Page 31 of His Hot Mess

I checked my watch. It was five already—how had that much time gone by?

“You guys ready to go?” Lucy asked.

The barbecue. I had completely forgotten about it. Then I realized what Lucy had said.You guys.I shot a look at Sadie. Was she coming too?

“What, you don’t want me to go?” Sadie snapped, reading my mind.

Graydon raised his eyebrows, glancing at Lucy.

“I didn’t say that,” I snapped back. “I’m just surprised.”

“Cat asked me to come, actually,” she said. “But if you’re sick of me, I’m happy to kick back at home.”

“I didn’t say that,” I said again, pinching off the words. God she was infuriating. I didn’t think Icouldstand to spend another second with her.

But even as I thought it I knew it was a lie.

Her coming changed everything. I didn’t normally spend too much time at these barbecues, just made an appearance and slipped out again, preferring to head back to my place and hang out with a beer and a book. But with her there… would I want to stay?

I thought of her around the sub trade guys, having them look at her the way I had when the breeze had blown blossoms around her like some kind of landed angel.

Dean would probably be there. Jealousy spiked hot and sharp inside me.

“I’m glad you’re coming, actually,” I said. “We can talk about our schedule next week.”

Sadie lifted her chin but didn’t say anything.

“So… it’s going well, I see?” Graydon asked. His eyebrows were up. He was doing a bad job of containing the smirk on his lips.

Lucy elbowed him. “Looks like you got a lot done today!” she said, her voice overly cheery.

I opened my mouth, but Sadie beat me to it.

“It’s going fine.”

I looked down at her wrist, but she only glared at me. Clearly she didn’t want me to say anything about her hurting herself.

“Come on, Lucy,” Sadie said. “I’m ready to call it a day here anyway.”

SADIE

Breathe. Just breathe.

I was trying my very best to act normal. But it was extremely difficult when Chris’s pine and sweat scent still lingered in my memory, making my skin tingle. I shifted positions in the backseat of Graydon’s truck, trying to concentrate on the trees and glimpses of lake we passed on the short drive to Graydon and Lucy’s place on Emerald Lake.

The image of Chris hoisting that piece of wood over his shoulder like goddamnedCommandoflashed in my mind again. I pinched my lips, anger rising, hot once more. He’d known I was watching. He’d looked hot as fuck and heknewI couldn’t stop staring.

Ironically, this was how my sister had first met Graydon. I’d laughed when Lucy confessed she’d gotten into a fender bender because she’d been staring at Graydon in that same parking lot hauling wood.

Now who was laughing? I’d slipped and smashed my wrist into a piece of wood because I’d been so distracted by Chris. Then I’d actuallyfallen into his arms.

I pressed the heels of my palms to my temples. I wished I’d had some time to run upstairs before getting in the truck. Maybe to do a cleansing shot of whiskey, or to have at least splashed some water on my face instead of going from that to this. But Graydon and Lucy had to get to their place before everyone else arrived to get the barbecue going. And how else was I going to get there? Ride with Chris? I needed space from him. But I wasn’t going to get it with him at this party.

Why do you need space? You’re a grown woman, Sadie.

But who was I kidding? The truth was, despite my fury, despite myrules,I knew I wantedhim. So badly it made my whole lower half ache. The need made my heart thump like an idiot drum. It made my stomach fall out of me each time I remembered his stupid gorgeous face.

“Did you hear Logan and Ophelia are having a baby?” Graydon said up in the front.

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