Page 224 of Branded
“I think…I think I’m happy,” I said softly.
A pause…long enough to draw my gaze back to Pru’s, and I sucked in a breath when I saw that my friend’s eyes were damp. “I’m glad, Bethie. So glad.”
I sniffed.
Pru sniffed.
“Shit,” Pru whispered. “We’re both getting soft, aren’t we?”
“I think we’ve both been soft all along.” I nudged my shoulder against Pru’s. “We just didn’t recognize it.”
Pru was quiet for a long time.
Then she nudged me back. “Two beers in the delivery room.”
I grinned and when I looked up and saw Raph still watching me, I knew that I didn’t think I was happy.
I was.
Then I saw who Cas was staring at, who he’d stared at more often than not over the years I’d known him…and I decided to play a bit of matchmaker herself…by convincing Jules to take her break at our table.
Class. Sass. Ass.
That was the perfect combination for Cas.
Thirty-One
Raph
I knew Beth was up to mischief when my watch buzzed with a text and it was just a GIF that said,
“Come here…and bring your friends.”
I glanced up and she was smiling at me. Then she tilted her head slightly to the side.
To Jules.
Who was wearing her CeCe’s shirt, but clearly on break, a soda in front of her and a cheese stick in her hand.
Which told me exactly how highly the girls thought of Jules.
Not just anyone could join in on the spoils of Cheese Night Extravaganza.
Hell, I’d almost lost a finger a time or two trying to steal a fry or chip or mozzarella stick, and I kind of thought they liked me.
Beth—seemingly not liking the delay—widened her eyes at me, tilting her head slightly more toward Jules…and then turning her gaze to Cas before returning it to mine, those widened eyes telling me to get a clue.
Jules.
Cas.
Oh yeah, now I liked that.
Except…if it went bad, then we wouldn’t be able to show our faces at CeCe’s again and Cheese Night Extravaganzas would be no more…not to mention the draft beers we all liked and?—
Another buzz at my wrist.
Trust me?
