Page 23 of Why Not Us?

“I do my due diligence on the companies we partner with. Also, your brother told me.”

“So you’re threatening me,” I confirm.

“In a manner of speaking. Just think of it as a talk from a concerned older brother. Adalie’s actual older brother is kind of a piece of shit, so Spencer and I act in the role when necessary.”

I rub a hand across my forehead and back through my hair. “It’s not like that between me and Adalie. She’s doing me a favour and I’m doing her one.”

“Sure. I’m still going to need that oath.”

I drum my fingers on the cover of my hot tub when my eyes land on where Taylor and I park our bikes. We don’t have a garage, so we keep them in the backyard under a covered area.

“The most precious thing to me is my daughter and I’m not swearing anything on her.”

“Fair enough.”

“I swear on my motorcycle I mean Adalie no harm.”

“Ah, the motorcycle. Adalie told me about that.”

I freeze. “She told you about the kiss?”

“She told me about the ride home on the motorcycle. She didn’t tell me anything about a kiss. Butyoujust did.” He doesn’t sound shocked or upset. In fact, he sounds downright happy. Fuck. “Tonight, between 6 and 10. You got something to write this down on?”

I record the number right into my phone and I’m about to say thanks and hang up when Derek says, “You know, you could have called the main line. Denise would have patched you through to Adalie. The front desk phone number is on our website. Well, have a good night.”

He hangs up before I can say anything else.

I scrub a hand over my face. Of course they have a main phone line. I could have easily called tomorrow. And if she wasn’t in, I could have left a message. All of that would have been so much easier if I hadn’t been a dumbass. Or if Taylor hadn’t been a dickhead and reminded me about it. Then I wouldn’t have fucked up and told Derek that I’ve kissed Adalie. At least I didn’t tell him how much I want to kiss her again.

Chapter 9

Adalie

“Igot an interesting call today,” Derek says as he sets up Ticket to Ride, one of my favourite board games consisting of creating trains to connect cities. We’re at his house for the monthly board game night he hosts on the last Monday of every month. We’d put the date on Mondays because they tend to be our slowest days. “Nate Sinclair called and asked if he could have your phone number.”

I refuse to meet his eyes as I set my train cars in neat little lines in front of my space, my heart beating wildly in my chest. “Oh? Did you give it to him?” I ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. Probably failing miserably.

“Adalie Murphy, why is a man asking me for your phone number?”

Lis’ eyes are sparkling with interest. Vic looks mostly bored, as usual. Ava is pretending to be busy with her game pieces while Spencer is trying not to laugh.

“I’m giving Dani some art lessons. Did I not mention that? I guess we never exchanged numbers. Did you give it to him?”

Derek watches me for a long moment. Finally, he says, “I did. After extracting a promise not to fuck around with you.”

I open my mouth to tell him he didn’t need to do that when he holds up his hand, stopping me.

“Emotionally. If you want to fuck around with him, that’s your choice. But if he hurts you, I told him we’d have a problem.”

I roll my eyes. “Thank you for trying to be protective, but it’s unnecessary.”

“Of course it’s necessary,” Spencer chimes in. “We look out for each other. So he’s paying you to teach Dani?”

“Um, no,” I say, shifting in my seat. “I asked him to help me get out of my comfort zone. Did you know he’s been bungee jumping a bunch of times?”

“Out at Whistler?” Spencer says, sounding excited. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“No, thank you,” Lis says, patting his arm. “You can go on your own. I’m not jumping off a perfectly good working bridge. Just like I’m not jumping out of a perfectly good working airplane.”

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