Page 26 of Seeking Her Studs

Kaylee turns to see what her brothers are looking at and I immediately transform my face from disdain to pure pleasantry, even if it requires a bit of acting.

“Kaylee!” I exclaim excitedly. And this part isn’t an act. I have nothing but fondness for the little girl who is now very much a teenager. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

“Blaire!” She swivels off of her chair and jumps up to give me a hug.

I hug her back, feeling surprisingly sentimental about her excitement. I wasn’t expecting it.

“So you remember me?” I ask when we part. “I wasn’t sure you would, since you were just a little thing the last time I saw you.”

“Are you kidding me? I still have the hoop earrings you gave me.” She smiles broadly. “Colt was so mad when he saw me wearing them for the first time after I got my ears pierced.”

“Then they were a gift for both me and you,” I laugh. “I’ll let you raid my suitcase later and see if we can find more things to get Colt even more mad.”

“No need for that.” Colt shakes his head. “Kaylee already knows how to do that without your help.”

Kaylee scoffs. “I’m a literal angel. Don’t listen to him.” She turns to head back to the table. “But come join us. The pancakes are getting cold.”

“Oh-” I say, ready to decline politely.

“I squeezed the orange juice, and it’s the best thing you’ve ever tasted,” Kaylee says as she motions next to her. That’s when I notice an untouched place setting.

They expected me to join. I suppose that partially makes up for Colt leaving me naked to suffocate in our sex greenhouse.

“But just be warned,” Briggs taps the empty chair, inviting me to sit down. “We’re a fight to death for the last pancake kind of family.”

I grin. “I’m not afraid of you three.” I pull the chair out. “But I will keep an eye on Kaylee,” I mimic suspicious eyes at her, and she grins.

“Smart woman,” Colt says matter-of-factly.

“Colt Rile, that might be the first nice thing you’ve ever said to me,” I say before bringing a glass of Kaylee’s orange juice to my lips.

His eyes lock on mine. “I’m pretty sure last night I had a lot of nice things-” his deep voice slows, realizing what he’s saying. He glances at Kaylee nervously. “To say about your dancing at the bar. I guess all that Hollywood is good for something.” He recovers quickly.

I swallow hard, knowing fully that’s not what he would have said if Kaylee wasn’t here. I heat remembering the praise he had for me last night. He’s a man of few words usually, but damn, last night his words were generous, just like his…

“Will your fiancé come join us here in Solace Springs?” Kaylee changes the subject and I’m grateful for it. “My friend Emma would die if she ever got to meet Mika Lane.”

Well, I’m grateful for it for about a second before I realize I have no good answer for her.

But I haven’t been media trained most of my life like a show horse for nothing. I can handle the tough questioning of a sixteen-year-old girl.

I take a long sip of orange juice to think and she wasn’t kidding, the juice is really good.

I decide to go with a version of the truth.

“Well,” I say finally. “You’ll likely see in the news reports soon that we’re no longer engaged. But just keep in mind that not everything you read is true.”

“Okay,” she says, drawing the word out. “Cryptic much?” She eyes me suspiciously.

Man, I thought teenagers were supposed to be oblivious to everything around them, but Kaylee doesn’t miss a beat.

I keep it as simple as I can and shrug. “I don’t love him.” I say plainly. “And I never did. That’s all that really matters.”

“Well, maybe you can finally date one of my brothers then.” She says with a mischievous grin. She is fully aware of the chaos she’s trying to create, but that doesn’t stop me from nearly spitting out the juice.

“Where in the hell would you get that idea, Kay?” Reese raises his eyebrows at her, genuinely looking curious.

“Oh, come on.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s a small town. There has always been gossip that one of you were dating but I just can’t get a read on which one.”

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