Page 93 of Heartbreaker

“Yes, ma’am.” Mrs. X winks at me as I get up.

“I’ll help,” I say, following Briar into the kitchen.

“You don’t have to do anything,” she says over her shoulder. “You should spend time with Royal.”

“Royal and I spend plenty of time together.” I laugh. “I came here to spend time with all of you.”

“I’m sorry if Frankie has been monopolizing your time,” she says, pulling a loaf of bread out of the freezer. “She’s really excited that you’re Royal’sspecialfriend.”

I laugh. “To be fair, I’m kind of excited about that too.”

We laugh for a moment before she sobers.

“We’ve been so worried about him,” she says softly. “He hasn’t been the same since the accident, and now, finally…well, he seems like himself again. I mean, he won’t ever be who he was before, but at least he’s living again.”

“Wasn’t he living before?” I ask curiously.

“Not really. The only time he left the house was to come to family dinner or spend time with Frankie. Occasionally, he’d meet the guys up at The Sapphire Room, but other than that, he was a hermit. It scared me. Scared all of us. But we couldn’t seem to reach him.” She pauses, smiling again. “And then came you.”

I flush. “Well, he’s special. I’m sure you already know that.”

“I do, but the two of you as a couple caught us by surprise. After Amber?—”

She cuts off as Mrs. X comes into the kitchen.

“I’m just here to be nosy,” she says before Briar can say anything. “Not to fuss with dinner. Aspen fell asleep so the guys are talking hockey, and you know I’m only good for about two minutes of that slap shot crap before I get bored.”

Briar laughs. “That’s okay. We were just about done in here. Dinner won’t be for another half hour or so.”

We head back to the family room, and I pause in front of the fireplace mantel.

“Good golly, Miss Molly, who isthat?” I ask, staring at a framed picture of an incredibly good-looking man.

“That’s Colt,” Briar says softly, coming to stand next to me.

Colt.

Royal’s friend who died.

The one they honor every year on his birthday.

Whoa Nellie, he was easy on the eyes.

“Well, he was hot,” I say.

“He was.” Briar is almost wistful as she stares at the picture.

“That Colt was one hell of a tall drink of water,” Mrs. X says loudly, playfully fanning herself.

“Ew.” Dash makes a face. “Did you just call Colt a tall drink of water?”

“What if I did?” Mrs. X asks, arching a brow. “You think just ’cause I’m old I don't have eyes? I bet the ladies were falling all over themselves to get to him in college.”

Banks snorts. “That they were.”

“Did he have a girlfriend when he died?” I ask, looking over at the guys.

Atlas shakes his head. “He was way too busy playing the field. He said he never wanted to settle down.”

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