Page 41 of Square Deal

“Oooh!” Kristin squealed with an alcohol-induced smile. “I know! He should date Bridget!”

Mel and I nearly tipped over, laughing. “Thank you, Captain Obvious,” I snickered.

“Bee’s with Kingsley—” Mel stretched up like a meerkat and caught another glimpse of Chase and Layla, “—and it looks like Chase is doing juuuussstttt fine.”

Kristin and I stole a peek.

Layla was lining up her shot. Chase stood behind her with his hand on the small of her back. The pool stick wobbled, and he put his hand on top of hers to help her steady it. He gave Layla a wide smile as he gently tucked her hair behind her ear so she could see her shot.

Kristin and Mel chimed in with a harmonizing, “Awwww!”

Bridget looked like she was going to throw up.

Kris yawned and looked at the time on her phone. “I should get going.”

I grabbed my keys and went over to the bar to pay my tab. Bridget was standing at the register, spying on Chase out of the corner of her eye.

“Offer stands,” I said as she swiped my card and handed me the receipt to sign. “If you need somewhere to stay, my door’s always open.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “Thanks, Han.”

I sheep-dogged Mel and Kristin into my car and headed toward Havelock. Chase offered to take Mel home like we planned, but her apartment was on the way to Kristin’s, and I didn’t want to interrupt his meet-cute with Layla.

After making sure Mel made it into her apartment without falling up the stairs, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Havelock.

“Good night?” I asked Kristin.

“Isoneeded this,” she said, checking her phone and then looking at me. “Thanks, girl.”

“Anytime. Maybe I can take Kylie for a weekend and do some spa treatments at my place or something. Get the hormonal teenage girl out of your hair for a weekend. Send Logan and Hunter to hang out with Chase, and that leaves you with Zoey. And Lord knows she’s easier than all four of them together.”

She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “I’m not a charity case, Han.”

“And no one’s treating you like one. You are a kick-ass big sister who got the short end of the stick with your family tree. You’re doing the best you can, and accepting help doesn’t make you a charity case.”

I pulled into the trailer park and killed the engine. Only onelight in her single-wide was still on, which meant Steve successfully got the kids to bed. Not that it hurt that the Boyd kids were both terrified and a little star-struck by him. I mean, the man was a dead ringer for Jason Momoa.

I waited for Kristin to give me the all-clear after she got the status report on the kids from Steve. She dropped her shoulders and relaxed when Steve gave her a bear hug and told her to lock the door. He sauntered down the creaky wooden steps and motioned for me to roll my window down.

“Hey,” he said, smiling as he rested his forearms on the edge of the window. “How was girls’ night?”

“Good. Chase met a girl, so give him hell about that tomorrow.”

Steve grinned from ear to ear. “‘Bout damn time. I’ve been waiting for this day since Erica and I got together.”

“I thought you’d be happy about that,” I snickered before looking at Kristin’s house. “How did the kids do?”

His smile dropped a little. “Kris has her hands full, that’s for sure. They didn’t give me trouble, though.”

“I don’t know how she does it.”

“Me either,” he admitted.

“Get going,” I said, cranking my car up to head back to Beaufort. “I’m sure Erica is rested and ready to see you. How’s dad life?”

Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled. “It, uh… It’s great.” He chuckled. “Erica’s a natural, and Aly—she’s only a few days old and I swear she’s got me wrapped around her finger.”

I reached out the window and pinched his bearded cheek. “Look at you, all soft and gooey now that you’re a dad. You’re practically a marshmallow.”

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