Page 94 of The Trouble with Flings

Fitz shakes his head. “Not even a little, but she’s worth every effort.”

My heart squeezes, and my mother looks like she’s been given a gift. Jace’s teasing smile has turned a little more serious. I should deflect. I’m an expert at it. Instead, I take a long drink of water and let myself feel it—the terrifying possibility that Fitz really, truly means it—and I don’t dare look at him, because if I do, Jayla will read me like a headline.

“I love a man who doesn’t give up,” my mother says, delighted.

“I knew something was different about you lately,” Jayla says, eyes glued to me.

“There’s nothing different about me,” I say.

“There totally is. You look radiant,” Jayla says.

Shitshitshit. “It’s the lighting.”

“She is glowing, isn’t she?” Mia says, and I give her a warning look, which she cheerfully ignores.

“How’d you finally get Jen’s attention?” Jared asks.

“After we spent time together in Costa Rica, I couldn’t stay away, but I knew she’d try to forget me, because your sister doesn’t need anyone. So I sent her a surfboard.”

“A surfboard?” Jayla asks.

“I know it sounds strange, but hear me out,” he says. “I taught Jen to surf in Costa Rica. You should’ve seen her. She got right up on that board and owned the waves.”

“Attagirl,” my father says.

“She was really something,” Fitz says. “I figured if she saw the surfboard every day, forgetting me wouldn’t be an option.”

“Aren’t you clever?” my mother says.

My father lifts his glass and says, “My kind of guy.”

“That’s an impressive strategy,” Rush says. “And Jen, way to go. Surfing is no easy feat.”

“Especially at her age,” Jared teases.

“I’d like to see you do it,” I challenge.

Jared smirks. “When you learn to cook, I’ll get my butt on a surfboard.”

“Guess that means you’re never surfing,” I tease.

“So what happens now?” Jace asks, cutting through the jokes and giving Fitz a serious look. “Jen’s in the city. You’re on the island. That’s a serious commute.”

I glower at him for being pushy. “It’s a shorter commute than New York City to Maryland, like you and Dixie had.”

“Why do you think we got married so fast?” Jace says.

I roll my eyes.

“It’s not like Dixie had a choice after you branded her,” Mia chimes in.

Dixie lifts her wrist with a proud smile, showing off the tattoo Jace gave her of a black dagger piercing a heart-shaped diamond, with a leatherlike band on either side and intricately drawn lace hanging from it.

“Jen, would you ever consider moving to the island?” Jayla asks.

I nearly choke on my drink. “God no. I love the city.”

“I hear Silver Island is lovely,” my mother says.