Page 14 of Wildly Inappropriate

“I made a joke about how Bryn’s taste in men was remarkably similar to that of her taste in alcohol…named after whiskeys.”

Lila snorts a laugh but then quickly catches herself.

“Also, he’s important to Bryn, who is important to Jameo, who is my best friend, so of course I would remember his name.” I cross my arms again, wondering if we’re going to stand in the dead space between the front door and the kitchen all night. “But you didn’t answer my question. Where is he?”

“The Harpers’.”

“The parents or Kelsey’s? What are the parents’ names again? I know they rhyme…”

Lila stares at me, her mouth in a straight line, like she is trying to figure out my angle. Unfortunately for her, I don’t have one. I just like to make sure I know the people who are important tomypeople. Plus, I’m sure I’ll see Bryn’s sisters around town, and after spending some time with them when we were all in Phoenix with Bryn and Jameo, I feel like I should make sure to say hi and ask about the things they mentioned last time I saw them.

“Jen and Ken. And yeah, Jack is with them.”

“Okay, well, I can figure out where their house is in the morning. I’m sure there are no less than twenty people in town who would be willing to tell me where the Harpers live. So no need for you to stay here.”

Lila glances at the door like she might just make a mad dash out of it right now. “I, um…” She coughs before starting again. “I actually don’t have…”

My hand unconsciously moves forward at the sound of her anxiety.Do not comfort her!I warn myself as I pull my hand back to my side in a fist.Remember what happened last time you tried to help her? She cursed you with her demon magic, convincing you that you were in ecstasy, ruining you for all mortal women, and then flying away on her broomstick. Demons do not apply to the normal rules of polite society.Okay, I’ve got to stop reading paranormal romances. Those are clearly too much for me right now.

So I do what I’ve done with Lila for the past eight years. I don’t pull my punches—metaphorically, of course. “What? Nowhere else to go? Aren’t you supposed to be living here now? Or are you just mooching off your brother until you can find a local to sweep you off your feet and into his house?” Honestly, I’m not even sure where that last part came from, but I’m on a roll now, so I might as well go with it. “I really thought you were smarter than that.”

Her hands are on her hips, her little chin tipped up defiantly. “Oh, JT. I’m so much more intelligent than you that you can’t even comprehend the difference. And no. I have a house in town. But I sure as shit won’t be leaving here just because you showed up and decided to act like you own the place. I was here first. And I’ll be staying.”

OH. She wants to throw down now? Mmmkay. Well, two can play that game. “Well, I’m not leaving either,” I say, making my way into the living room and flopping down on the couch, manspreading in a way my mother has criticized me for numerous times in the past. “I think I like it here.”

She stalks out to stand in front of me, her hips swaying as if she really is made from smoke and wisps of brimstone. “What’s wrong, JT? Are you out here trying to find a local girl for yourself like Jameo did? Maybe another one of the Harper sisters so you can move out here, buy the house next door, and live a perfect little life with your bestie?”

“And if I am?” I ask, knowing it will piss her off more.

She stares at me, and I can see the moment she calls my bluff. “Then let me help. I’ll even put a good word for you…with Kelsey.” And damn if I don’t feel a shiver go down my spine. Kelsey is beautiful, smart, and really fucking scary if I’m being honest. She has never once been anything but fun and kind to me, but I have no doubt that if I tried to date her, she would eat me alive. Apparently, Lila feels the same way about my chances with Kelsey.

“Anyway, JT. You’re a professional golfer. Go get a room in the hotel. Rent another one of the houses. Do anything but be in my space. See you never.”

She offers a little wave of her fingers over her shoulder that she smoothly transitions into just the middle finger. Riiight. I guess she’s staying in that room. This house is set up for a foursome of golfers to stay in for a week or so, with each room having its own bathroom. They are located on the four corners of the house, with the kitchen, dining area, and living space in the center. I peek into the two rooms on the other side of the house from Lila, but one is clearly Jameson’s, and the other appears to have a bunch of Bryn’s stuff stored in it. I grab my bags and throw them into the closet of the final room. The one that shares a wall with Lila, though luckily the bathrooms act as a barrier between the two rooms themselves.

Not wanting Lila to overhear the phone call I’m about to make, I slip out the back door onto the patio and drop into one of the Adirondack chairs surrounding a stone firepit.

“Jameson,” I say when he answers my call right before it goes to voicemail.

“What’s up, JT? I’m kinda busy over here.” As he is with Bryn and it’s even later where they are, I can only imagine what kind of busy he is, but I don’t care. He knowingly sent me into my own personal hell without even the slightest heads-up.

“Um, did you know Lila is staying at your house?” I ask, trying to stay upbeat about the whole thing. Jameson is a moody guy sometimes, and I’ve always been the golden retriever to his black cat. You can’t have two black cats in a friendship.

“Yeah. She’s watching Bryn’s dog while her place in town gets repaired.”

I wait for more, but apparently, that’s all he’s going to say about it.

“You weren’t going to tell me that your sister, the girl I fight with more than anyone in the world, was going to be my roommate for two months?”

He laughs and says something low to Bryn, who also laughs.

“I was going to tell you, but Bryn thought you would both find reasons to be somewhere else if you knew the other was going to be there. And we thought this would be a good time for you guys to figure your shit out. What—” He pauses as Bryn says something behind him. “Sorry, Bryn feels it’s important to clarify—for a reason she won’t explain to me—that she says you all need to ‘get it out of your systems.’”

“Okay, well, that sounds miserable. I’m not going to stay here so I can fight with your sister for six weeks straight. That feels like my living Hell.”

“Aren’t you going to be gone for tournaments anyway?”

“No.” I tug at the back of my neck. “I’m sitting the next month out. I tweaked something and don’t want it to get worse.” I hate lying to my best friend, but he doesn’t need to be worried about me. Psychological issues with your game can be contagious, and I don’t need to bring him down when he just made it back to the top. I’m still not pleased that my agent Jon talked me into sitting out these next couple of tournaments.

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