Page 26 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“Oliver!” she yells. Her slightly nasal voice still scratches at my brain.

Shit.

I give Elise an awkward smile. “Sorry. That’s someone I know.”

“Well then, let’s go over and say hi,” she suggests.

Shauna waves and gives a bright smile, the joy fading from her face when she sees the woman I’m with. I can see the critique function activated as she measures Elise from head to toe. Hell,I can almost hear the avalanche of poisonous thoughts tumbling through her mind. It ended poorly between us, and I don’t think she ever got over it, even though the fault was exclusively hers. “We don’t have to do that,” I mutter, but Elise is already tugging me across the street.

I brace myself for the impact as Elise greets her. “Hi, there. I’m Elise.”

“Hi, Elise. Shauna.” Her tone is flat.

“Hey,” I say, giving her a nod of acknowledgement. “How’ve you been?”

“Great,” Shauna replies, still scanning Elise. Try as she might, she doesn’t compare. I lost my interest in her the minute I realized the kind of game she was playing with us. Today, Shauna serves as a grim reminder of what happens when you let your dick make crucial decisions for you. “My shop is doing great; orders are increasing on a daily basis. Not as many walk-ins as I thought I’d get when I first opened the place, but we’re on the right track.” She pauses and gives Elise a curious look. “And how do you know Oliver?”

“Oh, I’m Oliver’s neighbor,” Elise replies. “Well, I guess we’re friends, too.”

I smile at Shauna. “Elise had some trouble with the mountain lions. She’s staying with us while her landlord renovates and secures the place properly.”

“Yeah, I heard something through the grapevine about some big cats strolling into some lady’s kitchen. You seem to be no worse for wear.”

“I’m good, thanks. James intervened quickly and got me out of there before anything happened.”

“He’s gallant like that,” Shauna mutters. I can hear the bitterness dripping from every word. “How is he?”

“He’s great,” I say. “We’re all great. Well, it was nice seeing you, Shauna, but we’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Hot date, huh?” Shauna giggles, then gives Elise a playful wink. “You better watch yourself, missy. They operate as a crew.”

“Excuse me?”

“Shauna,” I try to cut in, but she beats me to it.

“James, Oliver, and Roman. They operate as a crew. One of them gets into your pants, the other takes you out on fancy dates. Then the third swoops in, and next thing you know, you’re getting split three ways.” She laughs.

Elise, however, doesn’t seem amused. Her face burns red, her eyes wide as she glances back at me. All I can do is chuckle dryly and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to my side.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“You will soon enough,” Shauna says.

“I think you really need to focus on your own life and your flower shop,” I interject.

“Oh, come on, Oliver, it’s not like I’m lying. The lady should know what she’s getting herself into.”

A few seconds later, I’m escorting an understandably befuddled Elise back across the street. The minutes that follow are evenmore awkward, and I’m worried about the fallout. Elise may be receptive to the three of us, but I’m not sure she’s ready to take that step. That’s what the dinner date was meant to assess.

“Serves me right going up to people I don’t know, trying to be friendly,” Elise finally says as Candy’s emerges ahead with its large windows and terrace decorated with autumn-themed garden lights.

“Let me apologize,” I tell her. “What Shauna said back there was meant to scare you away. It had nothing to do with you.”

“I figured that part out as soon as I noticed the way she was staring me down. I may be relatively new in town, but I know my way around people. I can read them better than most.”

“Even so, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Your past is yours and yours alone. Not my business unless you wish to make it so.”

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