Page 110 of Holiday Hire

He cringes.

"Who?"

"Just Mason."

"You jerk! How could you?"

"I didn't tell them anything!"

"Then how do they know?"

He tilts his face to the ceiling, shakes his head, and closes his eyes.

"How?" I push, close to tears and trying to hold them back.

He opens his blues and informs me, "He saw us kissing outside when we got home last night."

I gape at him, feeling like a total failure and more embarrassed than ever. I'm sure his brothers think I screw my bosses all the time.

He tries to reassure me. "They aren't going to say anything."

"Sure they won't," I accuse.

He steps closer. Before I know it, his arms are around me and he holds my head to his chest. I try to push him away, but he holds me tightly. He murmurs in my ear. "Everything's fine. You're taking what I said the wrong way. And I know what I said didn't come out right, but don't let Jagger bother you. Everything's fine."

I melt into him for a moment, but then I push out of his grasp. "I'm ready to go."

"Phoebe..."

In a stern voice, I state, "Alexander, I'm not doing this right now. If you feel the need to talk about this, we'll do it at another time, okay?"

He studies me for a moment and then nods. "Okay. But I'm sorry I said things the way I did."

I don't respond. I just walk out the door and head toward the SUV.

The boys come running out after me.

Alexander follows, questioning, "Do you need money for your trip?"

"No," I answer.

"Do you have the credit card?"

"I don't need it."

"Dad, we're good," Ace says.

Alexander glances at us suspiciously.

"Come on, kids, let's go," I say, then get into the SUV.

Wilder jumps in the front and Ace in the back.

"Put your seat belts on," I tell them.

They buckle up, and we take off toward town.

Wilder asks, "So we can pick whatever color we want for our rooms?"

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