Page 4 of Never Say Never

THREE

COCKY IS HOT

Daisy

I turn the volume on the radio up and then put my sunglasses on, hoping to mask my frustration. I can feel Briar lasering a hole into the side of my head from where she sits beside me in the passenger seat of my Mini Cooper. I let out a sigh, and that’s all it takes for her to turn the volume back down.

“Tucker Collins strikes again, huh?”

I shoulder check before backing my car out of its spot outside the pickleball courts. “He is such an ass. He ruins everything.”

I force myself to ease up on the white-knuckle grip I have on the steering wheel, trying to wipe all six-foot-something of that man from my brain. A powerful cocktail of frustration and lust spirals through me. Tucker drives me crazy. How else can you explain the heat that simmers at the back of my neck or the lump that forms in my throat whenever he’s around? The physical effect he has on me is a giant pain in my ass. Just like Tuck. We have nothing in common, he treats me like a kid, and most of the time we can barely stand one another. And yet, whenever we’re together, it feels like fireworks.

But that’s just my body’s mixed-up response to how much he aggravates me. Nothing more. I am one hundred percent not attracted to him.

“What did he do this time?” Briar asks.

“Oh, he was just inserting himself into my life, as always. He overheard us talking about Scott and went on and on about my questionable taste in men. He wouldn’t let it go.”

“Well, he was sort of right on this one. You said it yourself, there were zero sparks,” she reminds me, then adds, “Those only seem to ignite with Tucker.”

I whip my head in her direction, eyes narrowed.

Briar holds up her hands as if to defend herself. “I’m kidding,” she says, her gold-rimmed green eyes wide with innocence. “Kind of.” She winks at me, then flips her sun visor down to look at her reflection in the mirror. She frees her hair from its ponytail, shaking the short, platinum-blonde waves loose.

I decide to ignore her comment, grumbling under my breath instead. I’m not in the mood to argue about this. No, thank you. I have much better things to think about thanhim.

A phone call pops up on the screen on my dash and I’m surprised to see it’s my dad. My parents are on vacation in Florida, their annual spring golf getaway with Tucker’s mom and dad.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“Hey, princess. How’s my girl? Staying out of trouble?”

A genuine smile curves at my lips. I am very close to my dad. He’s my biggest cheerleader and always has been. “Always. How’s Florida?”

“It’s fine. Can’t complain. Your mom says hi.”

“Tell her I say hi back. What’s up? Shouldn’t you be golfing?”

“We just got back to the house. It’s hot as heck out there today. Anyways, I’m just calling to ask a favor for Aunt Daisy.Would you mind running over to her house today to pick up an Amazon delivery from her doorstep? You’ve got your key, right? You can just leave it inside.”

Addy is away with her husband Jonathan and while Tucker doesn’t live too far from his parents’ place, I’m not surprised his mom is asking me instead of her own son. She and my Uncle Mark never trust him to get anything done. Tucker’s dad has been hard on him since we were kids. I can’t even count the number of times the two of us would get into some harmless trouble together and Tuck’s dad would blame him entirely. I, on the other hand, seem to do no wrong in Uncle Mark’s eyes.

Tucker’s parents have always adored me. Tuck and I were born in the same hospital on the same day, and we were raised practically as siblings. Aunt Daisy was there when I took my first steps, and my dad was always in the stands at Tucker’s baseball or football games. Our parents have a thousand stories of the two of us growing up side by side, and they like to tell them to us often.

Tucker and I may have grown up together, but in some ways our lives were quite different. Whereas his parents could be demanding, mine were always kind and supportive. I love Aunt Daisy and Uncle Mark, but I have seen firsthand the pressure they put on Tucker. My mom and dad, on the other hand, have only ever wanted me to be happy.

The Collins’ house looked much like ours from the outside—big, luxurious homes nestled in perfectly manicured gardens. But while Tucker’s house looked like a show home inside, mine was filled with family photo galleries. Our families just had different priorities. The Collins’ like expensive things, and my Uncle Mark worked all the time so they could afford the best. My parents were more concerned with making memories than making money, and it showed.

“Of course. Let her know it’s not a problem.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

I end the call and shoot Briar an apologetic look. “Sorry about that,” I say, but she doesn’t seem to hear me. She’s leaning against the headrest with a far-off look in her eyes.

“Hello? You okay?” I ask, wondering where she has disappeared to.

“What?” She returns to the present with a heavy sigh. “Sorry. Just trying to decide which one I’d marry and which one I’d fuck.”

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