Vote Then Read: Volume I

by Carly Phillips

  “It would have gone to the junkyard in the sky last year without Carter. So make sure you give him a kiss just for me.” She winked. “I was going to say something like a hand job or something, but then I realized he’s now my brother-in-law and he doesn’t know me well enough for that.”

  Roxie just laughed and hip-bumped her. “I don’t think Carter needs any extra help getting those things. In fact, I’m going to end up needing a wrist brace at some point if I’m not careful.”

  And that was why the two of them were laughing so hard they were crying as they entered the paint room and took their seats alongside Abby, Thea, and Shea. Their mom had come with them the first time but had bowed out this week since she had date night with their dad. The fact that her parents still had date nights made Adrienne’s romantic heart swoon. She might have put her career and art before her love life for far too long, but she believed in love and everything warm and bubbly about it.

  “Do I want to know?” Thea asked, her voice taking on that motherly tone that fooled no one. Thea was just as dirty as the rest of them, even if she liked to boss them around lovingly.

  “Probably,” Adrienne said with a wink as she unwrapped her scarf. It was getting colder and colder every night, and she knew she’d have to switch out her fall coat for her winter one soon. She hated that, these days, she couldn’t wear her cute leather one for longer periods since winter tended to creep up on them faster each year.

  “Whoever came up with this idea was brilliant,” Shea said as she sipped her red wine. Each of them usually only had a glass since they all had to drive, but it was fun to enjoy the time together regardless.

  “I know,” Abby agreed. She owned the tea shop, Teas’d, next door to MIT, and had been friends with Thea since she moved into the building a few months before Adrienne had. “I heard they’re all over the country now, though, and since I’ve finally heard of them, they probably won’t be popular for too much longer. I’m always the last to learn anything.”

  Adrienne snorted. “You’re not alone. I never know what’s the in thing to do these days, but wine and painting? I’m in.”

  “Better than your knitting?” Thea asked, her eyes twinkling.

  Adrienne did her best to flip her sister off without anyone else noticing, but the older woman behind their crew stuck up her nose. Whatever. She and her sisters were the inked and pierced crew—even if two of their group were accountants who hid their ink thanks to their jobs—all of them were used to looks. They were Montgomerys, after all, and tended to stand out in a crowd.

  “Knitting?” Abby asked. “You knit?”

  Adrienne winced. “I tried. My cousin, Meghan, tried to teach me along with my other cousin-in-law, Jillian. Jillian did a little better, but I faked my way through most of it.”

  Abby frowned, tilting her head as she studied them.

  “What is it?” Roxie asked.

  “You’re talking about Meghan and Jillian Montgomery? Married to Luc and Wes respectively.”

  Adrienne sat straighter on her stool. “Yeah, Meghan and Wes are our cousins.”

  “We have like forty of them or something,” Roxie put in dryly.

  “How do you know them?” Shea asked.

  A sad look crossed over the other woman’s eyes before she blinked it away. “Oh, I know Murphy Gallagher, whose brother is married to Maya. Your cousin.”

  “Small world,” Roxie said as the rest of them started talking about all the Montgomerys and their various spouses and babies. Adrienne could never keep up, and honestly, her mind was on what Abby had said and not what they were talking about.

  She’d heard of Abby, and not just because she was part of the community Adrienne had moved into. But her story wasn’t one that Adrienne thought she wanted anyone else to know, at least not yet, so she kept it to herself. But her heart ached for the other woman, even as she tried to keep the expression on her face sweet so Abby wouldn’t know that Adrienne already knew some of the horrors she had faced. And Adrienne figured she didn’t even know the half of it.

  Kaylee walked into the studio at that moment, pulling Adrienne out of her thoughts, and their evening of Brushes With Lushes finally began. Adrienne loved Kaylee. She was a few years older than Adrienne and had an air about her that said she’d been through it all, twice, and came out the other side stronger. Plus, she was a fantastic artist with such a depth of talent that if one didn’t realize that helping others enjoy art was important, they’d wonder why she was wasting her time with an evening like this.

  “Welcome all,” Kaylee began with a smile. “I see the Lushes part of the evening is in full swing.” She winked, and everyone held up his or her decorated wine glass in cheers. Each glass held a hand-painted saying on it, as well as cute decorations along the stem. Adrienne figured that either Kaylee had had fun one weekend painting, or they were from another event where people left them for others to enjoy. Either was possible, knowing the artist. “Now, let’s get the Brushes part started.”

  She took the lace scarf off the painting on the easel beside her and while others gasped, laughed, or starting giggling, Adrienne narrowed her eyes in study. This was the part she loved, and she wanted to make sure her art was the best it could be. While this wasn’t a competition and no one would be truly comparing his or hers to each other’s outside of joking, Adrienne was still an artist herself and didn’t want to screw it up. This wasn’t paint by numbers, and there was always wiggle room for originality as they went along, but Adrienne liked to get as close to the original as possible. It kept her skills up.

  The moonscape in front of her was simple and beautiful. There were a few dark trees in the foreground, and the whites, purples, and blues would be fun to play with as they layered on. This was so much better than her failed knitting attempt. Meghan and Jillian might have thought she’d gotten the hang of it, but she’d had to practice hours and hours with no true progress, and she’d never been able to cast on correctly. Painting was totally in her wheelhouse, and so much fun to do when she was with her family and friends.

  As everyone began, Shea and Abby bent their heads together, laughing at a joke at the end of their row, while Adrienne sat between a determined Thea and Roxie. Roxie had her tongue between her teeth as she tried her hardest to get the shapes right, and Adrienne knew it vexed her younger sister that, of the four siblings, she was the one who had the most problems with any kind of drawing or painting. Adrienne and Shep were tattoo artists, of course, but Thea was a baker who could decorate cakes and cookies like no one’s business. They each had their own strengths, but she knew Roxie hated that hers wasn’t the same as her siblings’.

  “Why is this so hard?” Roxie mumbled, stabbing at her canvas.

  “That’s what she said,” Thea and Adrienne said at the same time before breaking down into giggles.

  Roxie’s lips twitched before she joined them. “Such mature ladies,” she said with a snort before setting down her brush so she could have more of her wine. “And can we do like a trivia night next time or something? I’d rock at that.”

  “If we do that, we’d have to invite Shep,” Adrienne put in. “He only barely lets us have this night on our own.”

  “True,” Shea said from the other end of the row. “He not only likes wine, but he enjoys painting, as well. It’s only because we’ve banned the men from our Girls’ Night gatherings that he’s not sulking behind us at this very moment.”

  Adrienne couldn’t help but smile. After a decade of having her big brother living across the country—okay, New Orleans wasn’t that far from Colorado, but it sure as hell felt like it—she liked getting to know the adult Shep and all his idiosyncrasies.

  “I’d still beat him,” Roxie said, her chin held high even as laughter danced in her eyes. “I need to beat him at something.”

  Adrienne patted Roxie’s shoulder. “You don’t suck at this, you know.” She waved at her sister’s painting. “You just want things to be perfect, and something like this do
esn’t always need to be perfect.”

  Roxie stuck out her tongue before taking another sip of her wine and setting the glass down. “That’s what Carter says, yet sometimes it’s like none of you understand me.” She rolled her eyes, making it a joke, but Adrienne couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to her words—and not just about herself.

  Adrienne turned a bit to meet Thea’s gaze, but neither of them said anything in response to Roxie’s statement. Whatever was going on with their sister and Carter wasn’t their business—yet. Of course, for all she knew, nothing was going on at all, and she was just looking too hard beneath all of Roxie’s words. After all, Carter was nothing but loving and caring when he was near the rest of the family, and even that evening, Roxie had come to the event looking wonderfully disheveled.

  She took a sip of her drink, knowing she was only running in circles around her sister’s marriage because it was easier to do than wondering what the hell she was doing with her own relationship.

  They painted some more while talking about nothing important until Shea asked how Thea’s best friend, Molly, was doing.

  Thea set down her brush and frowned. “I don’t know. She doesn’t talk to me about Dimitri or how she feels about the divorce. She just acts like nothing is wrong and that this whole thing is just a new phase of her life.”

  Adrienne winced. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “I know, right?” Thea gulped the last of her wine before setting her glass down on the cloth-covered bench a little harder than necessary. Thankfully, the glass didn’t break. “She’s just going about her business, and I can tell that Dimitri is truly hurting, but it’s not like I can talk to him about it or even be on his side because—”

  “Because she’s your best friend, and that means you’re automatically on her side.” Adrienne had already finished her wine and was on her second glass of water since she liked to hydrate, so she drank for a moment before letting out a breath. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle.”

  This was another reason she stayed out of relationships. Everything was so complicated. Every single woman at this table had a ton of baggage and history when it came to love and men yet, somehow, Shea and perhaps Roxie had made it through to the other side. Thea was perpetually single just like Adrienne, and Abby? Well, that wasn’t her story to tell.

  “But I’m not in the middle, not really,” Thea said, her sad gaze resting on her painting. “I can’t be. Dimitri was my friend too, and now…well, now he can’t be anymore, not the same way, and that sucks.” She blew out a breath then went back to painting, the subject closed. Adrienne was fine with that. It wasn’t as if she knew what to say to make it better, after all.

  She purposely didn’t bring up Mace and knew she was being a coward. It wasn’t as if she had any idea what she would or could say if someone brought it up. Her sisters saw far too much, and Adrienne had a feeling Shea and Abby were the same way when it came to ferreting out information. They’d all gone through their own levels of connections, and she knew they’d use that experience to see right through her. Or maybe she was being far too cautious and nervous about what they would say once she mentioned Mace’s name. After all, he was her best friend, and she was allowed to bring him up, especially since they also worked together. It wasn’t as if she had to tell the world she was sleeping with him.

  Often.

  And not really sleeping.

  Her muscles tightened at the thought of him, and she cursed her inner hussy. He was just as much of a harlot since he was constantly making her come, but again, she wasn’t going to think about that…no matter how much she wanted to.

  “So, big sister,” Thea began, her voice far too casual. “You seem far too relaxed these days for opening a new business. Who’s the guy?”

  “Yes, you do look too well lubed,” Roxie put in, a grin on her face.

  “Trust you to make the mechanic joke,” Adrienne said dryly. And she couldn’t lie to her sisters, not well enough, so she told them part of the truth—the only part she could. “And, well…I have been sleeping with a guy. But no one you know. It’s not that important. Just relieving some tension.”

  The others didn’t ask her any other questions, but their gazes held far too many for her liking. Shea gave her a look, and Adrienne stiffened. As soon as the words had left her mouth, she’d known they were a mistake and far too hurtful, but she hadn’t known how to make sure the others knew it wasn’t serious. If Mace ever found out…

  She stopped that line of thinking and went back to painting. The others followed suit, and she hoped none of them noticed that her hand was shaking, just a tiny bit.

  “So, how’s the shop going?” Shea asked a bit later as they all left and headed to their cars. “I know Shep’s been stressing out over whoever is trying to hurt MIT, but how do you think it’s going?”

  Adrienne tightened her scarf as she leaned against Shea’s car. The others had already left the parking lot, leaving the two of them to talk in private. She wasn’t sure any of them had meant for it to happen, but it was fine with her.

  “Financially, the shop is doing great, as you know. We’re getting in new clients daily, and we already have waiting lists for the major work coming in. But as for who wants to take us down? Other than that mystery man at the beginning, I have no clue. No matter who we ask around the building, no one knows who it could have been. That seems weird to me. To all of us.”

  Shea nodded. “I know. And I’m not from here, so it’s not like I have any idea who could have ties to the area that would want your shop out of the way. I just hope all of you are safe, you know? I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  Adrienne reached out and squeezed Shea’s arm. “We’re being careful. So careful that the boys have gone all caveman and don’t let anyone walk to their cars at night alone. Even Thea and Abby if they can find a way to stop it.”

  “It helps that you and Mace are sleeping together, too. He’s able to watch you more often.”

  “Well, yeah, but I don’t really think that has anything to do with it.” Adrienne shut her mouth quickly, her face heating as Shea looked like a cat in cream.

  The other woman bounced from foot to foot and pointed. “I knew it. I knew it!” She danced around, wiggling her hips, and Adrienne felt all the blood leech from her face.

  “How…you tricked me!” She growled at the other woman, but Shea just continued to do her insane hip-wiggle dance.

  “Yes, I did. And I’m proud of it. I’m learning to be a Montgomery day by day.” She stopped her dance—thankfully—and reached out to grip both of Adrienne’s arms. “First, I’m happy for you. Second, I was only guessing because I got a vibe from you both last time I was in. Third, Shep has no clue. Fourth, I won’t tell him because there’s a code. However, a caveat to that is if he asks me directly for some unknown reason, I will have to tell him because I don’t lie to my husband.”

  Adrienne let out a shuddering breath. “Just…just make sure he has no reason to ask you.”

  Shea moved forward and hugged her hard. “I’ll do my best. I’m happy for you.” She whispered the last part, and for some reason, tears stung the back of Adrienne’s eyes.

  “It’s…it’s nothing. It has to be nothing. Okay?”

  Shea nodded, before frowning. “I get it. But, Adrienne? Don’t call Mace unimportant again. I think you’re doing both of you a disservice if you do that.”

  Adrienne didn’t say anything as she watched the other woman get in her car and drive away, leaving Adrienne to stand there like a lying idiot who couldn’t even come up with a good fib that didn’t hurt anyone.

  She got into her own car and looked down at her phone as it buzzed.

  Mace: You get home okay?

  She refused to feel warmth at his caring.

  Adrienne: I’m still in the parking lot. Wanted to talk to Shea a bit.

  She turned on her car before calling him on her Bluetooth. Her car might be old, but it still had at least that
much since the tech wasn’t that new.

  “Sorry for calling, I just wanted to start home and didn’t want to text and drive.”

  His deep grumble of a voice came through her speakers, and she was very afraid that she’d made a mistake in listening to him like this. Talk about a distraction.

  “I’m glad you’re not texting and driving. You have fun with the girls?”

  She nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see her. Hell, he was making her act loopy, and it had nothing to do with the single glass of wine she’d finished over an hour ago.

  “It was a blast. And I have a pretty painting to put in my house.”

  His laugh went straight between her thighs. Damn man. “You’re going to have a hundred of those one day and will end up giving a few to me.”

  “You sound as if you don’t want them,” she teased. “Just for that, you’re getting this one.”

  “I’m honored,” he said dryly, but she knew he was joking.

  “Um…so I have to tell you something, and I don’t really want to.” She pulled onto her road, thankful that it wasn’t a long drive for her since she really didn’t want to be driving at all when she told him this. “Hold on, let me turn off my car so I can use my phone rather than let the whole neighborhood hear my conversation.” She’d had that happen once, forgetting that her speakers could be heard even through closed windows, and she’d never lived it down.

  “Okay,” he said, drawing out the word. “Do I need to come and get you? Are you safe?”

  She swallowed hard, her eyes stinging again as she put her phone to her ear. “I’m fine. I promise. But, well, the girls noticed that I looked, um, relaxed shall we say?”

  Mace didn’t say anything, the silence palpable.

  “So, in other words, they knew I was sleeping with someone.”

  “And what did you say?” he asked, and she couldn’t read his voice. She usually needed to see his eyes in order to guess his emotions and had never been really good at it through the phone.