Page 139 of Whistle

“We aren’t stranded. Dad pulled over,” Landry explained.

Rush turned his full attention to her, going as far as to reach out and cup her face. “Why? You okay?”

It was this kid’s only saving grace: his love for my daughter.

“We were talking.”

Concern darkened his features. “About what?”

I didn’t want to get into it with him. “What are you doing here? You were driving ahead of us.”

“You think I didn’t keep my eye on the rearview with my girl in your car? You dropped out of sight and stayed that way. Of course I came looking.”

“Jay,” Landry said softly.

I reached into the center console for some Tums. Bad enough I had to go auction myself off in a tuxedo, but I did not need to see my daughter making googly eyes at her boyfriend.

“Go with Rush, Landry,” I told her, popping two of the tabs into my mouth.

“We were talking,” she protested.

“We can talk more at dinner.”

“Dinner?” Rush asked.

“You aren’t invited,” I told him.

“Dad!” Landry gasped.

Rush laughed.

“Go on,” I told her, gesturing. I knew she wanted to, and I needed a breather before I had to plaster on a smile at the event.

Rush opened her door, and she looked at me.

“Remember what I said, ladybug. Best thing that’s happened to me.”

She smiled. “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too.”

Rush put his arm around her waist and escorted her to the car, keeping his body between her and the road at all times. Sometimes he made it really hard to hate him.

I waited until he drove off and then pulled onto the road. It was going to be a long fucking night.

31

Bodhi

Jamie Owens was doing the auction. Something that injected excitement into the air like there was some sort of huge lottery jackpot up for grabs.

I mean, sure, he was Elite. He was massive at six feet three with the biggest wingspan of the entire team and behemoth shoulders from swimming butterfly. And yeah, maybe he had blue eyes and blond hair, but mine was blonder. He also ran his mouth like a sprinkler that never turned off. Just walking around drenching everyone with ridiculousness.

Funny. When I ran my mouth, everyone called me a brat. But when it was Jamie, suddenly, he was charming as hell. Please, make it make sense.

As annoying as it was, I couldn’t even be full-on rager mad about it. I mean, brah saw my lingerie and took it in stride. Hell, he even picked it up off the floor so other people wouldn’t see it.

I was beginning to see what happened with Rush. How he got sucked in with these people. They were relentless. Constantly in your face and your business but somehow doing it in a way that made you not hate it.

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