Page 81 of Tight Spot

Hailey didn’t pull back from me. She read my mood from the moment I stepped into her house, hell, she read my mood before she left my house the last time and responded accordingly.

It fucking killed. I was already hurting her, and it was the last thing I wanted to do.

I was pretty damn sure if I called up anyone who knew me longer than six months, they’d be surprised as hell that somehow, I’d gone and stepped in some feelings that were now stuck to the bottom of my soles. No matter how much time I spent over the last week trying to shake them off, scrub them, hell, bleach them, they weren’t going away.

If anything, they grew worse as soon as I saw her. Her dress was more modest than the event for Cole’s fundraiser. It was classier. More professional. It made me want to skip her around the dance floor to watch her skirt fly up. It made me want to cover her with my suit coat so no one could get a glimpse of her…least of all, Darrick.

Her hand was still in mine, but it was tense. Warmer than usual, and while she held me back, curling fingers toward the back of my hand, as soon as we stepped into the country club’s event space, that grip turned to a vise grip.

“I cannot believe them,” she hissed.

“What?” Her eyes had narrowed into slits, and she was sucking in a breath that seemed to go on forever.

“My family,” she growled.

The room was packed. Hundreds of people were already there, and more were coming based on the line of cars that had been behind us. How in the hell could she spot her family in this crowd was anyone’s guess.

“Ah. My little sister!”

Oh. That was how. The guy who called for her rushed to us, wearing a dark, eggplant-colored suit with a gray shirt. His hair was blond and thick like Hailey’s and his eyes were the exact same.

“Charlie.” She grinned. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

His arms curled around her bare shoulders, and he yanked her into a hug. Her hand was still in mine, and I tried to let go, but she gripped me tighter.

Fine. She wanted to hold on to me, I’d hold her right back.

“Couldn’t miss out on this. It’s not every day you win an award, proving once again how awesome you are, baby sis.”

“Please stop calling me a baby,” she mumbled, but her cheek was pressed to his shoulder and a soft smile had taken over her face. “Miss you, Charlie.”

“Miss you, favorite sibling of mine.”

He let her go, and his smile flatlined when he took me in. Charlie was probably equal to Hailey’s height without her heels, slimmer than her, too. Average size for a man, but next to me, I not only towered over him, I out-bulked him by far.

He took in my nose ring. Stalled on my hair I had styled at my shoulders and the fresh shave on my beard and sideburns.

“You must be Butler.”

There was no hug for me. No grand smile. Hell, he held out his hand like it was against his better judgment.

“Dawson.” I shook his hand firmly, kindly, and released. “Nice to meet you, Charlie.”

“Is it?” His eyes narrowed.

Hailey’s hand came up, smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Be nice.”

“Hmmm,” was all he said. “Tate and Holly are here.”

“Great.” She did not sound at all like it was great. “What did I just say?”

“I’m nice to everyone if they deserve it.” Which meant I didn’t. Or hadn’t earned it, yet.

If this was my welcome from the nice one, I was pretty certain I didn’t want to meet the others.

“Come on,” Hailey grunted and tugged my hand that she still had a firm grip on. “Might as well get this over with.”

“Need a drink?” Charlie asked her.

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