Page 52 of Enticing

“I’ll ask her if she wants to come to dinner the day after Christmas. Her sister is in town too. You okay if she tags along?” I already know the answer, but I ask it anyway.

“As long as you bring her and her kids, you can bring whoever the hell else you want, son. Have a good game tomorrow.” He pulls me in and smacks my back.

“Have a good game on Christmas, Dad.” I wait for him to leave, then turn to the owner. “I need an engagement ring.”

ADELAIDE

Of course everything fell apart. The cost of your new life is the death of your old one.

Now make it everything you ever dreamed of.

—Addie’s Secret Thoughts

“You did not tell me you’re friends with Lilah Ryan,” I whisper-hiss at Caitlin as I ladle gravy onto a kind older man’s plate and watch Izzy help a woman with a walker carry her dinner to a table. “I mean, I knew you knew her... But it’s Lilah Ryan. She’s the biggest pop-star in the world.”

“Hey, Addie... I’m friends with Lilah Ryan. There you go. Did that change anything? No... shocking. Now your turn.” She glares, and I cringe. “You didn’t tell me you were dating Leo Sinclair. And oh,by the way, Lilah and Leo are cousins. Didhetell you that?”

Should have seen that coming.

“Sorry,” I tell her, shame washing over me for the lie I’m about to tack on. “It happened fast, and I didn’t want to bother you with it on top of everything you’ve been going through.”

“I get it.” Her eyes drift over a sleeping Lennox, who’s strapped to my chest, no doubt thinking about her own pregnancy and her complicated relationship with Callen, and my heart pangs for her. “Leo’s a good guy. He’s not Gavin. I hope you give him a chance.”

She might as well have screamed,Shots fired.Duck for cover.

Hearing Gavin and Leo’s names together is a painful reminder of just how bad relationships can go. I try to remind myself Leo isn’t Gavin, and if this plan is going to work, I’ve got a part to play.

“Leo doesn’t exactly give you much of a choice. He kind of refused to let me ignore him.” I laugh. “I guess he wore me down.”

Not a complete lie.

Lilah leans around Caitlin from the other side. “Oh my God. You’re the woman from theKroydon Kronicles?” Her words are shouted whispers, and I want to die. Dressed in blue jeans and a pink sweater with a red and white candy-cane heart on the front of it, Lilah looks like she could be the girl next door. Her golden-blonde hair is up in a perfect ponytail that could rival Barbie’s. It’s tucked under a red ball cap, shielding her face, and her flawless pink pout is the only makeup on her blemish-free skin.

Women like her don’t exist in real life, and if they do, they’re usually nasty little bitches. But not this one. She’s been smiling and chatting with everyone, especially Izzy, who knows exactly who she is and was given orders to keep that to herself and not share it with everyone here. Lilah swore her to silence when she and her twin brother, Noah, introduced themselves earlier.Because as good as this could be for her image, that’s not why she’s here, and that, I respect.

“Wait, Leo’s girl?” Noah asks as he comes out to replace the tray of mashed potatoes in front of Coraline. He looks at Lennox and me, doing a lousy job of hiding his shock. “Well damn, I guess he finally got serious aboutsomething.”

Coraline points her serving spoon at the hot, blond bassist, wielding it like a weapon. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Calm down, blondie,” he pushes the tip of the spoon down with the edge of a tray of potatoes. “I just meant he’s Leo. You want the easiest-going Sinclair, you go to Leo. He’s the guy who lets everything slide. He’s the hardest to piss off and the easiest to call for a good time. You want to hit up the bar, you call Leo. You want someone to give you advice, you go to Nixon.”

“What about Henny?” Lilah smiles.

“You want help burying the body, you go to Hendrix,” Lilah answers her own question with a big smile, and I wonder what it’s like to have such a big family.

Caitlin shrugs. “I mean, I’d call Maddox or me for that.”

“Truth,” Lilah giggles.

“And how are you related?” I ask the twins, knowing I probably don’t want to know. This entire town should be on a giant murder board with crisscrossing red strings connecting all the residents.

“Our mom is Leo’s dad’s little sister,” Lilah tells me before she lowers her hat, and Noah immediately hands her the empty tray and takes her spot.

“How about you head into the back for a while, Tink?”

He’s asking and telling her at the same time, clearly protective.

I see the way she’s torn. She obviously wants to stay out here, but glancing around, it’s obvious people are taking more noticeof Lilah. “Hey, Izz,” I call her back over here. “Could you go in the back with Lilah for a bit? She could use some help.”

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