Page 66 of Love Me Dangerous

It’s no secret Kirilee doesn’t need the money, and she feels bad about taking it from other people when she has so much.

“It’s about value,” I add while Kirilee sets two more mugs on the shelf next to her table. “You worked hard to make them. Whoever ends up with one?—”

“Or four, holy moly, these are beautiful!” Ava interrupts, holding a dinner plate so the sunlight glistens on the pale blue glaze.

“—will appreciate it more if they’ve had to part with something they value too,” I finish.

Kirilee waves me off. “Capitalism is no fun.”

“Tellthatto your dad,” I say under my breath.

Kirilee laughs. “Wouldn’t that be a hoot?”

“People are going to love these.” I cradle the last mug in my box. “Just wait and see.”

Kirilee gives me a look over her shoulder. “Hey, how’d the babysitting gig go last night?”

“It was fun. Easy. I made four hundred bucks.”

Ava whistles. She sets the last plate on the stack and tucks the packing paper back in the box. “Did he say what his meeting was about?”

Finn River Ranch employees are heavily discouraged from gossiping about our high society guests and are strictly forbidden to share information with anyone in the press, but Ava and Kirilee are familiar with the goings on inside the ranch, and Teague Lennox’s secret will be out soon enough. “He didn’t say who the film is for, but he loved the script so much he stayed awake all night reading it.”

“So he got the part?” Ava asks.

“I guess?” Even though my brother lives and breathes this business, I am clueless about the production side of it. “He’s going to be shooting in Iceland and the UK starting in January.”

Ava’s eyes widen. “He invited you, didn’t he? He’s going to need help with Arlo.”

I point at her. “That’s freaky. How did you know?”

“Why wouldn’t he want you? You’re perfect.”

I scoff. “I am not.”

Kirilee’s eyes fix on mine. “Are you going totake it?”

“No,” I say. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” both of my friends reply in unison, with equally curious expressions.

“Because…” Even though the stiff breeze would make it difficult for anyone to overhear, I keep my tone low as I add “…what about Jesse?”

“He’s going to L.A.,” Ava says, frowning.

Voicing my fears feels disloyal, but I also don’t need to remind them how Jesse spiraled. My friends were there.

“Linnie, too,” I fire back.

Kirilee tucks a stray curl behind her ear. “Could she come with you?”

“I couldn’t do that to my dad.”

“It’s not forever, right?” Ava asks.

“No, but—” They’re not serious, are they? “I’d miss you guys.”

Ava laughs. “We’d miss you like crazy, but hey, we’ll be together again. What did Mr. Lennox offer you? I’ll bet it’s enough to pay for college. Maybe grad school too, or at least part of it.”

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