Page 62 of Bottles & Blades

Rory counters just as quickly. “He had cameras installed to watch Christina Dubois’s inevitable descent into hockey player lovedom.”

“So says the woman who’salsomarried to her own hockey player”—Chrissy slants a look my direction—“who also plays on my father’s team.”

My lips twitch.

“That’s neither here nor there,” Rory says as she opens a glass door for us to enter the building’s cafe.

It’s sleek and modern and bright, just like the lobby.

And it smells freaking amazing.

“Of course it’s here or there,” Chrissy tells her.

“Is not.”

I wade in. “Should we?—”

“I love you,” Rory bumps her shoulder against Chrissy’s. “But it absolutely is.”

“I love you too but...”

I look around the space, their argument continuing as I debate what to do.

All of that conversation is a lot.

All ofthis—being here—is a lot.

Enough to have me blurting again, “You two are giving me a headache.”

Then immediately clamping a hand over my mouth as they fall silent, staring at me with wide eyes.

“Oh, my God, that was so rude,” I sputter. “I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean?—”

Rory grins.

Chrissygrins, rubs her hand gently over her pregnant belly.

Then they’re both linking their arms through mine and drawing me forward.

“You’ll do, Tiff,” Rory says. “You’ll just do.”

Wonderful words. Scary words.

But not as good as Chrissy’s when she announces, “I couldn’t agree more.”

Mostly because it means they won’t start arguing again.

Twenty

Jean-Michel

I’m finallyable to get away from the bullshit with Justin—and the other bullshit that is an inevitable consequence of me being here: jumping into a meeting with an investor, working through an issue with our contract with Duarte, several HR issues, my approval needed to up compensation budgets, a request to meet with an employee who’d like to take advantage of our continuing education program.

They’re all important, but I am critically aware of each passing moment.

Of each minute that Tiff is sitting alone in my office.

When I’m finally done with all of that, I’m stopped by Marie, who wants to show me the final documents she’s put together for Justin to sign.

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