Page 79 of Dashing for Love

Why not? They have the best burgers in town and Daddy feels like a burger

Reid

Ox. My man. I’m gonna have to ask that you never, on your life, refer to yourself as ‘Daddy’ in any chat you and I are in for the rest of our lives

Ox

Okay that’s fair

Hall’s Balls then

Matty

Fine

It was only a matter of time. If I’m being honest, I’m surprised Reid has let me go as long as he has, because that pier walk was absolutely when he figured it all out. All I can figure is that he’s enjoyed letting me sweat.

And I might be. Sweating, that is.

I don’t know. I’m confused. Maybe talking to Reid and Ox about everything will be good. Helpful, even. Either way, I’ve run out of time.

I roll into Hall’s Balls at the appointed time and find the guys at the bar, both of them in full police gear. “Are you two even allowed to be in here dressed like that?”

Reid smirks and Ox waves the idea away. “We’re on shift. But you aren’t. Have a beer.” He slides my preferred beer to me as I take a seat.

“How do you want to do this?” Reid asks.

I gulp my beer, then look over at Anthony. “Did they order already?”

Anthony stares back at me.

I nod. Of course they did. “Burger, please.” Then, “Did you—did you tell them anything?”

“About what?” Anthony’s expression betrays nothing.

“Right. Of course.” Dude is a freaking vault.

Ox is damn near wiggling beside me. “Wait—before you say who it is, can I make a guess?”

“Sure.”

“It’s Liv Stinson.” He says it with such confidence, too, all puffed up and certain of himself. He snaps and points at me. “See? Ha! I’m right. It’s Liv. All those years working together, the tension off the charts, and thenboom!”

Reid laughs as I press my lips together and shake my head. “No, man, it’s not Liv.”

His face falls. “Are you sure? Because the tension there…I feel like it could be. Maybe itshouldbe.”

“No,” I repeat. Is he serious? Liv? My receptionist?Tension?

“Can I have another guess?”

“Sure.” But honestly, I’m a little worried. “You really thought me and Liv?”

Ox coughs. “Uh, yeah. But you know what? Never mind. That’s weird. I’m weird. Sorry. Forget I said anything.”

“I’ll try.” He saw tension with me and Liv? Jesus. I look at Reid. “Should I?—”

“Nope,” he says. “You should not. Don’t think about you and her. Think about you andher.”

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