Page 54 of Protecting Love

“I could have done without that, sure.” And she hated she kept seeing it if she even thought of it.

“I’m sure they will find out who is doing it and then this can be over with.” Kenzie leaned closer, right into her ear. “But you look good next to Fletcher.”

She shouldn’t have gotten a surge of heat in her belly over those words.

“Isn’t that the idea?” she asked. “Here comes Laken.”

“Alone,” Kenzie said. “I wonder where Jamie is.”

“Either the bar or someone has his ear,” Nelson said.

“There is the woman of the hour,” Laken said.

Paris squinted at her cousin. “Not funny.”

“No,” Laken said. “Sorry. And sorry I haven’t been around much. Still getting this whole working mother thing down. It was easier with Penelope because she was older, but with Calder, it just seems too different.”

Laken had returned to work full time a few weeks ago. Prior to that she’d been doing work from home.

“And with football season Jamie is working more,” Paris said. Jamie Wilde was an NFL commentator, on the road more than half the time for the weekends.

“He is, but thankfully I’ve got Janelle.”

“And me,” Kenzie said. “I’m not far away. You know I’ll come keep you company.”

“I love having a sister-in-law so close,” Laken said.

“I get lonely when Nelson is traveling,” Kenzie said, looking at her. “Even if I like the break.”

“Is he still a slob?” Paris asked.

“Hey,” Nelson said. “I’ve gotten better, right, Kenzie?”

“He has.”

“Sorry about that,” Jamie said, approaching their table. “You know how it goes.”

“Jamie, this is Fletcher Wilcox,” she said. “I’m not sure if you’ve met.”

“We haven’t,” Jamie said, reaching his hand out. “But I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Another couple came to their table. Someone who Nelson and Laken knew, but not Paris. A business that they’d done work with and of course, spent time talking about what she could offer, and next thing she knew, she had their card.

Dinner was served. If they could call it that.

More like one of those fancy dishes that had four bites to it.

Once it was cleaned up, and people got up to speak, she excused herself.

Fletcher stood up with her. “I can go to the bathroom alone,” she whispered to him. Her family weren’t the only ones watching and she hated that, but she’d been introduced to several who came over to the table.

“I’ll just walk with you and do the same.”

There was no use arguing.

She picked up her clutch, Fletcher’s hand going to her lower back and ushering her away.

“You just like putting on a show,” she hissed when they got to the hall, her smile dropping then.