Page 69 of Stick Move

“What don’t I deserve?” I ask hesitantly, my voice a low, shaky whisper. I clutch my stomach as the carrot stick swirls around, ready to make a second appearance.

Gemma takes a big drink of her wine, like she needs the liquid courage before breaking bad news. “This…” She crinkles up her nose like she’d just eaten something distasteful. “This whole thing. Noah buying the resort. It’s all about revenge.”

“No, it’s not,” I blurt out quickly. “I used to think that too, but no.” It’s not, right? We moved past that, right?

Noah is a good guy, Brighton. He’s not like that. Don’t believe any of this.

“Brighton,” Julie says gently. “We were sitting on the park bench with Noah when we saw you at the realtor’s office. That’s when this whole plan was concocted.”

I give a hard shake of my head. “That’s not true.”

They exchange another look. “Of course, we thought he’d make you the maid, not the nanny.” Julie breathes out a heavy sigh and there’s a part of me that thinks the sympathy they’re offering is fake, and they might just be enjoying this. “But I guess he needed someone to take care of Camryn.”

“No, it wasn’t like that.” I shake my head, defending Noah…us.

Gemma shifts closer, like she’s dying to hear the juicy details. “Did he make you wear a French maid outfit?”

My gaze jerks to Gemma’s as my blood drains to my toes. “What?”

“Damn.” She gives a low slow whistle. “He did make you wear it.”

The world closes in around me and I grip the table afraid I’m going to fall off my chair. “No. I…I bought that. It was my idea.” My mind swirls at they talk about the outfit, and I begin to question everything.

Gemma cocks her head, the look on her face suggesting I have no idea what I’m talking about. “Was it really your idea, though?”

“Yes.” At least I think it was. Wait, was it?

“I’m not even sure he ever got over Shayla running off.” Gemma tosses a chuckle Julie’s way. “Although Julie had all kinds of ideas on how to make him forget that puck bunny ever existed. When this charade with you is over?—”

“Stop.”

Both look back at me, and as their faces fill with sympathy, all I want to do is shrink into myself.

Gemma makes a tsking sound. “Did you really think this was real, Brighton? Babe, he was out for revenge, and let me guess, you thought by marrying him, you’d get your resort back. Can you say sugar daddy?”

As her words swirl around me, no longer making sense in my rattled brain, I hug myself, not wanting to believe any of this as my mind goes back to the pool…the engagement. The look on his face after I jokingly said I was his fiancée instantly comes back to haunt me. He was upset. I didn’t misread that. Was he upset that I said yes, I wanted to be his fiancée? That his payback had gone too far? Is that why he didn’t want to announce it to his friends?

Oh God, what is happening in my life? My phone rings and I quickly pull it from my purse, hoping it’s Noah telling me not to believe anything they say, but when I answer and hear my lawyer’s voice, I realize my day had just gone from bad to worse.

21

NOAH

It’s been one hell of a week away in Canada. While I enjoyed our game and being with the guys, I missed the hell out of Camryn and Brighton. I managed to pick them up gifts, a stuffed toy for Camryn—like she doesn’t have enough—and something a little more personal for Brighton.

I glance at Brady, who’s driving me home, and he swipes at his tired eyes. He pulls up to my house and my heart pounds a little faster. “Thanks for the lift.”

“Yeah, no problem.” I reach for the door handle, ready to bolt, but slow myself. It’s clear he has something on his mind. I turn back to him and meet his gaze. “What’s Melanie’s story anyway?” he asks.

I’m so tired my brain isn’t working right. “Melanie?”

“The bartender at the rooftop pool.” He gestures with a nod to the resort. “Does she hate hockey players or something?”

As understanding dawns, I laugh at that. “You know she’s a psych major, right?”

“I think that might have come up.”

“I love you, bro, but maybe she’s done a full analysis on you and decided she doesn’t like guys who are commitment phobic.”

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