tonight, Mom, and it doesn’t have a thing to do with the ice.”
“Charmer.”
“So what do you think of this venue?”
Her eyes swept the room and returned to her son’s. “I think Dallas found her niche. She did an outstanding job not only on the concept for this place, but on the execution. I’m beyond thrilled for her. So proud. Both your dad and I are.”
“Where is Dad?”
“Playing pinball. As soon as he and his brothers saw the Elvis machine, they were all about the King.” She smiled charmingly. “So that’s why I came lookin’ for you.”
Here’s where I could run interference. “Why aren’t you plinking quarters and hitting those flippers as the King gyrates his hips? Place like this has to be your jam, Aunt Cilla.”
“Well, I sure played a mean pinball . . . back in the day.”
I snickered at her reference to the Who.
“I might give it a whirl later.” She pinned Ash with a look. “After I meet your date. Where is she?”
That’s what Ash needed my help with? And . . . I was out.
But Ash blocked my escape. “She’s running late. That’s why Nolan and I have been waiting at the bar since we arrived. I’ve been watching the door for her.”
I bit back a derisive snort. Ash and I had had our backs to the door for the past half an hour.
“Is that so?”
He gestured to the crowd. “Lotta people, as you can see. I wouldn’t want to miss her.”
Dude. You are so full of shit that your mama could smell it from across the room.
“Now that, I can understand. So y’all don’t mind if I pull up a chair and sit a spell while we wait? We are closer to the champagne here. Jax sure didn’t skimp on serving the good stuff.”
Ash smiled at her—all teeth. “That’d be great. I’ll get another chair.”
I stopped him from escaping. “Oh no, you stay. It’d be my pleasure to grab one.”
Not that I hurried in procuring a chair. No surprise that no one else had joined their little two-person party, given the tightness on Ash’s face.
As soon as I settled next to Priscilla with a fresh glass of champagne, Ash’s body went rigid. He tossed off, “Finally. I see her by the door. I’ll be back.”
He cut through the crowds like a warrior on a mission.
Aunt Priscilla leaned closer to murmur, “Fifty bucks says that’s the last we see of him tonight.”
I laughed. “Hard pass on that sucker bet.”
She harrumphed. “How about wagering on what lie he’ll tell to cover up his original lie?”
“You’re so sure he’s lying?”
“Please. I’m his mother. I’ve never been able to read Dallas, but that boy is the spitting image of his father and that man cannot lie to save his life. At least not to me.”
I loved seeing this side of my aunt . . . and putting the screws to my cousin would be fun. “You’re on. Fifty bucks says he claims his date felt nauseous before she arrived, but she bucked up and came to the party, only to suffer a drastic relapse as soon as she walked through the door, resulting in Ash having to leave immediately to drive her home.”
“My my, Nolan. That is plausible. But I disagree. Too predictable. Ash will go for the drama. He’s more like Dallas in that regard than he’ll admit. I believe he’ll claim to be annoyed that she’d showed up so late, they fought about it, which resulted in her absolute refusal to attend the party. They left to sort things out in private, rather than causing a scene on Dallas and Jax’s big night.”
I held my fist out for a bump.
But we both lost the bet because Ash did show up with a woman on his arm.
Gabriella.
What the fuck?
Ash maneuvered Gabi beside him after they reached us. “Here she is. Better late than never.”
Neither of us responded. Mostly because yelling BULLSHIT would be frowned upon.
“Anyway, Mom, you remember Gabi Welk. She works for Jax at Lakeside.”
Priscilla offered her a genuine smile. “Gabi. Of course. It’s nice to see you again, darlin’.”
“Nice to see you too, Mrs. Lund.”
Not only did Ash not acknowledge me, Gabi didn’t either.
Again . . . WTF?
“How did this date come about?” Priscilla asked. “It just seems . . . out of nowhere.”
Gabi peered up at Ash—total deer-in-the-headlights look.
“Gabi lives in Snow Village. She helped me out when I moved Dallas in. We got to talking, realized we were both invited to this party and