Page 10 of Shifting Sands

“You’re just saying that because he works for your husband and you set us up.”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m saying it because it’s true. He was a catch. You just find excuses to be annoyed so you can run them off for no good reason.”

“You’re a commitment-phobe. Admit it,” Erin says.

Am I?No. That can’t be true. I want a relationship. I envy the ones my friends have. So, why has it been so hard for me to find that special someone?

“What about Liam, who had panic attacks twice a day, and Brian, the workaholic with erectile dysfunction?” I ask.

“Okay. We’ll give you a pass on the guy who couldn’t get it up, but the rest, no. You need to lower your standards,” Jena says.

Erin instantly smacks her on the shoulder.

“Ouch. What was that for? I thought we were agreeing,” Jena says as she glares at her friend.

“We are agreeing that she needs to stop being crazy, but not that she should lower her standards. We don’t want her hitching her wagon to some felon or a Blue Devil.”

Jena gasps. “A Duke fan? No. We’d have to kick her out of the girl gang.”

“Okay, okay,” I say as I pour myself another margarita. “I get it. I’m the problem.”

“No, you’re the solution. You have to stop cutting guys off at the knees before giving them a real chance,” Erin says. “And we’re here to help. Consider this your intervention.”

“An intervention? No.”

“Yep. We’re taking you out this weekend. You’re gonna find yourself a hot beach boy toy to enjoy while you’re here, and then when you get home, we’re gonna find you a forever man.”

“You two are going to find me a man?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. We’re six for six.”

I raise an eyebrow. “No way. I’m the one who gave Isley a little shove into Langford’s arms, and same for Anna and Weston,” I point out.

“Okay, so maybe we can’t take credit for Anna and Weston, but we are taking credit for the other five finding their HEA with a Tuttle brother. Including Isley. You acted like Langford was the enemy,” Erin says.

“I was Isley’s campaign manager, and he was running against her,” I scoff.

“Exactly. You saw competition, and we saw possibility,” Jena says, then looks at Erin. “We should do this for a living.”

“I thought you said we should open our own private investigation company?”

Jena shrugs. “That’s right. Our motto could be,We help you shake off Mr. Wrong and land Mr. Right.”

Erin’s eyes go wide. “Oh, that’s good.”

I shake my head. No way am I letting these two find me anything. I’m not here to hook up; I’m here to chill out. Sandcastle Cove can keep its men and magic to itself.

Brandee

We slept in.

After finishing our third pitcher of margaritas and watching an entire three-part documentary on Ted Bundy, we finally made it to bed around two o’clock. We decided to skip making breakfast and just grab an early lunch.

“Where’s the golf cart?” Erin asks, a coffee cup steaming in her gloved hands.

“Out back. I charged it last night.” I grin, slipping into my coat and grabbing the keys off the hook near Aunt Ida’s back door. “Wait for Jena, and I’ll go get it.”

I back the golf cart out of the garage, and just as Erin and Jena hop on, Sabel emerges from Avie’s house in a colorful caftan. She makes her way over to us, and I introduce the girls.

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