Page 24 of Last Chance Seduction
“No reason,” Brooklyn sing-songed.
“Brooklyn.”
“Fine, I just wanted to see if Mercy was home.”
“And why would you need to see if Mercy’s home?”I asked, slightly on edge.Because I knew exactly why Brooklyn was here.
And why Dash had shown up earlier, and even Livy had come by.Livy didn’t even live in the state anymore, but she, her new husband, and daughter, as well as a couple of her new in-laws had come down to visit before Christmas.They were spending all of Christmas and New Year’s up in Wyoming but had wanted to visit the family beforehand.
And every single person had wanted to know what was going on with me and Mercy.
Not that there was anything going on.It was just a kiss, a simple kiss that I had been waiting on since I was eight years old, even though I had completely forgotten that I had been waiting on it since I was eight years old.That’s what happened when you lived in denial, sometimes the denial worked.
“You’re welcome to go annoy her while she’s working, but today’s a relatively quiet day on my house, so she’s probably in her studio.I’m not dealing with her wrath.”
“Why would she be wrathful?I just want to say hi.”
I raised a brow.“It was mistletoe.Stop it.”
“Uh-huh.So youarethinking about that kiss.Because your kiss wasn’t the only kiss that happened underneath the mistletoe.And people have questions.”
“What other kiss was there?”What the hell had I missed?There hadn’t been too many unpaired, non-family members there so there were only so many possibilities.
“Aww, it’s so nice that you’re focused on your own moment in time underneath the mistletoe.”
“Let me guess, the only kiss you got last night was by a cousin on the cheek?”
“Rude.True.But rude.”
“What about Rodney?I’m surprised you didn’t bring him.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes.
“That’s been over for a while now.I’m seeing someone else, though he didn’t get to come to the party.He had other family obligations.As for Rodney?He didn’t like that I disparaged kale.”
I blinked, trying to catch up.“As in our friend’s husband or the salad?”
“The salad.”
A family friend of a friend happened to be married to a man named Cale, spelled with a C.He seemed like a nice enough guy, but I usually ended up just thinking about the vegetable.
“Anyway, I’m off to the office, because I have a few papers to sign, but let me know when you’re ready to finish working on that bid.I know the retreat’s coming up.”
I crossed my eyes at that.“Don’t remind me.”
“I’ll go with you if you want.I can schmooze just as good as you.”
My lips twitched.
“Yes, you can.But it’s the holidays.I’m not going to make you do that.”
“The offer’s still out there.Or hell, bring Mom.She’s great at that.”
“I don’t know if bringing my mother to a retreat where everybody’s trying to one-up one another is going to set the tone.”
“It’ll keep people guessing,” she said with a laugh, before she got back into her truck, and headed off.
I shook my head, knowing that Brooklyn had taken time out of her day to come annoy me, and see what was going on between Mercy and me.Not that there was anything going on.
