Page 134 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

For the evening activity, they chose to do movie night. They indulged in snacks and drinks and tubs of buttered popcorn while watchingThe Hangover.

The night turned out to be so much fun. It was such a different vibe than her music industry events, where everyone was either trying to hang out with people who could advance their careers or become best friends with a celebrity.

With Noa and Ginty’s crowd, there was no agenda other than celebrating with the bride and groom. It was all about sarcasm, teasing, and hilarity as everyone got to know each other.

Except for Slick, of course. He played host. She knew how hard it was for him to be surrounded by the former friends who’d done him dirty.

Had they, though? Because while he was busy tending to everyone’s needs, she was paying attention to the guys. Declan, the team’s coach, was the quiet one. He watched Slick with intense scrutiny as if trying to figure him out. Cole, the retired hockey player who adopted two little girls and now had two more, was the life of the party. He had stories to tell about his movie star dad and the chaos of a family with four daughters, but he noticed Slick a lot. There was pain in his eyes, and she knew without a doubt he missed his friend.

And then, there was Jaime. The confident, rugged goalie kept trying to talk to Slick and was devastated when he couldn’t hold his attention.

She didn’t know the truth of what went down all those years ago, but she was positive wires had gotten crossed. These men missed him. They just needed to sit down and find out what had happened.

From the way he deftly handled spills and refilled glasses, no one would know Slick’s inner turmoil. With his charisma and witty one-liners, he was a man in charge.

God, he took her breath away. Where everyone else hung out in jeans or sweats, he’d come straight from his virtual meeting with his partners in a dress shirt and slacks, wearing that big, shiny watch on his wrist.

After the movie, they all headed into the game room for pool, darts, and karaoke. There, it was harder for him to avoid his friends without it being glaringly obvious, so he chatted. He was good. Polished. He knew how to work a room.

Could they see the tightness around his eyes? The way he jammed his hands into his pockets? The way his laughter was forced?

Or are those things only I can see?

“You’re giving stalker vibes.” Noa came up to the bar and hitched her bottom onto a stool. “I’ll take a Ramos Gin Fizz, please.”

“A what?” Lorelei had never been much of a drinker, so she didn’t know cocktails.

“It’s gin, heavy cream…an egg white. Orange flower water. You know.”

Lorelei laughed. “Why are you asking me? Ask the bartender.”

“I’m afraid he’s going to kidnap me and lock me in his room at the biker club and have his way with me.” Her friend grinned. “And I’m nearly a married woman.”

“You’ve been reading too many romance novels.” Well, to be fair, the chef and the bartender were big, muscular, tattooed men. They did look like they’d do just that. “They’re great guys. They’ve been so nice to me.”

“Yeah, about that,” Noa said. “How, exactly, do you know them? I get that they have a bar and grill up the road, but how often do you go there?”

It felt like the right time to confide in her. “I go a couple times a week.”

“To a biker bar? You don’t even drink.”

“I know. But they have live music. And sometimes between sets, I get up there and workshop songs.” She blurted it all out.

Noa slapped her hand on the table. “You’re writing? Here I am thinking you’ve gone all Pioneer Woman, making your own bread and planting corn and knitting hand warmers, and you’re actually writing new material?”

“Yeah, but see, I don’t want to think about it like ‘new material.’ I don’t want to think about its ‘marketability.’ I just want the freedom to write songs with no objective.”

“Heard. Girl, I hope you know I’d never pressure you to do anything.” Noa reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I just want you to be happy.” She tipped her head toward Booker. “And obviously, he’s doing a good job of it. When do I get the whole story?”

“There’s not much to tell. I told you everything about the cabin and the way he left.”

“I cannot believe he’s Cabin Man. What a small world.” Her features tightened in concern. “It’s just…you guys are moving so fast. I know how much you want a dad for Stevie, but I don’t want you rushing into anything simply to try and make a family.”

“I get that, believe me.” But she remembered what he said.

It might seem I’m moving fast, but I’m not. I bonded to you in a way I don’t understand.

And he had. For her, he’d dropped the barriers. He was opening himself up, being real, honest.

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