Pushing His Luck - Rhyannon Byrd Page 0,2
well.
When she’d seen him text that he would drop by that first bonfire after work, she’d found herself spending just that extra bit of time getting ready. Curls in her hair, which she’d been letting grow out since her divorce and was now past her shoulders, along with extra mascara on her eyelashes. She’d even worn the new knit top she’d found on sale that Natalie said made her boobs look amazing, along with a spritz of her favorite perfume that was so pricy, she only allowed herself to use it on special occasions.
After Paul had left that night, she’d immediately called Sophie and Natalie on a group FT to share the shocking news that he’d asked her out on a date. She’d been so freaking excited she’d nearly cried, which made the humiliation of being stood up all the worse.
Her friends had been furious when Paul had failed to show for their date, adding insult to injury when he never even texted her with an explanation or apology. She’d given him until Sunday morning, and then she’d promised herself she was done, determined to forget he even existed.
“Are you sure Paul isn’t coming tonight?” she murmured to Sophie, when her friend returned with her drink.
Sophie’s freckled nose scrunched in distaste, a clear sign that she was still pissed at Paul too. “Yeah, I’m sure. Nat told me that Sean called him earlier today, and he said he couldn’t make it.”
She exhaled a loud sigh of relief, then took a sip of her drink, determined to find a way to relax and enjoy herself. She was thirty-two years old, for God’s sake. A mom and a successful graphic artist who owned her own business. She had better things to do than sit around and mope over what a jackass Paul Cartwright had turned out to be.
As Sophie sank into one of the beach chairs that faced hers, her friend grumbled, “I still can’t believe he acted like such a douche.”
She inwardly cringed, hating to think about that night—and wishing like hell that she could wipe the memory of it from her mind.
Cheating husband? Yeah, that had hurt. But it had hardly been a surprise. Not by the time she’d discovered it with her own two eyes.
But getting duped by Paul Cartwright after he’d made her feel like a crushed-out teen? God, her ego might never recover.
Sliding Sophie a wry smile, she said, “It’s fine.”
“The fuck it is.”
The smile fell off her lips, and she didn’t bother arguing. Shit had definitely gotten real when sweet Sophie started dropping F-bombs, but then, both Soph and Nat knew how excited she’d been when Paul had asked her out…and how crushed when he’d ghosted her.
“We haven’t seen him at all since the last time we were all together.” Sophie gave a soft, feminine snort. “He’s probably afraid that Chris will pound on him if he shows his face around here.”
She blanched. “God, I hope not. Chris doesn’t need to waste his time on the jerk. And I don’t think people can just go around hitting cops. There’s probably some kind of law about it.”
“True. But if anyone deserves a busted lip”—Sophie sounded surprisingly bloodthirsty—“it’s Paul.”
She gave a quiet, if not hollow laugh in response, and Sophie finally took mercy on her by changing the subject and asking about the new corporate client she was working for. With drinks in hand, they settled into a lively conversation, like they always did, while the bluesy sounds of a classic rock station filled the air. Natalie showed up about a half hour later, after finishing her shift at Manolo’s, the restaurant where she worked in Del Mar, and she was quick to grab a drink, kiss the hell out of Sean, and then make her way over to join them.
The three of them were still sitting there an hour later, laughing as they watched Chris, Sean and a guy named Steve competing to see who could do the most knee volleys with a soccer ball, when Natalie’s eyes shot wide as she stared over Karin’s shoulder, her Hollywood-starlet features pulling into a fierce scowl. “Oh, hell no. That son of a fucking bitch,” she snarled, quickly moving to her feet.
“What’s wrong?” Sophie asked, her breath sucking in on a sharp gasp as she stood up and looked over Karin’s other shoulder. “Oh no,” Sophie whispered, her worried gaze swiftly locking with Karin’s, and she knew, without even looking, that it was going to be Paul.
She just hadn’t