Page 14 of Mistletoe and Mischief

Betsy reaches across the table, squeezing my hand. “If these guys make you happy, and Trent’s given his blessing, what more can you ask for?”

Trent. Ugh… Why can’t I get past him?

They’ve all stopped painting.

“You really think he’s over me?” I ask, my voice small, surprising me with how much I wish he could be a part of my reverse harem. That’ something I never thought I’d say.

Betsy smiles softly. “Not necessarily, but he’ll figure it out if you start spending time with his friends.”

Sabrina adds, “Maybe don’t meet at their place. Give yourself time to explore the other three without the Trent complication.”

“There’s wisdom and simplicity to that, but I think I need to be completely honest with Trent.”

Nine

Blake

I lean back in my desk chair, a grin spreading across my face as the printer spits out the pages of our carefully crafted contract. I can’t help but chuckle at Cole and Landon’s giddy expressions. I’d like to say they look like kids on Christmas morning, but it’s better.

Getting Jasmine to agree to more time with us feels massive. The possibility of having her under our tree on Christmas morning is more than any of us thought we were going to get.

Cole nods, his usual calm demeanor cracking. “I never thought I’d be disappointed that a womanonlywants sex, no commitment.”

Landon says, “Or that the three of us would be brought to our knees by Trent’s ex.”

It’s truly hard to process. “We have to stick to the long game though.”

The sound of footsteps in the hallway catches our attention. Trent walks past our shared home office, then doubles back and leans against the doorframe. “What’s got you guys so amped up? Did we finally make progress with the national parks partnership?”

Our high shifts to nervousness.

The three of us exchange quick glances, and I clear my throat. “Uh, not exactly.”

He waits for one of us to explain.

I go for it. “You gotta promise not to get mad.”

Trent schools his expression. “Why would I be mad?”

I grab the freshly printed pages from the printer tray and step toward him. “You said you didn’t care, so we’ve been working on this contract for Jasmine.”

“A contract?” Trent’s voice tightens.

I flip through the papers. “To make it clear that we understand she’s a free agent.”

Trent’s expression flickers, a mix of emotions crossing his face before he forces it into neutrality. “That’s cool. If that’s what you want.”

“You sure you’re alright with this?” Landon asks, studying Trent.

“She’ll leave the second you get serious. Don’t come crying to me,” Trent says calmly, but the tension in his shoulders tells a different story.

He slides out of the doorway.

“Are you sure?” Landon asks loudly.

From down the hallway, Trent answers, “That you’re gonna get hurt? A hundred percent.”

Landon taunts him. “I meant, are you sure that you don’t want to wipe our tears?”

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