Page 57 of Mistletoe Mischief

Her wide-eyed, innocent expression matched her tone. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

They reached the table, and Pike set Nick’s beer in front of him. “Alright, which one of you big mouths has been feeding this woman dirt on me?”

“I told you, no one said anything.” Ryler laughed, handing Neil his Corona. “I just figured that you’re a relatively good-looking guy. If Sam has a girl for every day of the week, it makes sense you’d have a couple waiting in the wings.”

“Whoa, what now?” Sam said, turning toward them. “How did my sex life get brought into this?”

“I asked how you scored with the ladies,” Ryler said, winking at Sam.

“Ah, trying to scope out the competition, huh? For you, darlin’, I’ll clear the way as long as you’re in town.”

“Smooth talker,” she teased.

“I’m going to get my drink,” Pike muttered, turning his back on their flirtation. When he reached the bar, Ricki was just setting another whiskey down for him.

“The look on your face says this should have been a double,” she said.

Pike inhaled the golden liquor, ignoring the burn in his throat. “Keep ’em coming.”

Chapter Sixteen

Ryler sat at the table with all of Pike’s friends, watching him as he came back to the table and took an empty chair next to Nick. Kit and Declan were having an intense conversation about art. Neil was telling Merry, Clark, and Sam about their trip to Australia last year and how both Alia and Ryler panicked over the snakes and spiders. Alia sat next to him, jumping in to contradict and argue with Neil. Pike’s friends were so welcoming and fun, and yet, he looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Ryler, you’re awfully quiet,” Nick said, drawing her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, I was just listening to everyone.”

“How are you enjoying Mistletoe?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful. I’m really excited to get out and start exploring.”

“Where do you live?” Sam asked.

“Right now, Alia and I have a condo in El Dorado Hills, which is in the Northern California foothills below Tahoe. Funny story, I actually grew up in Idaho until I was twelve, but I’d never heard of Mistletoe before.”

“What part of Idaho?” Merry asked.

“Boise.”

“Where did you move after that?” Holly asked.

“I moved in with Alia and her parents in LA after my parents died.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Holly said.

“I lost my parents when I was sixteen,” Noel said, giving Ryler a small smile. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

The rest of the table chorused something similar, and Ryler shook her head. “I appreciate that. Thanks. Lucky for me, my cousin and I had each other. It’s been the two of us against the world for sixteen years.”

“With a little help from your friends,” Neil interjected.

“Yes, we wouldn’t know what to do without you and Kit,” Alia said, gazing at Neil warmly. The intimate look caught Ryler off guard, and she watched Neil bestow a tender smile on her cousin.

Holy shit. They’re sleeping together.

How had she missed this? She was with these people three out of four weeks a month, twelve months out of the year, and yet she hadn’t realized something had shifted between them. How long had it been going on? Ryler wasn’t upset about it, but knowing how much they’d always fought and argued, it was weird to think of them crossing that line.

Unless what they said was true, and enemies really did make the best lovers.