Page 60 of Uxpectedly Ever After

But it’s not Kasen I spot. It’s the woman who just walked in. She’s tall, with pink waves of hair and a smile on her face that only slightly hides her shark-like nature. As soon as I spot her, I start looking harder for my best friend.

“Who’s that?” Reed asks, following my gaze.

“Trouble,” I say, watching Navy rush over to hug her. “That’s Wren. She runs Cascade Craft Distribution.”

“Ah.” Reed’s chin lifts. “The competition.”

“Not just competition,” I correct. “From what Kasen’s said, she’s been trying to poach Timber’s accounts for the past year. She undercut his prices by three percent last quarter and stole the airport concession contract they’ve had for years.”

“And Navy invited her to his reopening?” He looks incredulous. “That’s cold.”

"I'm guessing Navy doesn't know about their business beef," I say, already scanning the room for Kasen. I spot him behind the bar, mid-laugh at something Brenna's saying. Then his gaze shifts to the door. The second he sees Wren, he goes rigid—smile wiped off his face and replaced by a scowl.

“This might get entertaining,” Reed says.

Reed and I watch as Kasen says something to Brenna and makes his way out from behind the bar, intercepting Navy and Wren before they get too far into the crowd.

"She looks just as irritated as he does."

"Twenty bucks says he tells her to get out," I say.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Reed asks. “Of course he’ll tell her to get out.” Reed takes a sip of his beer. “But is it just me or is he,” he squints at Kase, “eye fucking her a little?”

“Thank you!" I throw my hand out in their direction. "Finally someone else sees that shit. It's like he can't decide if he wants to strangle her or—"

"Tap more than the beer," Reed finishes with a laugh and I clink my beer with his.

Across the room, I catch Clover's eye. She tilts her head in that questioning way she does when she senses something's off, and I give her a small nod toward Kasen and Wren. Her eyebrows shoot up in recognition, then she beelines for us.

"Incoming," Reed warns, straightening up a bit. He's still a little formal around Clover sometimes, like he can't quite shed the doctor-patient dynamic.

"What's going on with my brother?" she asks as soon as she reaches us, looping her arm through mine and laying her head on my shoulder. "He looks like he's about to have an aneurysm."

"Navy brought a surprise guest," I explain, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "That’s Wren. The woman behind Cascade."

“Ugh,” Clover groans. “Kasen has done nothing but bitch about this woman for months. What’s Navy thinking? This is going to be a disaster."

"Or highly entertaining," I counter. “Depends on how you look at it.”

She rolls her eyes, but a smile quirks her lips. “Behave, Priestly. This is his night.”

I give her my best innocent look. “I’m always on my best behavior.”

“Mmhmm,” Clover says, turning toward Reed with a wry smile. “Has he been watching my brother’s meltdown like it’s primetime TV for long?”

“Only about five minutes,” Reed answers, flashing a quick grin. “But honestly, can you blame him? It’s the most excitement we’ve had all night.”

Clover sighs, leaning against me so I can feel the gentle pressure of her stomach at my side. “I should probably go rescue Navy from that mess before Kasen says something he’s gonna regret.”

“Let her handle it,” I say, slipping an arm around Clover’s waist. “She’s a grown woman. And aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy? Doctor’s orders, right?” I shoot a pointed look at Reed, who raises his hands in a defensive shrug.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” he says. “I already told her to not push herself. It’s up to you to make sure she listens.”

Clover narrows her eyes at both of us. “I see how it is—now you two team up against me.”

"Only because we care," Reed says, and I'm struck again by how quickly he's become part of our circle. "And because your fiancé would probably set my car on fire if I didn't remind you."

"I would never," I protest. "Too easy to trace."

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