Page 43 of Luck of the Draw

Brennan having a serious girlfriend or wife that was besties with his two besties, and all of them hanging out, and having babies, and those babies growing up together, and all of them being one big happy non-blood-related family.

Yes, that would beadorable.

If only it weren’t completely unrealistic and impossible.

Never mind.

“Methree,” Brennan agreed exuberantly. “I think this calls for a toast. Shall we visit the bar, or should I try to flag down the waiter?”

“Not yet,” Connor said. “We’re gonna grab Jimmy and Oscar so we can break the news, and then we’re all gonna have shots.”

Liza tsked and bumped the back of her hand against his shoulder.

“Oh.” Connor offered Liza a snarky grin and wrapped his large arm around her slender shoulders. “I meanwe’regonna have shots. You can have sparkling water or some shit.”

Liza tsked again. “Rude.”

Skye laughed lightly, and Brennan smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her waist again to guide her away from the table. “Oh yeah, perfect.” He gestured with an open palm and addressed Connor and Liza as the four of them began crossing the restaurant. “I promised Skye that I’d introduce her to Oscar, and then I think we’re going to head out.”

“Aw…B.” Liza met his eyes with mild disappointment and a healthy amount of mischief. “You guys don’t want to go hang somewhere afterward?”

“No, honey, we’re on a tight schedule.”

Skye caught his eye as they weaved through tables. “We could hang out with them. Or you could, and I could just—”

“No.” Brennan leaned down to kiss her head. “I made you a promise.”

She looked up at him through an expression that spoke volumes about something, but it may as well have been in a different language. It must have had something to do with all her own personal shit going on, and that was all the more reason Brennan needed to get them out of here.

He continued to hold her close to his side all the way to where Jimmy and Oscar were chatting behind the low stage at the far corner of the dining room.

“Jimmy.” Brennan gave a quick, high-pitched whistle, and Jimmy picked up his white straw fedora to wave it at them.

“Hey, Riley,” Jimmy said, offering his hand, and Brennan shook it. “I heard your dad came by.”

Brennan resisted the urge to groan while still holding Skye’s waist at his side. “I guess Connor talked to you.”

“’Course he did.” Jimmy shook his head and chuckled. “And I guess you’re my employee now.” He slapped Brennan’s shoulder and laughed again. “You gonna start calling me boss?”

Brennan gave a small salute, and what-the-fuck-ever. He wasn’t about to deal with this right now.

“Jim,” he said, switching gears and gesturing with an open palm at Skye. “This is Skye. She’s visiting from out of town and came to NOLA specifically to meet Oscar.”

“No kidding!” Jimmy turned to Skye and offered his hand. “Very nice to meet you, miss. I’m Jimmy Hall. I run this record label, and all these yay-hoos report to me.”

Skye smiled warmly as she shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

Jimmy draped his arm around Skye’s shoulders in his typical, dad-like manner and guided her toward Oscar, who had started shooting the breeze with Connor and Liza. “Oscar…Oscar…Oscar, look here for a second.”

Oscar attentively turned to Jimmy. “Yessir, Mr. Jimmy.”

“Oscar, this is Skye,” Jimmy began. “She’s a friend of Brennan’s, and she came all the way from…” He paused and turned to Skye. “Where’d you say you were from?”

Skye suddenly looked like a deer in headlights. “Oh…uh…I’m…it’s actually…”

She obviously needed saving from that question, and Brennan couldn’t help swooping in like a knight in shining armor.

“So get this,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close again. “I was over at the Erin Rose last night, and we started talking, and she was like, ‘Have you ever heard of Oscar Quinn Washington?’ And I said, ‘Actually…’ And then she goes, ‘I heard his album recently, and I loved it so much that I came to New Orleans specifically to try to meet him.’ And I said, ‘Well, guess what!’”

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