Page 23 of Six Wishes

“Yeah, can you believe it?” Van turns halfway to look at Zach. “I dead smack ran into her one day, and he was storming after her. He didn’t wanna have anything to do with me though.”

Zach shakes his head in disappointment. “No surprise there. You were a douche to the man.”

“Yeah,” Van turns to Zach again, “but it’s been…”

“Boys,” I finally cut both of them off. This is ridiculous. “I am going to take off if you got things to discuss.”

“What?” Van turns surprised eyes my way. “No way. We were talking about you being my girlfriend.”

“No,” I contradict. “We were talking about your lack of connection and the need to be a dick to me when we first met. Then you got distracted by whatever the deal with Wyatt is.”

Zach starts laughing, and Van shakes his head like to clear it and get his focus back.

“The reason I was a dick, as you put it, was because you looked starstruck by my presence. I thought you were a puck bunny,” he puts his head down in shame. “I also had a crappy day at the time which translated into me overthinking shit and coming to the wrong conclusions.”

“Well, I am surprised you took a selfie with me and Ridge then,” I throw my head back with attitude. “I think I even heard you making a snarky comment when he showed up.”

“Uh, yeah,” he’s got the decency of looking a little ashamed. “I thought he was your man when you called him over from across the street. I figured it was typical puck bunny behavior to lust over the famous hockey player in front of you while your boyfriend is right across the street.”

I am completely shocked by everything he’s telling me, while at the same time I am impressed by his self-confidence. Either way, I am not put off by any of it. Besides, I’ve already slept with the man, so who cares what he thought of me before? It is obvious that is not what he thinks of me anymore.

“Well,” I drag the word out as I try to find more words to add to it. I haven’t been in the position of starting a new relationship since I was in college. The guy ended up just transferring to his hometown, and basically ghosted me in the process. Lucky for me, I was not in love with him. My heart didn’t get broken, but it sure got pissed.

“It’s done then,” Van gives me an approving look. “Welcome to the Van world.”

“Wait, I didn’t say yes!” I take back what I said about his self-confidence not being a turn off. Because right now, it is getting on my nerves.

“You didn’t say no either. And you only had so much time to decide. A non-answer is a yes answer,” he shrugs, then pulls me into him, bending me over backwards and smooshing my lips in a hard kiss.

Just when I think I’m going to fall back on my head, he pulls me back up in a flurry of my arms and hair flapping around. He then hooks his elbow around my neck and turns us both to face Zach Cavanaugh. He kisses the side of my head and points a finger at me.

“Zach, brother, I’d like to formally introduce you to my girlfriend, and maybe one day future wife and mother of my children, Miss Chloe Montgomery.”

“Van,” I elbow him in the ribs and try to extract myself from the tight hold he has around my neck. “Why are you so damn crazy?”

“Are you saying that you don’t want to have kids with me?” his elbow pulls me closer yet, to the point where I have no choice but wrapping my arms around his waist from the side so that I don’t crash to the floor somehow.

“Would you want to have kids with me if I acted as crazy as you do right now?” I manage to say from where my mouth is smashed against his shoulder.

“Most definitely,” I can hear Van grinning when he says the words. “You are everything I’ve been looking for in a girlfriend, Chloe Montgomery.” He loosens his hold on me just enough to smack another hard kiss on me.

I look at Zach with pleading eyes. “Is he always like this?”

“Not sure,” Zach grins my way, definitely looking like he is enjoying the show we’re putting on. “I’ve never seen him with a girlfriend in the beginning stages. He was already with the one girlfriend I did see him with when we first became friends. But she was a major bitch,” he shrugs, “and doesn’t count.”

“You two are crazy, just so you know,” I struggle to get Van off me. “And my mom is going to kill us both.” You don’t mess with Mary Montgomery and get away with it. She doesn’t take a joke well. I am not going to tell Van that. I’ll let him find out on his own.

“Speaking of your family,” Zach butts in like it is his business. “You two should have a party and invite everyone. I can’t wait to see Brooke.”

“Brooke?” My eyes about fall out of my head at that. “My cousin’s wife Brooke?”

“One and only,” Zach starts laughing. “When you mentioned that you’re related to Hunter, I realized that you’re also related to her brother, Ridge. He hates me because I’m nice to Brooke. I can’t wait to see them again,” he is cracking himself up.

“Dude,” Van puts his arm up for a high five, “that’s like me and Wyatt. You da man!”

Throughout their comedic show back and forth, one thing is stuck in my head.

“Zach, how do you know Hunter?”

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