Page 25 of Cajuns. Love. Curves.

I like to think of myself as a fairly independent woman unfazed by such things as the dastardly deeds of assholes. But this entire situation with Tripp has thrown me for a loop, and I’ve been scrambling to catch up ever since.

Can you blame me for not wanting Nick to know about this newest insult to injury?

“It just didn’t come up,” I say blithely.

“So, everyone who worked on the case is going to be there?”

“Yes.”

“Including Sir Reginald Douche Canoe and Little Miss Put a Ring On It?”

“Don’t call him that.”

Nick holds his bottle out, and this time it’s Remy’s turn to clink the bottles and toast his insults.

Nick continues as if I said nothing. “You don’t want to watch her flaunt her baby bump all over Belize, so you asked this gay friend of yours to go with you. Is this the fake boyfriend situation?”

“No. As Remy pointed out, Trevor is gay. He’s not my boyfriend. Not my fake boyfriend. And I don’t need a fake boyfriend to maintain my dignity. He was just going as a friend. Until he got the mumps.” I finally cave and take a sip of wine. If only to keep myself from throwing the glass across the room in a fit of petulant rage. “Seriously? Who gets the mumps at thirty?”

Remy clears his throat. “Actually, I think it’s pretty serious. Maybe you should be more sympathetic?”

“His mother is a physician. I’m sure she’s taking excellent care of him.”

“So, what are you gonna do?” Nick asks with a grin as he takes another drink from his beer.

I slide a look at Remy. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in going?“

“Aren’t the tickets in Trevor’s name?”

“It’s a private plane. So that doesn’t matter.”

“Still can’t do it. Sorry sis.” He runs a hand over his buzz cut. “I’m doing a favor for Wade. Apparently, some general he knows called in a favor. And since Wade can’t do it, he tapped me for the job.”

“I’ll do it.”

Remy and I both twist to look at Nick, who is grinning broadly.

“That’s unnecessary,” I say quickly and automatically.

I am absolutely going to shut this shit down right now.

Bringing one of my best friends on the trip seems completely natural. Not pathetic at all. Bringing my brother? Same.

Dragging along my brother’s best friend when he only gets a few weeks of leave a year seems outright pathetic. Desperate.

“Sounds like fun, though. I love Belize. And I assume there’s gonna be diving. We’re talking about an island, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“You know diving is kind of my thing?” Nick says before I can finish my protestation.

“Perfect.” Remy claps his hands together as if it’s problem solved.

“No. Not perfect.” I put my hand over Remy’s and lower them to the table. To Nick I say, “That’s unnecessary.”

This vacation plus Delaney, Tripp, and the baby bump is going to be humiliation enough. I don’t need witnesses there.

Especially when the witnesses are hot and of the Navy SEALs’ variety.

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