Page 160 of Out Of A Fix

“What?”

“He carries himself just like you. Now, you’re gentler, you actually smile, while that squint of his appears permanent, but if you look at him, and you, and Mr. Colter, for that matter, you realize you do not want to fuck around and find out with any of you.”

“What about Shaw, who’s the biggest guy in the room?”

“Shaw’s a sweet man. You can tell from his voice and how he holds his husband’s hand.”

“Rais?”

“Rais might possibly be the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Oh is he,” I deadpanned.

“Do you see him over there?”

I groaned.

“He and his girlfriend are, like, blinding together. Can you imagine how gorgeous their kids will be?”

I would not spend a moment more on Rais. Or Sienna. “So you’re saying Locryn reminds Tatum of me, and that’s the appeal?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “She loves you, I suspect she can see Locryn’s gooey center under all the bluster, and if he stuck around, he’d be her new favorite person.”

“I’m gonna go throw him outta my house,” I announced, turning away.

He grabbed my arm and took my face in his hands. “Stay here and kiss me instead.”

“Yeah, okay,” I agreed.

I so appreciated everyone being there, and was a bit overwhelmed that they wanted to be. I had gotten a call from Croy about how sorry he was he couldn’t make it, but he was stuck on a job where he and his partner had tracked a guy to Alaska and were currently freezing their balls off on a stakeout in a motel that charged by the hour.

“I would much rather be attending your nuptials, but we’ll visit in the spring. Dallas has a two-day meeting there, and afterward, we’ll be crashing with you.”

“I can’t wait,” I said sincerely.

Brann called me as well, apologizing, but his oldest daughter’s first winter formal was the same evening, and he had to be there to put the fear of God into the “little asshole” who was escorting her.

“Really? Asshole? Isn’t the kid like fourteen, fifteen?”

Silence.

“You don’t think you’re overreacting just a bit?”

“Just you wait,” he told me.

It sounded ominous. I promised if he needed backup, I would get in the car. We were only an eight-and-a-half-hour car ride apart. He said he’d keep it in mind and invited me to visit. The fishing was great, he said. I could ask Cooper.

“This coming summer, and I’ll bring Luke and the kids.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” he said with a sigh.

I was over the moon to have Rais meet Luke, despite Luke finding him so very gorgeous, and I was thrilled they’d hit it off. When your best friend liked your spouse, I couldn’t imagine anything better. He pledged to visit after the holidays to do some skiing and hang out, and Sienna was excited to return to sit in the house, on the sectional she already loved, and veg with the kids. After talking to Dar, she was sure they all liked the same movies.

She caught me in the kitchen after we cut the cake Owen had flown in from his favorite bakery in Chicago. It had three layers—tiramisu, chocolate, and strawberry swirl—and was utterly amazing. I had no idea cake could be that good.

“It can,” he said flatly, eyebrow raised as he walked away with a slice of the tiramisu. He wasn’t messing around, and it was one of two gifts from him and Jared, he said.

I was curious what the second gift was, but in that moment, I was far more invested in what Sienna was about to tell me.