Hads,” Wes adds.

Elias groans. “I thought this was a guys’ night.”

“Ansley’s there.” Wes elbows Elias. “Now’s your chance.”