11
ask that you stop acting like a self- centered dumbass and realize 12
I’m not stupid.”
13
“I never said you were stupid.” Jules slumped, sitting on the
14
bed. “I worry about you. Have you searched this guy online?
15
He’s got quite the reputation. I want to protect you from that.”
16
“I know what he is. I know what he’s done and I know what
17
he is to me. Last I checked Cal had a reputation too. Also, in case 18
it’s escaped your notice, I’m a grown woman. I am absolutely
19
capable of making my own decisions, so step back. What he has
20
done with other women before me doesn’t matter as long as it
21
was consensual and all that. Otherwise it’s not my business as
22
long as he’s not treating
me
that way. And he isn’t. He’s respect-23
ful of me. Of my job and my life. We’re having a good time, not
24
planning a wedding. Back. Off.”
25
“Is that so wrong? Am I bad because I care?” Out came the
26
eyes and Mary’s anger wisped away into amusement.
27
“You look like a Precious Moments fi gurine. I’ve known you
28S
too long to be swayed by your game. You’re wrong. Admit it.
29N
Really be sorry. Apologize to him for being rude and we can
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Lush
move on. Otherwise, you need to leave. He’s a guest in my home
01
and I’m not going to let you make him feel bad. He’s a nice guy,
02
Jules. You should give him a chance.”
03
Jules sighed. “I want him to be perfect.”
04
Mary laughed; she couldn’t help it. “Oh Jules, what man is
05
perfect? Huh? He makes me happy. I like him. He likes me.
06
That’s really it. There’s nothing more complicated here than that.
07
Be a big girl and own your shit or get the hell out of my house.”
08
“You’re mean.”
09
Mary put on some moisturizer, waiting Jules out. Jules
10
wouldn’t leave without doing the right thing. That’s why she’d
11
come over to start with. She was a good person and in the end,
12
she’d do what she knew she should.
13
Heaven knew she’d been on the other end a time or two. That’s
14
what friendship was. Give and take. And when you messed up,
15
you made it right.
16
“Fine. But only if we get to come to dinner tonight.”
17
“I should disinvite all of you for this petty bullshit. In fact,
18
I want to go to dinner. I’m not making anything here.”
19
Jules got up, moving to Mary and taking her hands. “I’m
20
sorry. I was a bitch. I won’t make excuses. I called Daisy because
21
I hate it when you’re mad at me. Anyone else and I can deal. But
22
you? I just can’t. She didn’t go around you, I swear. She only told 23
me about dinner because I said I was going to come over here.
24
Please forgive me? I’ll be your best friend.”
25
Mary rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you’re so full of shit. You
26
owe me. And you owe Damien a real apology. You guys can
27
come to dinner.” She held up a hand to silence Jules. “But
only
S28
if you tell my brother that if he so much as gives a mean look
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
I am really, truly, pinky- swear going to cut him off. This is not 02
all right. I mean it.”
03
Jules hugged her. “I love you. I’m sorry.”
04
“Mm-hm.”
05
“I am. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. I did it all wrong. I
06
told your brothers how smart and awesome you are and how
07
you can manage your own life and sex life and stuff, and then I
08
went and did this and undermined everything I said. I don’t think
09
you’re stupid. Not by a long shot. And I know you can handle
10
your own life.”
11
Mary opened the door and jerked her chin. “Go on. You
12
have an apology to give.”
13
True to her word, Jules went out to the living room where
14
Damien had settled in on her couch, listening to music and read-
15
ing a magazine. “I was pretty rude to you just now. I’m sorry. I
16
promise I’m not normally like this. I’d really like if it you could 17
forgive me.”
18
Damien worked hard to keep a straight face. Which only
19
amused Mary more. “Apology accepted. You wanted to protect
20
your friend. As it happens, I like Mary a whole lot too. So I get
21
it. We can hit the reset button.”
22
23
24
25
26
27
28S
29N
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01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
12
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
H
16
e wasn’t one of her kitchen assistants, he’d been told.
17
So she sat him down at the table always reserved for
18
friends and family— which he did like— and marched
19
away back to her kitchen.
20
Tart, the place she held her twice- weekly supper club, was
21
small, but not claustrophobic. It was intimate. Pretty lights twin-
22
kled and candles fl ickered in the chandeliers dotting the space.
23
But even they fi t the space. They were elegant without being too
24
much. The candles took them away from formality.
25
“The chandeliers were her idea, weren’t they?” Damien asked
26
Daisy.
27
Daisy grinned, nodding. “Yeah. She found them at a ware-
S28
house sale place. They totally work. I want some in my house.”
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
Levi just looked amused.
02
Gideon came in with Jules and Cal. Gideon tipped his chin in
03
Damien’s direction in greeting. He knew they all had reservations.
04
Fueled by all the idiot stuff he’d done and been dumb enough to
05
have been photographed doing. He knew he had to prove himself.
06
He did like that she’d taken Jules aside and spoken with her.
07
He had no idea what was said, but Jules’s apology had been
08
genuine and when they’d had dinner at Mary’s the night before,
09
they’d taken some tentative steps toward getting to know one
10
another.
11
If she hadn’t been . . . well, so wonderfully Mary, he wouldn’t
12
have made the effort. But she was. He needed to have a long
13
talk with Ezra about it when he got home. Ez would have great
14
advice, would listen without judgment and wouldn’t ever let him
15
weasel out of anything.
16
Gillian and Adrian came in with smiles for everyone.
17
“Didn’t expect to see you guys tonight.” Jules waved at them,
18
coming to sit, a drink in her hand.
19
“Miles is at the movies with his friends. He’s a little sad now
20
that they’ll be here at the high school and he’ll be in Seattle. But 21
they’ve all pledged to keep hanging out so he’s off for pizza and
22
movies.” Gillian smiled at Damien as she sat. “Hello, you.”
23
“Evenin’, Miz Brown. Hey, Adrian.”
24
“Hey, Damien. What’s on the menu tonight?” Adrian picked
25
up the card on the plate. “Fuck yeah, fried chicken. Mary’s fried
26
chicken is so good. I hope there’s extra because I could eat eight
27
pieces.”
28S
Gillian laughed, leaning into his arm. “The crime is that you
29N
could and it would never show.”
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He turned to her, tracing over her bottom lip. “English, you
01
know how much I love your body. Eat as much fried chicken as
02
you want; I’ll
keep
loving your body.”
03
She ducked her chin, blushing furiously.
04
Mary came out with one other server and began to place
05
things on the tables. There were fi fteen tables in the room, seat-
06
ing a maximum of four people. And their table, which seated
07
ten. Seventy people maximum, she’d told him. She wanted to
08
keep the feeling intimate and the quality of the food high.
09
“Smoked salmon dip with vegetable chips.” She smiled at him
10
before she looked at anyone else. “And a quick vegetable pickle.”
11
“She’ll sit with us once the main course is served. But for
12
now she’s going to get the salad course set up,” Daisy explained
13
as everyone began helping themselves, passing things up and
14
down the table, pausing to hum their delight.
15
He wished she was with him right then, but he also liked this
16
chance to watch her at work. She moved surely, confi dently. This
17
was her world and she was in charge. Hot.
18
He broke his gaze away from where she’d just disappeared
19
into the kitchen and turned to Adrian. “Saw the news this morn-
20
ing. Triple platinum. Damn. Congratulations.”
21
Adrian grinned. “Awesome, isn’t it?”
22
“Reg Thorne did an amazing job, but it’s the songwriting
23
that really pushed it over. You and Erin are such a solid team.”
24
Gillian made a little hum. “Even though they fi ght like cats
25
and dogs sometimes.”
26
Adrian laughed. “If you think Erin and I fi ght, you should
27
see the Hurley boys throw down. Didn’t Paddy break your nose
S28
once?”
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
He snorted. “Twice actually. Vaughan sort of stays out of it.
02
My mom says it’s because Paddy and I are so close in age, only
03
ten months apart. I say it’s because Paddy is a control freak and
04
a dick. But he plays guitar like nobody’s business, and he can
05
sing better than the rest of us, so we let him stay.”
06
Gillian laughed, reaching out to pat his hand. “Oh, that’s all
07
talk. You three love each other very much. I saw how he reacted
08
when the photographer tried to take that shot of you and Mary.”
09
Cal leaned forward to listen. “What’s this?”
10
Damien hadn’t meant to have that brought up. Mary didn’t
11
know about Paddy’s defense of her and how he’d nearly ended up
12
in jail over it. Damien knew his brother wouldn’t want her feel-
13
ing guilty. “She doesn’t need any of that stuff.” Paddy had been
14
so enraged that the photographer had invaded their privacy and
15
was threatening Mary that he’d nearly gone to jail over it when
16
the photog called the cops. Luckily, the guy had been trespassing
17
and had made a threat to Paddy fi rst. “Look, Mary doesn’t know
18
about it. He’d be embarrassed about it and I don’t want her to
19
worry. At the Gorge, the photographer climbed a fence and Paddy
20
caught him with his camera and high- powered lens pointed at
21
Mary while she was backstage. My brother, um, physically
22
removed the guy, who tried to call the cops to press charges. But
23
people saw him threaten Paddy fi rst and he’d been trespassing
24
too. We sign on for that crazy. People like Mary don’t.”
25
“Thank you. For, you know, getting her back. Thank your
26
brother too.” Cal tipped his chin in Damien’s direction.
27
He shrugged, feeling awkward.
28S
More food came, including the famous fried chicken, and
29N
she fi nally sat at the table, right next to him.