Page 52 of Nothing to Do

“He can only give us a heads-up if he knows,” Struan told his cousin. “Hit him as hard as it hit us.”

“Are they in love? For real?” Roxie asked, picking food for a plate. “Deacon and this Sway? Deacon always struck me as a ‘keep his options open’ kind of guy.”

“He’s also a, ‘don’t think things through’ kind of guy,” Struan added. “Sway’s got a way of screwing with a guy’s head.”

“Let’s not touch that one with a ten-foot pole,” Roxie said, yet carried on anyway. “Does that mean you’ve been screwed by her too?”

“Sway’s a complicated woman,” Tripp said.

“Wow…” Roxie’s eyes met hers. “I haven’t slept with her, have you?”

“No!” she said quickly but followed it with a short laugh.

“I think we’re the last two on the planet.”

“I feel wronged.”

“Me too,” Roxie declared. “Where’s she at? We should get over there now, before she gets married. Maybe we can be her engagement gift.”

“She and Deacon went out before she and Roman got together,” Zairn said, probably used to getting his woman back on track. “This could be a rebound thing. A comfort lay.”

“We’ve all had those.” Tripp drank before finishing, “Never proposed to one though.”

Struan laughed, startling them all. “If you were the first Breckenridge brother to go down, it would be a sign of the apocalypse coming.”

“I will get married first, just to collect on the bet.”

“What’s it running at now?” Zairn asked. “Breck’s odds were going up, last I checked.”

“Since he and Sequoia broke up.”

“Again?”

“Who keeps track?”

“No one is keeping track of this conversation,” Zane interjected. “Has everyone eaten, should we start with that?”

Nothing on the buffet was touched, except what Roxie had on her plate, and what she popped past her lips.

“We were waiting for you,” Roxie said around what was in her mouth and Zairn nudged her. “What? They’re here, aren’t they?”

“She has a thing for shrimp,” Zairn said still looking at his girl.

“Everyone stock up, we’ll go outside sit, eat, and figure this out.”

People picked up plates to fill with food, and side-whispered conversations started.

Her whispers went to Zane. “Why isn’t your brother here?”

“Because he’d only gloat,” he said, smiling. “Roman is my mom’s nephew, not related to Rourke. He gets a pass because the blood is mine.”

“Ah… and you said he’s married already?”

After a beat, she turned her head to smile at him.

He laughed. “Yes, unfortunately, off the market.”

“Who’s off the market?” Roxie asked, picking up a nearby pitcher. “I’m always open to offers.”

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