are so many other fish in the sea.” His cheeks puff up as he blows a slow breath. “Where do you think you are?”
“We’re solid.” I glare at Jet a moment who’s busy giving me the finger with a grin. Sometimes, Jet feels more like my brother than Knox does. “Don’t you have a tattoo to screw-up somewhere?”
He nods at someone over my shoulder. “Not tonight. I’ve got front row tickets to the Rex Toberman takedown event. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I glance back in time to see Scarlett land a soft peck to my lips. Nobody said subtlety was her strong suit.
Cade lifts his brows in amusement. “So, this is happening?”
“What’s happening?” Cassidy and Piper flank Cade on either side.
Scarlett sinks onto my lap, and their jaws root to the floor.
I lean in and whisper, “I take it you didn’t tell them.”
“I’m much better at show than I am tell.”
“Well, look at this”—Cassidy digs her fists into her hips, looking equally livid and amused—“it looks like we’ve got a case of homemade sin brewing hotter than sweet tea.”
Piper grunts, “This fling official? No more closet dry humping?”
“Crap,” I whisper. Leave it to Cade’s sister to say what’s on her mind and then some.
“Nope.” Scarlett wraps her arms around my neck while beaming up at her friends. “We’ve moved on to the real deal.”
“I knew it!” Cassidy screeches so loud her voice howls over the riotous music. “You went on that getaway to Mattress Lake, and you let that boy go cherry picking!”
Scarlett moans as if she might be sick.
“Mirror Lake,” I correct, but no one seems to hear.
“Oh crap!” Piper grunts it out while eyeing me as if I just hacked off Scarlett’s ruby locks. “You took her virginity!”
Help. I glance around to see if an angry mob is growing. I shoot a pleading glance to Jet and Owen.
“Relax.” Owen pulls Piper in, and she conforms to his body. “He didn’t hurt anyone. Besides, this is what they want.”
Cade nods as if agreeing, but that frown is still plastered to his face. “It’s what they both wanted. Make it last, you two.” He offers a knuckle bump before heading back to the bar with Cassidy in hot pursuit.
The band starts in on a slow song, and Piper evicts Owen from his seat as they head to the dance floor.
“You want to do this?” I take a quick nip of Scarlett’s ear, and she jumps to her feet, taking me with her.
Jet stands and pulls me in, pretending to sock my gut. “If you’re happy, I’m happy. I’ll catch you later.”
“Where are you off to?”
“I’ve got a tattoo to screw-up.” He gives a sly wink as he heads for the door. Jet knows I didn’t mean it. He’s the best tattoo artist on the East Coast as far as I’m concerned.
Scarlett leads me by the fingers to the beating heart of the dance floor. I wrap my arms around her, and we begin to sway to the lethargic rhythm. Her perfume sways around us like a poem. I can get lost in Scarlett for a thousand years if she’d let me. And even then, it wouldn’t be enough. She hikes up on her heels and touches her lips to my ear.
“I checked in with my dad again. He’s pretty down.”
“You think it’s too late to save the day?”
“Never say never.” She shrinks a little in my arms, her bottom lip tugging to the side. “I even enlisted Sabrina to help.”
“Desperate times call for desperate sisters. I’ll talk to my mom in the morning. Maybe we should take them out to dinner. I’m pretty sure we can straighten this whole mess out before dessert.”
“I’m glad you think so. I just want to see my father happy again.”
“I know.” I press a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I want that, too.” My eyes close as we rock slowly to the music. I never thought for a minute Scarlett and I would be the obstacle that threw my mother and Bradley off course. I thought for sure all of those skeletons in my mother’s closet would be the ones to derail her impending romantic future. If my mother truly wants happiness, I think she needs to come clean as much as Scarlett and I do.
I’ll talk to her in the morning, all right.
She just won’t like what I have to say.
After a long night at the Black Bear, our group disbands, and I head back to the house