Page 24 of That One Night
I knew you would. I should have kept number seven as it was. – Maisie
I’m glad you didn’t. You know I don’t like to fail. – Emery
Exactly. – Maisie
Chapter
Seven
“Hey Mom,did you hear that Hendrix has a pretty new neighbor?” Pres asked, sending a sly look at Hendrix, who was minding his own damn business, eating the barbecue their dad had cooked.
“Emery Reed?” their mom replied, not missing a beat. “Yes, I heard.” She pressed her lips together. “And I also heard she’s engaged to Trenton Montclair, so that’s a no-go.”
She sounded almost sad about that, like setting him up with her would have been a good idea otherwise. Hendrix sent his brother a dirty look. Sometimes it felt like the three of them had never grown up.
“Don’t make me regret coming over here,” Hendrix warned him. Pres shot him a dirty grin. Most of the family was here, despite the clouds starting to form a grey canopy over the blue sky. There was a storm warning for later. He’d head home after this and make sure everything in the farm was secure.
“Trenton Montclair,” their dad said, deep in thought. “Wasn’t he the one who…”
“Yes, he was.” Their mom’s voice was low. “And the less said about that the better. Who wants cake?”
“I haven’t finished my burger yet,” Marley pointed out. Nor had anybody else for that matter. There were about twenty members of his family there, sitting around tables in his parents’ backyard. Marley and Presley and their families, along with their cousins Michael and Grace were here, as well as Sabrina, who was entertaining them all with stories of her recent dates.
“He doesn’t need somebody who’s engaged. I already told him I could set him up with my friends,” Sabrina said, biting off a mouthful of burger. She had a glint in her eye that Hendrix knew meant trouble. But then trouble and Sabrina went together like a gin and tonic.
“I’m fine, thanks,” Hendrix told her.
“Mariah is sweet,” Sabrina said. “She still asks after you even though you’re a bore.”
“Which one is Mariah?” his mom asked his cousin. Hendrix internally groaned. He wasn’t interested in any of Sabrina’s friends. They were too young. And even if they weren’t, the thought of dating anybody his cousin confided in was way too horrific.
“She’s the one who trashed her dad’s car driving home from a bar,” Michael said, winking at his sister.
“Eek.” Their mom wrinkled her nose. “Maybe not then.”
“There’s also Lila,” Sabrina mused. “She’s been single for a while.”
Hendrix’s eyes met Marley’s. For once his brother looked sympathetic. He’d been through this himself before he’d settled down with Kate and her kids.
“Didn’t Lila get caught setting fires last year?” Grace asked.
“Well, yeah, but she had a legitimate reason,” Sabrina answered, shaking her blonde hair. “She’d found her ex in bed with another woman. She took a pile of his things and set them on fire.”
Jesus Christ. “You know what?” Hendrix said. “I’ll find my own girlfriend, thank you.”
Delilah patted his hand, in an ‘I’ve got this’ kind of way. “Why are you all trying to set him up anyway?” she asked her aunts. “You keep telling me not to bother with boys. To be a strong independent woman.” She folded her arms across her chest, looking older than her years. “So why can’t Hendrix be a strong independent man?”
Pres lifted a brow.
“She’s gonna be trouble,” Marley said to him.
“Already is.” Pres looked resigned.
“If you’re really not interested in Mariah, maybe you should try online dating,” Sabrina told Hendrix, ignoring her niece and cousins. “I’ve met so many guys on there.”
“What guys?” Michael asked. “Who are they? Do Mom and your dad know?”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I’m not an idiot.” She looked at Hendrix. “I’ll come over next week. Make you a profile.”
