Page 30 of Billionaire Daddies Next Door

I seethed. “We’re not expanding!”

“You people are nuts!”

Coco sighed. “Such a baby.”

CHAPTER 23

Joanie

After the battle haze faded, I felt bad for not helping Chase drag Bear out to his truck. I agreed with Chase that the battle was stupid, especially when it was getting people shot with darts. It was hard not to get sucked in once Mayor Stevens started talking, though.

I looked at the pie in my hands and frowned at it. It was a peace offering and nothing else. It wasn’t about the diner, it was about the dart. That was all. I frowned at it some more. I couldn’t decide if the pie was too much. I could just apologize. Or I could ignore the whole situation. Chase and I had gotten into bigger arguments over the past year. I didn’t need to apologize at all.

Except I knew I did. I didn’t like feeling like I’d wronged Chase or Bear, so I had to apologize. I talked myself in the same circle a dozen times by the time I reached their front door. I knocked before I could talk myself out of it and then waited for someone to answer. I hadn’t been able to muster up the courage to face them for hours so it was already dark. I could see Chase’s truck in the driveway so I knew he was still there.

Mabelle opened the door with another magnificent hairdo and a wide smile on her face. “Joanie! What a great surprise!”

I blushed under her gaze. “Um, yeah. I wanted to drop a pie off and…”

She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me inside. “And what? Tell me everything while I walk you to the guys.”

I glanced back at the door she’d shut and cleared my throat. “I wanted to stop by and apologize for not helping when Bear got shot by the tranquilizer dart.”

She let out a deep, belly laugh and instantly had tears leaking from her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t laugh but he was like a drunk baby coming in here. I just love this town and I want to meet the woman who shot him.”

“Coco doesn’t normally shoot people…and to be fair, she wasn’t aiming at Bear. He just walked in at the wrong time.”

“Stop. If I’m still laughing when I walk you in, he’ll know I’m laughing at him. He’s grumpier than ever right now.” Mabelle pulled herself together and fanned her face. “I love that big idiot and I’d never want him to actually get hurt, but Chase said a senile old lady blew a dart out of a straw at him. I’ve never heard of anything so wild.”

“Don’t let Coco know Chase called her senile or he’ll be next.” I shuddered. “She’d probably have to break out a bigger dart for that one.”

Chase walked out of the lounge with his arms crossed. “I figure you’ll be the one to tell Coco, just to watch me suffer.”

I took a deep breath and told myself not to react. I was there to apologize, not fight. “I brought pie.”

He frowned. “Did you poison it?”

“Oh, my god. Take the damn pie or don’t! I don’t care.” I shoved it at him and turned to leave but he caught my arm.

“Of course, I’m taking the pie.” He handed it off to Mabelle and winked at her. “She’s so touchy, isn’t she?”

Mabelle shook her head. “Keep me out of this.”

Chase pulled me into a room which looked like a man cave but more. There were big leather couches and multiple TVs on the walls. I could see a bar in one corner and behind it, wall-to-wall windows which looked out at the mountains. Stretched out on one of the couches was Bear. He was too long for it so his feet hung off the end. On a couch next to him was Smith, looking just as amused as I’d expect him to look.

“Look who came to visit, Bear.” Chase stopped tugging me but I walked the rest of the way to Bear anyway.

Bear looked up at me and narrowed his eyes. “I blame you for this.”

I scoffed. “What the hell did I do?”

“Right now, being a woman is enough.” He slowly sat up and groaned. “I feel like I’m coming off a three-day bender. Jesus.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked a hip. “I didn’t do it. I made sure to check on you. I thought you were dead with the way you went down.”

“Ask to see the scrapes on his ass.” Smith pressed his knuckles to his mouth to hold back a laugh.

I lifted an eyebrow. “Um… Why do you have scrapes on your ass?”

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