Page 85 of When to Call a Blitz

“Yeah, we were shocked.”

She blinks at me.

“You do know that Isla was Ian, right?”

I blink back at her, processing the information. “You know, that makes a lot of sense actually.”

Heidi laughs. A giant, intense belly laugh that forces me to join her. “Why are men so dense? I feel like you had to have been told.”

I shrug. Maybe I was, but it wasn’t that important to me. I think we all kind of figured that Leo was up to some stupid shit. It wasn’t really important for me to get to the bottom of.

I swing her around once more, catching the eye of Briar in the back as she sips her wine, a smile on her lips.

“Date me,” I tell her.

“You don’t have any time right now.”

She’s sort of right. “I can make time.”

“I’m at your house all the time.”

“That’s technically not a date.”

“But it’s private, which,” she closes the distance between us, her lips brushing my ear. “I would rather be until you figure out what you really want.”

“I want you.”

She shakes her head. “That may be true right now, Emmett, but I’ve seen how the press treated Leo and Briar. I’m not going on a date with you in public until you know for a fact that you want me. Until this is something official and stable.”

“We could find costumes like the other two.” I gesture over to Isla and Owen in the corner making out.

Heidi smirks. “No. Nice try though, Big Guy.”

“Are you talking to anyone right now?”

She bites her lip, looking down at our feet. “Yes.”

“Then drop him.”

“Emmett—”

“Think about it.”

She doesn’t agree. She doesn’t say no.

And when we leave with the promise of her coming over the next day to talk, I feel like I’m flying.

40

EMMETT

Juniper stayed over at Elara’s. They were planning an all-day video game marathon, which gave me time to figure things out and do things around the house without the fear of small animals making their way inside.

I hear the sound of a car door shut around four in the afternoon, and I freeze. I’m in the garage working on the car, trying to calm my nerves, and I rush to the far wall, washing my hands off in the utility sink.

It’s only a few minutes before the door to the garage opens and Heidi walks inside, her gorgeous red hair pushed out of her face with a headband.

The second she sees me, her cheeks pinken. “I thought I’d find you in here,” she says with a smile.

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