by Tess Oliver
Finley’s fingertips moved across the number pad on my phone. She didn’t look up from her task. “Does the girl on the end of that annoying laugh have wavy red hair?”
“Yes, she does.”
“Then I will leave you to your lunch.” Finley slid the phone back to me. “My number is in there, but don’t give it to anyone else. My dad has a shit fit when I give it out.” She leaned over. There was a small spray of freckles across her nose, and one ear lobe was lined with tiny gold hoops. “Just in case the urge to have me naked in your arms trumps my brothers’ obnoxious warnings.” Cole and his friends were coming past the pool. “That ginger is Scarlett,” she rolled her eyes at the name, “and you’d better guard your loins . . . literally. Otherwise, you’ll be getting a hand job with that plate of nachos.” She walked away. Some Pig stared longingly up at the platter of chips before spinning around and trotting after her.
CHAPTER 5
Finley
Eden came into the room.
I smiled at her. “I knew that dress would look gorgeous on you. Lavender goes great with olive skin and dark hair.” I leaned toward the mirror and put a diamond stud in my ear.
“I love the way if feels against my skin. It must have been really expensive. Really, Fin, you’ve got to stop buying me stuff.”
“Nonsense. Has Jude seen you in that dress yet?” Eden didn’t answer. I glanced over at her, and there was no mistaking the blush in her cheeks. “Shit, spare me the details. My brother is an animal.” I tilted back and turned my head. “Are these earrings all right?”
“They’re beautiful.”
“My dad sent them from Europe.” I turned to her and lifted the gossamer soft skirt on my sundress. “How about the dress? Too flirty or not flirty enough?”
“You look adorable, Finley. Really.”
“Adorable,” I said on a frustrated sigh, “if there is one adjective that has followed me all my life, it’s that one. It makes me feel like a kitten. I want to be gorgeous like you or hot like Bridget, my dad’s latest girlfriend, but I think adorable just isn’t getting me any serious attention.”
Eden walked over and took hold of both my hands. “You light up every room you walk into, Fin. You have to know that.”
I hugged her. “So, did you manage to get any information out of Cole without him knowing that he was giving it out?”
Eden smiled at my convoluted question. “Barrett is definitely invited.”
I grabbed her hand. “Are you sure? How do you know?”
“He’s already down there.”
“Holy shit, he’s here in the house?” I turned back to the mirror to check my mascara. “How does he look?”
Eden paused to consider my question. “Just like you, the boy knows how to light up a room. He cleans up nicely.”
“He is fucking glorious, isn’t he?” And that comment suddenly deflated my confidence. “He’s not just a new face in the crowd. He’s a beautiful new face. Every one of Cole’s female friends will be throwing themselves at him. I’m doomed. And with both my brothers watching over me like angry mama birds, I don’t have a chance.” Eden seemed to know what I was thinking as I looked her way.
She shook her head. “Remember the golden rule— no sticking me into a sibling rivalry problem. I’m Switzerland as far as you and Jude are concerned— completely neutral.” She walked over and sat on the bed. “Are you sure about this guy, Finley? So far the only thing you’ve talked about is the obvious, that he’s really good looking.”
I grabbed up my cowboy boots and sat on the bed next to her to pull them on. “Edie, when you first met Jude were you thinking oh wow this guy is really deep, or were you thinking damn this guy is hot?”
“Good point, and, actually, when I first met Jude, he was a real asshole. He didn’t want me here, remember?”
“He acted like he didn’t want you here, but I knew better. The fact that he reacted to you at all told me that he wanted you.” I looked over at her. “It’s not just because of the way Barrett looks. There’s something about him. He’s so low key and easy going, and I need that. He has this calm sort of aura around him, and I like that. I don’t know why, but I felt an instant connection with him. And, of course, there is my more shallow, obvious motive. I need someone to turn on my passion switch just to make sure I have one. I think Barrett is up to the task.”
Eden put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed it. “I know what that’s like, and I think you should go for it. Just be careful.”
I pulled on my boots and stood. “Do they work with this short dress?”
“Adora— gorgeous.”
“Well, now I can feel you trying, and that makes me feel even more like a helpless kitten.”
“Sorry. Finley, just relax. There won’t be a girl down there who is more amazing than you, and if it’s right, then it will happen.”
I plunked back down on the bed, stared at the boots on my feet and fell silent for a long moment. Music and loud voices vibrated the walls. “I’ve been talking to the doctor about cutting my dosage in half.”
“What does he say?”
“He gave me the go ahead to try it. I need to come out of this cloud, Edie. I think I can cope with things better now. The therapy sessions have really helped me. I’m learning to stop blaming myself for my sister’s death and for my mom leaving. I realize now that my mom just never had much connection to the whole family thing. And with the help of some pretty simple science, Dr. Hoover has helped to show me that I wasn’t responsible for Chloe’s illness. I brought home a virus but she died of an infection. Her immune system was always weak.” I held up my palm. “My dad told me that she was so small when she was born, she fit on the palm of his hand. I was only five pounds, but Chloe was half that size.” I looked over at the closet. Some Pig was fast asleep on his bed of straw. “I told my dad that I was going to volunteer at the animal rescue barn. Nothing keeps me more grounded and happy than when I’m with the animals, animals who need me as much as I need them.” I took her hand. “With you around and with work at the rescue barn, I think I can do this. I think I can face things without going batshit crazy. I think I can be normal.”
“I think it sounds great, and I’m here for you. Just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Please promise me that you’ll never be too normal.”
CHAPTER 6
Rett
I kept glancing toward the doorway hoping that Finley would appear, but she didn’t and I was completely disappointed. Even though I knew the whole thing was stupid and hopeless, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting her to walk in. And the crappiest part was I couldn’t ask Cole if she was going to be there because then he would know I was thinking about her. I’d hardly seen her since she’d put her number in my phone, and I must have held my thumb over her name a hundred times since then. But I’d stopped myself from calling her. Like Cole had warned— she was not for me, and I couldn’t risk losing this job. Jimmy had warned me not to get chummy with the owner’s son, and, once again, my brother had been annoyingly right. And, once again, I hadn’t taken his advice. Now I was paying for it. Scotlyn and her damn karma.
The party was a blur of designer clothes and snobby attitudes, and though I’d always had an easy time at any party, even if I didn’t know many people, this particular party just didn’t seem to be working for me. I had so little in common with any of them that I felt like a cactus in the forest. Cole had already wandered off with two girls. He’d left me behind with an expensive beer that tasted like shit and a girl who wouldn’t stop talking about some new night club in town. I’d made an excuse to get a new beer and snuck into the television room.
A tall girl who was mostly legs, and who had apparently bathed in perfume, scooted onto the couch next to me. “You must be Cole’s hot new friend that everyone is buzzing about.” Her long pink nails ran over the key pad of her phone. She sent off a text and then smiled up at me. “Do you have a card? My dad’s a producer,
and I could give him your card.”
“A producer of what? And what kind of card are you looking for?”
She laughed as if I’d been joking, which, of course, I hadn’t been. I had no fucking clue what she was talking about but her perfume was making my eyes water.
She placed her hand high on my thigh and leaned seductively against me. “I just assumed you were an actor. My dad makes movies.”
I swallowed a gulp of the bitter beer and shook my head. “Not an actor. I work for Kingston Construction.”
Her overly puffy lips flattened in distaste, and she pulled her hand from my thigh.
“Tricia, there you are,” a girl’s voice came over the back of the couch. Two more girls joined us. One sat next to me and one kneeled down on the plush rug in front of the couch.
Perfume girl, or Tricia, apparently, smiled. “Don’t act so surprised, Katrina, I just texted you that I was in here.”
The two new girls assessed me openly, and I was beginning to think I should have worn my Kingston Construction t-shirt to make it clear I wasn’t any rich director’s son or actor. The girl kneeling in front of me scooted forward and was now positioned between my knees. “I’m Sarah, and you are absolutely stunning.”
Normally I would have gone straight into major flirt mode. The girls were practically climbing into my lap, and, I had no idea why, but I just wasn’t interested. There was something seriously wrong with me. The girl between my knees scooted closer and I was pretty sure that if I just flashed her a smile, she would lean over and give me a blow job right there on the couch. Cole walked into the room with two girls and laughed when he saw that I’d been surrounded. “There you are, Rett. Watch out for Sarah. She bites.”
I scooted back on the couch cushion.
“That was your fault,” Sarah said to Cole.
“Hey, Rett, the spa is heated up. Pick a couple friends and let’s go in.”
“Yeah?” I lifted my bottle of beer. “I need a few more first. Do you have anything less exotic back there in the bar?” As much as I didn’t feel like hopping into the hot tub, I also didn’t want to disappoint Cole. But I definitely needed some more alcohol fortification first.
“Yeah, there’s some regular stuff in the ice chest behind the bar. Help yourself and then come on out.”
I moved to get up, but the three girls had me pinned. “You are planning to come back right?” Sarah asked. “I’m dying to get in that hot tub with you.”
“Yep, just as soon as I get another beer.” I pushed to my feet. Sarah had not gotten off her knees, and she stared hungrily up at me. “Oh wow, you are not disappointing from any perspective. Where the hell have you been all this time?”
“He works for Cole at the construction company,” Tricia answered, either hoping to warn her or hoping to turn Sarah off. The declaration didn’t seem to have any effect on her hungry friend.
I lowered my hand and pulled Sarah to her feet. She pressed against me. “Nothing sexier than calloused hands.”
“I’ll meet you girls out there.” I left the room hoping that they’d get bored and move onto someone else before I finished my next beer.
I rummaged through the ice chest for a familiar drink. My persistence paid off and I scored.
“Those expensive beers are gross, aren’t they?” I straightened.
Eden eyed my beer with admiration. “Where did you find that?
“At the bottom. I could dive in again.” I held up my hand. “My fingers haven’t reached the frostbite stage yet.”
She smiled. “That’s all right, but it was terribly chivalrous of you to offer.” I didn’t know much about Jude’s girlfriend yet except that she was Finley’s best friend, she was very beautiful and she seemed as out of place as me at the party. She seemed to sense what I was thinking.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m Jude’s girlfriend and I still stick out like a—” she paused to search for the write phrase.
“Like a cactus in the forest?” I added.
“Exactly.”
“This room is bigger than the house I grew up in, and I had four oversized brothers.”
“You grew up in a house?” she asked with a smile.
“Well, now I feel like a snob.” I glanced around. “Where is Jude?”
She surveyed the heads. “Don’t see him. He rarely stays long at any of Cole’s get-togethers.”
“Get-together?” I smiled at the room full of people. “A get-together is five or six friends with a bag of chips and a twelve pack. This is a major party where I come from.”
“Not in the King world.” From her expression I could see that these gatherings of the rich and famous were nothing more than an irritation. “When Jude’s dad comes home, he brings a small village of people with him, and the parties are endless. I like his dad, but I’m always glad to get away and see my family when he’s around. Jude usually ends up hibernating with his paints and canvases in the pool house.” She leaned her head to peer past me to the patio area. “I don’t see him at all. He’s probably already hiding out.”
A guy covered fist to elbow with tattoos and with more beard than hair stepped behind the bar and glanced down into the ice chest. “I need a more traditional beer. This crafty stuff is giving me heartburn.”
“Hey, Lee, while you’re digging in there, find me a light beer,” Eden said.
“Sure thing. Bingo.” He came up with a beer for Eden and one for himself. Then he looked at me and a faint scowl emerged. He handed Eden the beer. “Where’s Jude?”
Eden popped the can open and sipped some beer. “Jude disappeared. This is Cole’s friend, Barrett.”
The guy nodded. “Cole’s friend, eh? Well, all right then.” He walked away.
Eden winked at me. Just like Scotlyn, she was one of those girls where pretty came easy and without thought. “One of Jude’s friends.”
“I figured. So, your parents are up north?”
“With my two younger sisters. My dad is cooking burgers at a little dive up in the mountains, and I have to admit, it’s really nice up there. But I’m going to school down here, and Jude recently started art school.”
“I’ve got to ask— how did you meet Jude?”
She sipped the beer again, and she seemed to be considering her answer. “I was friends with Finley first. I’ll let her tell you that story if she wants to, but I can tell you I was crazy about Finley within five minutes of meeting her. Never met anyone cooler in my life.”
“Yeah, she had that kind of impact on me too.” It took me a second to assure myself that it was safe to ask her about Finley. “Is there any chance that she’ll be coming down to the party?”
Her eyes twinkled knowingly at me. “As a matter of fact—” She smiled at someone behind me.
I turned around and sucked in a breath. Finley’s light blonde hair shimmered under the lights as she stopped to talk to a small group of people. There was a lot of smooth, creamy skin between the hem of her short dress and the top of her boots. And, instantly, the party improved with her presence. “Holy shit,” I said under my breath.
“Yep,” Eden said quietly, “and the funny thing is, she doesn’t even realize it. Finley is my closest friend and she seems super confident, mostly because of who she is, but there are a lot of breakable parts.”
“That’s at least more subtle than some of the other warnings I’ve received.”
“I know, her brothers are really overprotective, especially Jude. But they mean well.”
Finley glanced over at me, and I was drawn into her gaze as if we were completely alone in the room.
“Look, Barrett, it seems like you have more to offer other than the obvious fact that you are a major piece of eye candy, and Finley must see that too. So just make sure it’s right for you before you let anything happen.”
I had no time to respond. Finley moved so smoothly, it was hard to be sure that her feet ever actually touched the ground. She came up to us and hugged Eden. “I see you have picked out th
e prettiest girl in the room.”
I looked over at Eden. “What can I say? My skills are unmatched.”
Finley lifted up her phone. “I guess you don’t have your phone. Jude is demanding your attention. He sent me a text that said where is Eden in that damn purple dress?”
“I told him it was lavender and that he needed to replace his nicotine patch because he was a grump, but he didn’t seem to care. He’s in the pool house and—” she leaned closer to Eden, but I could still hear the conversation, “if you can keep him out there that would be lovely. Especially in light of his extra cranky mood.” Finley looked up at me. “Jude is trying to give up cigarettes, and he’s making the rest of us suffer for it.”
“Getting rid of an addiction is not fun,” I confessed and then wanted to take it back.
Finley’s blue eyes rounded and she laughed. “Don’t look so embarrassed about admitting it. I grew up with Nicky King as my father, remember? Although now I think he’s only hooked on Viagra.”
“I’m going to leave you two then and head out to the pool house.” Eden reached into the ice chest and grabbed several beers. “Think I’m going to need these more than him. Good talking to you, Barrett.”
Finley stepped behind the bar and opened up a can of soda. “I was sure you would have already been swept off into some broom closet or back room by now.”
I glanced around at the sea of unfamiliar faces. We’d gotten the attention of most of them, and something told me gossip was the life’s blood of most of these people. “Some solid attempts have been made, but I was sort of waiting for the right person to come along and do the sweeping.” My confidence around girls had always been my superpower. I’d never been great at anything, but I could win over a girl with just a few words and a smile. But around Finley, I struggled to keep my confidence. It was a foreign feeling to me, and as much as I tried to convince myself that it was because she was a rock star’s daughter, it was more the girl herself. There was something so perfectly spectacular about her that for the first time ever I felt completely unworthy of a girl’s attention.
