“I’m not going to let her stay,” Marco said. “She can’t crash the reunion.”
Flynn took two sodas to the couch and handed one to Marco. “Daisy wanted to see Mom again. You can’t blame her for that.”
Marco gripped his soda can. “Daisy could have visited Mom on her own time. She put us all in an awkward position by coming. Now I’ve got to act like she didn’t leave me for another man, and my siblings have to pretend they don’t hate her for it.”
Flynn sat on the couch and opened his soda. “I don’t hate her.”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “Thanks for your loyalty, bro.”
“I mean, it’s pretty clear she regrets everything. The first thing she did when she got here was kiss you and ooze about how much she missed you. I doubt that was an act for Mom and Dad. I think she wants you back.”
Marco flipped to another channel without comment.
Flynn pressed the point. “Has she said anything to you about getting back together?”
“She’s left messages. I haven’t answered them.”
“At least hear her out. Maybe things with Jeff weren’t what they seemed.”
Marco tilted his head at Flynn, finally giving him his full attention. “She called you, didn’t she?”
Marco had always been able to read Flynn too well. Part of being twins. “Yeah, okay, she did. She wants me to convince you to give her another chance. She said she never actually had an affair with Jeff, and she realizes she’s been wrong about everything.”
Marco took a drink of soda. “In other words, things didn’t work out with Jeff, so she’ll go back to her second choice, me. And I’m supposed to be happy about that.”
“You should at least hear her out.”
“For months I’ve felt like a car hit me. And now that I’m finally starting to feel normal again, she changes her mind and expects everything to go back to the way it was.” He shook his head. “If she wants to talk, she can wait for a while. She can be the one who wonders where I am and who I’m with for a change.”
Flynn leaned back in the couch. “So you want revenge, not reconciliation?”
Marco rolled his eyes. “Are you seriously taking her side on this? That must have been one convincing phone call.”
“I’m not taking her side.” Flynn took a slow sip of his drink. “I want you to be happy. If Daisy can make you happy, then I hope you work things out. If not, then…” He meant to say, I hope you find someone who will. But he couldn’t say those words.
Not when Belle came to mind. Belle, with her long blonde hair, full lips, sea-blue eyes.
Flynn had spent so much time looking into those eyes that he didn’t like the idea of handing her over to his brother. Funny, last night he’d worried about Belle taking advantage of Marco’s vulnerability; now he was equally as worried about Marco taking advantage of Belle’s. All he had to do was snap his fingers, and she’d be at his side, starry-eyed and devoted. She had too much blind devotion to see anything clearly, let alone consider that he might use her as a revenge fling.
“If even a part of you wants Daisy back,” Flynn said, “don’t torpedo your chances in the name of payback.”
“I’ll think about it,” Marco said, settling on a Suns game. “Right now, all I want to do is yell at her for causing a scene at dinner.”
Flynn and Marco had talked about that on the way to his suite—how their father wanted the two of them to ensure that things got smoothed over between Daisy and Belle. Flynn had volunteered to talk to both of them. He ought to be the one who talked to Daisy, because he was the one who’d told her the truth about Belle. He wished now that he hadn’t. Who knew what Daisy would spill before the reunion was over?
On the TV, basketball players dashed down one side of the court and up the other. Flynn had a hard time paying attention. His mind was on Belle, on Daisy, and what each might say or do. Mostly his mind was on Belle. His thoughts just kept drifting in her direction.
He texted Daisy. Let me know when you leave my parents’ room. We need to talk.
Then he brought up Belle’s number. He fingered the phone, thinking, but in the end decided to call her later instead of texting. Or maybe he’d drop by her room on the way to his. Better to talk to her in person. The decision had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to see her again.
Stupid. He shouldn’t be interested in her. She’d made it clear enough that she wanted his brother.
Marco nudged Flynn. “Sorry about Belle.”
Flynn stared at him for a moment, wondering just how well Marco could read him. “What?”
“You probably hoped introducing her to the family would go better.” He shook his head as if he still couldn’t understand the way dinner had ended. “Weird how Daisy assumed Belle wanted my room number for some clandestine reason. It was like she just snapped.”
“Yeah, weird.”
A knock sounded on the door.
“That had better not be Daisy,” Marco said, standing. “Because I’m not in the mood right now to deal with her.” He headed to the door.
Flynn checked his phone. Daisy hadn’t messaged him that she was done talking with his Mom. Would she have ignored his text and come here?
Marco looked out the peephole, then called back to Flynn. “It’s for you, not me. It’s Belle.”
Flynn nearly dropped his phone in surprise. Belle was at the door? Oh, she was definitely here to see Marco. But Flynn wasn’t about to let her.
Chapter 16
Belle stood outside Marco’s room, nervously clenching and unclenching her hands. She didn’t want to be here, but she needed to apologize to him and Daisy for how she’d acted at dinner. Make an effort to patch things up. If Daisy wasn’t here, then Marco could tell her where she was. But in all probability, Daisy was here, crying on Marco’s shoulder because Belle had made her look bad in front of everyone.
Marco opened the door with a smile. “Hi, Belle.”
His smile should have set her at ease, at least a little. Instead the nerves in her stomach hummed, making it hard to think. Everything she’d planned to say flew from her mind. “Hi. I wanted to apologize. For tonight. I mean, for dinner. For upsetting your mom.” This wasn’t going like she’d planned. Belle tried again with a self-conscious laugh. “I guess we should talk.”
“No need. It’s all water under the bridge.” Marco opened the door wider, and that’s when Belle saw Flynn standing behind his brother, arms folded and glaring at her.
“Flynn,” she stammered. What was he doing here?
Faux affection replaced Flynn’s glare. “Are you done with your work for the day?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Great,” Flynn said. “I guess we can go for that walk I promised.”
He was clearly making up events for Marco’s benefit because he didn’t want her here. How could she get out of leaving with him? She hadn’t even spoken to Daisy yet. Before Belle could come up with anything, Flynn took her arm and steered her out the door down the hallway. Over his shoulder he said, “You’ll have to let me know how the game turns out.”
“Have fun,” Marco called after them.
She walked with Flynn toward the elevator, but as soon as she heard Marco’s door click shut, she pulled her arm away and stopped walking. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I would ask you the same, but I can guess.”
Understanding dawned on her. “You think I came to Marco’s room to…have my way with him?”
“Didn’t you? Every time I turn around, you’re hunting him down, even though you agreed not to. Do you always go back on your word?”
“I gave you my word that I wouldn’t flirt with him. I haven’t. If you recall, I never said I wouldn’t talk to him.”
“And you came to his room, alone, so the two of you could what, chat about the weather?”
“I came to apologize to him and Daisy. Mostly Daisy. I assumed she’d be with him.”
Flynn folded his arms. “Please. You know they’r
e divorced. Daisy is staying in another room.”
“But I assumed they’d be talking right now.” When Flynn still looked skeptical, Belle added. “At dinner, Daisy didn’t seem like she wanted to let Marco out of her sight. I figured she had things to say to him.”
Flynn relaxed a bit, conceding her point. “Okay, I can see how you could think that.” He headed toward the elevator again. “If you want to speak to Daisy, come with me to the pool. I have to talk to her too and it’s as good a place as any to meet. I already texted her to call me as soon as my mother is done lecturing her.”
Belle kept pace beside him. “Your mother is lecturing Daisy?”
“After you left, Mom asked Daisy to help her to her room.” They reached the elevator. Flynn pushed the button. “That’s code for, a lecture is coming.” He momentarily shut his eyes. “Then Raleigh wanted to know what ‘low-class’ meant, Gavin asked what you did at Daisy’s wedding to make her mad, and my father told Marco and me to talk to you and Daisy to make sure my mother doesn’t get upset again. Consider yourself talked to. Now I’ve got to give Daisy the same message.”
Belle remembered Mrs. Dawson’s stricken expression and winced. “Sorry. I really didn’t mean to upset your mom.” She lifted her hands then let them fall to her sides. “When Daisy started talking, I forgot about everything else.”
Flynn took in her apology and then let out a weary sigh. “I blame myself. I should have known better than to let you stay for dinner. It seems fate has decreed that you would once again add drama to our otherwise boring and uneventful family gatherings.”
She put her hand on his arm, contrite. “I’ll hole up in my room for the rest of the week. Promise.”
“You can’t now. If you don’t show up for at least some meals, it’ll look like you were so offended by Daisy that you boycotted the rest of reunion. My mother will be in tears by Thursday.”
She dropped her hand. “So what do you want me to do?”
The elevator door swished opened. Flynn stepped inside and waited for her to join him. “You’ll have to come to breakfast tomorrow—and be nice to Daisy the whole time.”
“Okay.”
Flynn pushed the lobby button. “When I say nice, I don’t mean that you say things that sound nice but are actually designed to push Daisy over the edge.”
Details. “I said I was sorry.”
“Although I must say I was impressed by your technique. You’re clearly a dangerous enemy to have.” He shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe Daisy stole Marco from you and lived to tell the tale.”
“Exactly.” Belle allowed herself to smile. “You may want to think twice about buying my company and firing me.”
He laughed, letting his eyes linger on her in a way that seemed intimate and amused. “I never said I’d fire you if you didn’t cooperate. Only that I’d consider giving you a promotion if you did. The first technique is questionably illegal, while the second is plain old good management.”
“Somehow I feel the first option is still implied.”
He grinned rakishly. “Implications don’t hold up in court.”
She pursed her lips as though considering. “That depends on the lawyer.”
The elevator door opened, and the two strolled across the lobby toward the pool. “You know,” Flynn said, appraising her, “I think you’re wasting your talents in fashion design. You’ve clearly got business sense.”
She eyed him. “That’s either an invitation to try a lucrative new career or a call to repentance. I’m not sure which.”
He laughed again. “You’re sure that all businessmen are wicked?”
She gave him a pointed look. “No. Just sure about one of them.”
They’d reached the outside door, and he held it open for her. “You can’t mean me. Everything I’ve done since you got here has been to spare my mother’s feelings and protect my brother from making grave mistakes.”
“Because a relationship with me would clearly be a mistake? Thanks.”
They headed along the walkway leading to the pool. Lush plants grew by the path, and palm trees swayed in the evening breeze.
“I’m protecting you, too,” Flynn said. “You’re risking just as much because you’ve idolized Marco for years but don’t really know him. So you’re welcome. Perhaps one day, I’ll be rewarded for my unselfish efforts.”
She raised her eyebrows at him in surprise. “You think I’d regret dating Marco?”
Flynn tilted his chin downward as if it were a ridiculous question. “Have you taken two minutes to think logically about him? He’s on the rebound, which means he’ll happily let you repair his ego in every romantic way you can imagine. But as soon as he’s done making Daisy suffer, he may very well decide he wants to go back to her. Or, just as likely, he’ll decide he should play the field before settling down again. Wouldn’t you rather have a guy who loves you for your own sake instead of one who’ll take you because you’re beautiful, convenient, and eager?”
His words made her heart clench. Flynn sounded as though he were handing out an unchangeable verdict. “You think it’s impossible for him to love me for who I am?”
“Right now, yes.”
A flash of anger went through her, not only for herself, but also for Marco. He wasn’t the type of man who used women. Flynn was wrong. Sometimes people found love on the rebound. Marco just needed to realize what he should have seen all those years ago—that she was the right woman for him.
They reached the pool. The lights rimming the edges made the water glow a light blue, romantic and lonely. No one else was around.
“I guess I’m willing to take my chances,” she said quietly.
“It doesn’t bother you that you’d be playing Russian roulette with your heart?”
“In matters of love, there isn’t another way.”
“You want to put your fate in the hands of chance?” They kept slowly walking around the pool. “Fine. I have a proposition for you, then. I’ll flip a quarter and call it. If I lose, we go up to Marco’s suite. I explain everything and wish you both the best of luck.”
She straightened, considered the possibility.
“But if I win,” he went on, “you are a model girlfriend until Saturday morning. No more trying to see Marco without me. No tormenting Daisy. And no trying to make me look bad in front of my parents.”
“I haven’t done that.”
“Yet. I saw how easily you did it with Daisy, so I’m covering my bases. Oh, and being a model girlfriend will involve kissing.”
She shook her head. “I can’t kiss you in front of Marco. That would be tacky.”
“Fine. Not in front of Marco. I prefer privacy, myself.”
“Wait.” She cocked her head. “You want to kiss me?”
“I made that clear last night, didn’t I?”
Yes, he had. He’d kissed her on their moonlit stroll because she’d been beautiful, convenient, and eager. He wasn’t admitting to having feelings for her, just saying that he found her attractive.
“Why does there have to be kissing involved?”
“Because I’m giving you a fifty-fifty chance of seeing Marco tonight and having me tell him the truth. I need something to make it worthwhile if I win.”
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. He wanted to add kissing to the bet because he didn’t think she’d take the wager. He wanted her to admit that a coin toss—pure chance—wasn’t the best way to make decisions of the heart. Or maybe he knew she’d take the bet and wanted to kiss her to make her uncomfortable. He obviously thought she wouldn’t like kissing him.
She had enjoyed kissing him last night, but that was because she thought he was Marco. Kissing Flynn—and knowing it was him—would be different. It would be… well, not exactly unpleasant. He was handsome, witty, and could make his eyes smolder as easily as flipping a switch. Like right now. His eyes were dark in the evening light, yet were still smoldering, even though he was proposing a wager with a fifty percent
chance of sending her to his brother’s arms.
How did he do that?
He faced her, waiting for her decision. “In fact, I want the first kiss to be out here by the pool after the coin toss.”
“The first?”
“I said kissing. That’s plural.”
“How plural?”
He shrugged. “There will be two or three. Or maybe five or six…” He pulled a quarter from his pocket and showed it to her. “Having second thoughts about leaving love to chance, or are you willing to let me call a coin toss?”
“I’ll take your wager.” She suddenly felt breathless, and wasn’t sure whether it was from the possibility of seeing Marco tonight or from the idea of kissing Flynn. “But I get to examine the quarter first.”
“You think I carry around a trick quarter?”
“Call it my business sense kicking in. You seem far too certain about your chances.” She held out her hand for the coin.
He dropped the quarter into her palm. She peered at it, turning it over. Seemed normal enough. She flipped the coin. Heads. Flipped it again. Tails. It didn’t appear to be weighted. She tried a few more times, then handed it back. “All right.”
“Here’s to letting chance decide love.” Flynn flipped the coin into the air with his thumb, caught it midair, and slapped it onto the back of his hand. “Hmm,” he said deciding, drawing out the suspense. “I’ll go with tails.” Still keeping the coin covered, he held his joined hands out to Belle. “You do the honors. Will Marco be lucky tonight, or will I?”
Belle’s heart beat faster. She tried to picture herself sitting on Marco’s couch, talking with him, finally alone. Somehow she could only see Flynn, though. Flynn and his smoldering eyes, self-assured, waiting with the coin pressed between his hands.
She put her hand on top of his and lifting it to reveal the coin. They both bent their heads to peer at it. “Tails.”
Belle waited for disappointment to wash over her. She wouldn’t be talking to Marco tonight. He still wouldn’t know the truth. But the disappointment didn’t come.
“I probably should have warned you,” Flynn said, “that when it comes to Marco and me, luck always favors me.”
How I Met Your Brother (Power of the Matchmaker) Page 14
