Page 87 of Rebel Bride
That’s what it’s there for.
How have you been?
Me
Working hard, it’s good to be busy.
I didn’t mention Carter. He still had my number blocked, and I was tired of talking and thinking about him.
Me
How’s hockey camp going?
Dino Boy
Awesome. I love working with the kids. Also, it’s been cool to hang with my uncle Jason. We’re accountability buddies at the Rebels gym.
And now I had a lovely image of Hatch sweating after a workout, maybe even lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead and showcasing off those perfect abs …
I considered asking him out for tea, as a proper thank you for the cheese. It didn’t have to lead anywhere.
Sure, Summer. You’ll be thanking him on your knees before you can say “Earl Grey, hot.”
Adeline called out, “Hey Summer, dinner’s up, and Lord Grantham is walking his dog!”
Saved by cheese and the opening credits of Downton.
Me
Sorry, got to go. Have a Gouda night!
The next morning, I walked into the kitchen, nursing a Scandi Noir martini headache and a cheese hangover, and found Rosie on her phone. She looked up guiltily, turned the phone over on the counter, and gave me a thin smile.
“Coffee?”
“I’ll make tea, thanks. What’s wrong?”
Last night we’d binged a few episodes of Downton Abbey and I’d told them a little about where I’d been raised. Not quite as much as I shared with Hatch but enough to make me feel closer to them. They had taken it all in stride because they were the best people.
Rosie expelled a weary breath. “I suppose you’re going to see it anyway. I’ll send you the link.”
My phone buzzed and I opened the link she had sent from the Hot Goss site. The headline sent my heart plummeting to the floor.
* * *
Dash Carter Breaks His Silence: “Summer Checked My Heart.”
I clamped my hand to my mouth, then met Rosie’s worried gaze. “I’m guessing the title is the nicest part of it?”
She jumped up and pushed me to a chair at the kitchen table. “Have a seat, get it over with, and I’ll make you breakfast. Blueberry pancakes.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“This is a blueberry pancake situation!”
She busy bee’d her way about the kitchen while I read the “article.” More like a hit job.
Chicago Rebels hockey player and heir to the Dominion Hotel Group, Dash Carter, has finally spoken out about the shocking events surrounding his wedding almost a month ago. In a horrific turn, Dash was abandoned at the altar by his long-time fiancée, Summer Landry.
