Page 55 of No Place Like Home
Darlene leaned forward. “Give us more!” she demanded.
“Okay, whatever,” I said. “But I told him it’s a go. I’m all for it, but I didn’t want to do any public displays of affection—not even handholding—because I didn’t want it to be a big deal.”
Terry brought a platter of chicken fingers and fries to the table. “Here you go, ladies,” he said as he placed it on the table. “I feel a little wrong interrupting the fun.”
I looked at Kai’s father. “Trust me, Terry. You’re doing us a service. Thank you.” Then I turned on Trevor. “You can leave. You’ve done enough damage for one day.”
“Yep,” he said. “I’m going to call Rowan. Tell him congratulations.”
I rolled my eyes as he walked away. “Now that my secret’s out, and y’all have torn me away from a day filled with my body being ravaged by Rowan, we can get back to our purpose of being here and focus on Kora and Kai.”
Chapter 25
Rowan
Trevor and I were getting last minute things together at Jerry’s Pub for the rehearsal dinner, which we would have to leave for in less than an hour.
“Nico,” Trevor said, “Carter will be here soon to man the bar, and Shannon and Barb are working the front. We’re heading to the rehearsal.”
“Got it,” Nico answered, giving us a thumbs up before getting back to his work.
We got the van loaded with the food and drinks, then hopped into the front seat. It was about a thirty-minute drive to the Warfield property, so I got comfortable and found some decent music on the radio.
After we’d been on the road for a while and I had relaxed and was enjoying the music, Trevor interrupted the vibe. “So, dude, I’ve been keeping out of it for a while, but what exactly is going on between you and Summer? She admitted to the girls yesterday that you two were an item, but she told you she wanted to keep things quiet.”
A wicked grin filled my face. The things going on between me and Summer were hotter than I’d ever fantasized, and damn, my fantasies were awesome. If I had any future say in our relationship, the quiet, incognito shit she’d been forcing on us was going to change—and soon. I couldn’t keep hiding us from the world forever. I’d wanted her for ages, and now I wanted to show her off.
I watched the countryside pass by before I spoke. “Well, we’re a couple, but you know Summer. She’s too insecure to take it out in the open right now.”
“Maybe it’s better that way. Aren’t you leaving next week to go back to Texas for that interview? What if they offer you that job?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to the interview, but if they offer me a job in Texas, I’m not taking it. They have an office in Nashville, so I’m going to ask if they have any openings there. I don’t want to leave this place. This is home, man. I was gone for too long. I want to stay.”
Trevor glanced quickly at me before putting his eyes back on the road. “And?” he asked.
I chuckled under my breath. He knew me too well. “And, I don’t want to leave her again. Being away from her never worked for me.”
Trevor eyed me for a few seconds longer this time. “Have you told her that yet? When she was talking about it yesterday, she acted like it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Shit. You know Summer. She can’t admit her feelings to anybody, and she acts like nothing bothers her. But I think she feels more for me than she’s willing to admit. She should be happy that I don’t want to go.”
“If you’re sure.”
I glanced at him through narrowed eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be sure? Don’t hold back, man. What do you want to say?”
Trevor took a right turn and shook his head. “Like you said, I know Summer. I’ve also been here while you haven’t. She has a way of ensuring she’s never happy. It’s like her superpower.”
“Keeping herself miserable is a superpower?”
“Every relationship she’s been in has turned toxic. She has the ability to make the good things rotten.”
Fire erupted in my gut. I knew what he was talking about, and yes, she did seem to always turn things into a hot mess. “Maybe she hasn’t met the right guy for her. Once she does, her superpower will change. Trust me. She has some superpowers that are made for good.”
Our discussion finally ended as we pulled up in front of a big metal gate with a W on it. We pushed the intercom button, and the gates opened.
I’d never been here before, but damn it must have been nice to grow up on a gated property. We wound our way up the driveway lined on one side with rose bushes and a tree line on the other. The main house soon came into view—and what a view it was. “Fuck,” I said. “No wonder Diane’s granddaughter goes to a private school.”
“No shit. I knew they had money, but damn,” Trevor agreed.
