Come To Me (Dare With Me #3) - J.H. Croix Page 0,34

to come out here.”

Nora smiled. “It will work out. I just know it. I already checked with some of the guests here. They all said when they weren’t scheduled for something else, they would definitely come to the class before dinner.”

Gemma was drawn into conversation with Nora and some of the others, giving Harley the opportunity to offer her observations. Because my sister never missed an opportunity to share her opinion with me. “Gemma seems nice.” I supposed I should be grateful she kept her voice low.

“She is nice, Harley. Don’t grill her. We had dinner. Once.” It wasn’t as if my sister didn’t know that detail already, but I saw fit to remind her.

Harley let out an aggrieved sigh. “I’m not going to grill her. I admit to being curious that you actually went on a date, but I’ll leave it at that. Although, I think you should ask yourself why you might finally be interested enough in someone to break your stupid rules.”

Gabriel entered the conversation when he spun on his stool where he was sitting nearby. “Rules?”

At that highly inconvenient moment, Gemma made her way back to us.

“Yeah,” Harley said.

“I didn’t know Diego had rules. I’m dying to know what they are,” Gabriel teased, a wicked glint in his eyes.

“I don’t know what rules you’re talking about,” I replied, keeping my tone casual.

Harley, because she never hesitated to provide her feedback on any situation related to me, offered, “Ever since Diego broke up with his ex-fiancée, he has a rule that he doesn’t date. That’s it. It’s been that way for years now.” Harley lifted her hands in a so-what motion.

“You have an actual rule?” Gabriel pressed.

I shook my head and popped another roll in my mouth. I could use the flavor distraction with the side benefit that I didn’t have to talk.

Harley twisted her lips. “It might as well be official.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, y’all. I don’t have any rules,” I finally interjected after I finished chewing.

“It is true that you generally don’t date,” Tucker chimed in as he appeared on the opposite side of the counter, swiping the last roll on the tray Daphne had left on top of the stove and tossing it in his mouth with a grin.

I looked amongst my friends, casting a quick glance at Gemma. Her eyes twinkled, and a smile teased at the corners of her mouth. I relaxed inside. Good, at least she could tell my friends and my sister were just giving me a little hell. Well, maybe not my sister. She had an agenda, always. “I don’t have a rule, and enough with the group discussion,” I said firmly.

Conveniently, time was on my side, and Cat called that dinner was ready. We moved as a group, all of us heading to the long table by the windows. I was pretty sure my sister made it happen, but Gemma ended up seated beside me. She smelled like strawberries, and I wondered why, but mostly I was simply glad she sat beside me.

Dinner was a relaxed and somewhat noisy affair. I loved it here. While we might be a hodgepodge group, we were a chosen family.

Later that evening, part of the group decided to go into town to see a band at Sally’s, one of the favorite local bars. I didn’t want to go to Sally’s, but I did want to steal some more time with Gemma.

Chapter Seventeen

Gemma

“Your friends are great,” I commented, my voice quiet amidst the hum of conversation surrounding us.

Sally’s was busy tonight, as it was every night. The local bar was in a renovated barn. One side of it housed a restaurant with the kitchen in the center of the structure and serving as a divider between the two main areas. The other side had a small stage for live music and round tables scattered throughout the space. The old hayloft above had more tables. The atmosphere was pared-down country.

I hadn’t particularly wanted to come to Sally’s, but Diego had invited me along with Nora and some others from the resort. Diego cast me a quick grin. “They are. They can be a bit much with their opinions sometimes.”

“I imagine when you’re that close, everyone butts in.”

Diego lifted a shoulder in an easy shrug. “So true. I’m the first to stick my nose in when I’ve got an opinion.”

“So, tell me, what was Harley talking about?” I asked, unable to resist the question.

“You mean how she thinks I have a rule?”

I nodded. I was