Page 119 of Duke
Ryder shrugs. “Heck if I know. Not like I have any real experience in that area.”
But he does. Maybe not romantically speaking, but Ryder has good relationships with all four of his brothers, despite the fact that they work togetherandlive within a five-mile radius of each other.
Just like Duke, he loves hard.
I want to be loved that way.
I turn around at the tap on my shoulder.
“Can I borrow you for a sec?” Ava asks. “There’s some friends of mine I want you to meet.”
Ryder huffs out a sigh. “Fine. But I get her back, ya hear?”
“Wyatt’s already claimed her for the auction.”
“What?” I laugh. “Since when am I in such high demand?”
Ava furrows her brow. “Since forever.” She says it like there should be aduhat the end of that sentence.
Next thing I know, she’s whisking me toward a circle of women. She introduces me to Sarah, who has four-year-old triplets and a side gig illustrating erotic scenes from romance books. Then there’s Paige, who has three kids three and under, and Mona, who is eight months pregnant with her second boy.She works three days a week as a physician’s assistant at the family medicine practice down the street.
“We’ve all heard about your boots,” Sarah says.
Mona nods. “I’m asking for a pair for Christmas. The red ones with the hearts.”
“Oooh, I love those. Y’all are truly so, so talented,” Paige adds. “I wish I was creative like that.”
Sarah grins. “If you ever want me to illustrate a scene for you where the people are wearing your boots and your boots only, just say the word.”
Laughing—so much laughing tonight—I grab my phone and open up a blank notes page. “I think our Instagram followers would definitely get a kick out of that, Sarah. All right, gimme your email. And then I need all y’all’s shoe sizes.”
I’m buzzing by the time the auction begins, and I haven’t had so much as a drop of alcohol. Wyatt elbows Sawyer out of the way to claim the seat beside mine. Duke sits on my other side, draping his arm over the back of my chair.
“You okay?” he asks, voice low. “I know this is a lot.”
Bending down to grab my paddle out of my bag, I shake my head. “Are you kidding? This is so much fun. Thank you again for the invite. Everyone is so friendly.”
He smiles, a funny look in his eyes. “I saw you working the room, taking names and selling boots.”
“The boots will be a gift. I really like those girls.”
He swipes his thumb over my bare shoulder. Once, twice. “You fit right in. No surprise there, though.”
But Duke is the one who really shines during the auction. He drives the prices up on everything, from a tie-dyed butterfly made from coffee filters to a snowman constructed entirely from buttons. Goody, Tallulah’s wife, is running the auction, and she kindly but firmly asks Duke to give other family members a shot at winning the next handful of items.
Mollie buys a cardboard cowboy hat decorated with glitter. I purchase a princess party the threes teachers will host for Junie, Ella, and ten of their very best friends, letting out a squeal of delight when I beat Paige by fifty bucks.
Duke gives my thigh a squeeze, then leans in to brush his lips over my neck before murmuring in my ear, “You wanna be one of the best friends that goes to that party, right?”
I bite my lip. “You know me well.”
“I’m learning, Blue.” He gives my thigh another squeeze before resting his hand there.
And I’m learning what life could be like if I chose Duke. Chose the baby.
Chose love.
CHAPTER 27
