Dragon's Fake Wedding Date - Riley Storm Page 0,22

know. You’re the best, all of you. I’ll be okay eventually, just right now…you know?”

Sam nodded. “But don’t worry too hard either. I was in a similar spot before I met Sache, you know. Now we’re already discussing marriage and kids, and I couldn’t see myself with anyone else.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

“Things can happen in a flash,” Sam said. “It can scare you, but sometimes it’s just so good.”

“You, Claire, and Lilly are all lucky like that,” Gayle said with a smile. “Having these super hunky men come and sweep you off your feet.”

In her head, an image of Rann picking her up and carrying her off played out, bringing a tinge of heat to her cheeks that Gayle hoped Sam wouldn’t pick up on.

“Maybe that’ll happen to you too,” Sam said with a grin.

“Ha,” Gayle said. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m ready for another man so quickly, you know what I mean?”

“Of course,” Sam said. “But sometimes fate chooses the worst times to give us the best gift.”

Gayle looked sharply at her friend. “That’s awfully powerful.”

Sam smiled. “Someone I care for very much told me a similar message. Sometimes that’s what we need to hear the most.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay,” Gayle said, nodding, feeling a bit better about herself and her situation. “Thanks for the chat. I suppose I should get back to my own birthday party now, shouldn’t I?”

“You’d better, before I start handing out shots to everyone.”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Gayle said, laughing as she headed back into the living room, the black cloud of despair lifted for the time being thanks to her friend.

She noticed the conversation had shifted while she was gone. People were focused, intent on the subject. The women were at least.

“What are we all talking about?” she asked, looking around.

“That video that was on the news earlier,” Jamie said. “The one where the guy killed the woman. Did you see it?”

Gayle shivered. “Yeah. That was realistic-looking as hell. Some damn good CGI.”

Several of the others looked uncomfortable.

“What?” she asked. “Wait, you guys don’t actually think it was real, do you? That some creature out there actually sucked that woman dry of her own blood? There’s no way it was real.”

Kristin, Sam, Lilly, and Claire all looked tense, but nobody replied to her with more than a shrug.

Okay. Note to self: don’t have conversations about possibly dead women on the news during your birthday party.

“Right. So, Sam said we’re doing shots,” she said, changing the subject.

“NO!” Kristin yelped, throwing up both hands. “Absolutely not!”

Laughter ensued. The doorbell rang.

Gayle frowned in surprise. She wasn’t expecting anyone else. Her parents were coming for brunch in the morning, but that was it. Who would be at the door?

A part of her wished it would be Mikey or Karen because she knew that if they did show up, the others would absolutely eviscerate them for being so rude.

She went over to the door and pulled it open.

“Hi,” Rann said, smiling wide as he waited with one arm behind his back. “Happy Birthday!”

Chapter Twelve

Gayle

She stared in shock, not saying anything for long that Rann began to shift uncomfortably from side to side.

“What are you doing here?” she finally managed to get out, her voice croaked and tight.

Rann’s smile got broader, though she wasn’t sure how that was possible, and he pulled his hand out from behind his back.

“It’s your birthday tomorrow,” he said. “I thought you could use some flowers.”

“Oh, Rann, they’re beautiful,” she said, taking the proffered bouquet of assorted brightly-colored flowers—not roses, she noted thankfully—and giving them an appreciative sniff. “They smell so good!”

“I’m glad,” he said happily. “I didn’t want to get you a real gift because I have no idea what you need. But I wanted to get you something.”

Gayle’s mind flashed back to ten minutes earlier, when she’d been in the kitchen talking to Sam.

Sometimes fate sends us the best things at the worst times. That had been Sam’s words, or something like it.

This is not what she meant, Gayle tried to tell herself, but she couldn’t stop from smiling up at Rann.

“Is this all because you couldn’t wait until Monday? Is that why you’re here?” She frowned. “Also, how did you know when to come by? Or where to come?”

Rann winced. “Umm…I had a bit of help on that one.”

“Aren’t you going to invite him in?” a voice drawled lazily from behind her.

Gayle turned, giving the speaker a long eye. “You don’t seem overly surprised, Claire,” she said accusingly, though