32. 32
“H
ow often do you get recognized?” Annie asks me.
“Um.” I slide onto the chair in the private back room of this bar and grill. “I don’t know. Often.” We had more than a handful of people stop us at the bowling alley, but thankfully no photographers.
“That’s why we booked this back room,” Meredith tells me. Her pink dress hits her mid-thigh and is super cute—I need to ask her where she got it.
I look from Meredith to Miles’ sister. “Thanks.”
“Yeah. We want you completely comfortable,” Coco says, leaning her body closer to me. The table is a barrier, though; as she sits across from me, she doesn’t make it far. Annie sits next to her and Meredith next to me.
I don’t tell them that I’m never completely comfortable. It’s like a job hazard. But out with my fake husband’s family for a night of fun—yeah, so not comfortable.
Our waiter enters the back room, and his grin is too wide for his face. “Well, hello, ladies.”
Annie smiles up at him. “Married,” she says, holding up one hand. “Married.” She points to Coco. “Engaged.” She points to Meredith. “And married.” She lets out a sigh as she points in my direction. “Don’t spend too much time on us unless it’s to refill our drinks. Okay?”
“Holy bologna, Annie,” Coco says, eyes wide, but she’s trying not to laugh.
Annie holds up both hands. “Just making this picture perfectly clear for him.”
Our server, Kevin, clears his throat and nods. “Can I take a drink order?”
I chuckle despite my discomfort. These girls are funny. And in another life, we would have been friends.
But then, why not in this life? I”m not running off on tour at the moment. My bandmate, Astrid doesn”t have a minute-by-minute schedule planned out for The Judys. Ash isn”t even here to coach me on my next PR move. I might actually be able to take a hot minute and make a friend.
We give the man our drink order and send him off, tail between his legs. Annie does not mess around.
“Tell me this,” Coco says. “What is the first thing you noticed about Miles?”
“Ah.” I think back to when I first saw him talking to Lars. “His passion. Even from afar, his passion for his work was evident. And then—” I clear my throat, feeling like it’s breaking all the rules to talk about or even to think this. “His eyes. I’ve never seen eyes like his before. Hazel and green and shining, like glass.”
Coco smiles. “Miles does have nice eyes. They’re like Lucy’s.” She beams as if she loves that she sees her mother every time she looks at her brother. Then again, Lucy is a sweetheart; maybe she does love this.
“Yeah, but have you seen Owen’s eyes—”
Coco raises her brows. “Newlyweds. You’d think she’d be over his eyes by now; she’s been looking at them for most of her life.”
Meredith chuckles. “Levi’s eyes are like Hershey’s kisses.”
They are a bunch of lovesick puppies—all four of them. It makes me laugh. “You’re all so whipped,” I say.
“We aren’t the only ones.” Annie laughs right along with me. “We saw that kiss back at the loft. You’re fairly whipped yourself!”
Except that I’m not. Yes—it was one hot potato kiss. I can only imagine the heat level had we actually been alone—you know, without Miles’ family and my mother watching. But whipped? Nope. I’m pretty sure you have to know a guy longer than a week for feelings to be determined as whipped.
I’m right, logic says I am. Yet my nerves are exploding inside like a mini firework show.
I can’t be crushing on my not-so-real husband. That’ll never do. I made him promise not to fall for me.
“I’ve never seen Miles kiss anyone,” Coco says.
“He had a girlfriend once back in high school.” Annie makes a face. “It didn’t last long; she wasn’t right for him. She kept trying to change him.” She scrunches her face disapprovingly, making me like her all the more. Miles does not need to change—for anyone.
“Has he dated anyone since you met?” Meredith asks Coco.
Coco shakes her head. “No.” She glances at me, offering a smile. “Not that I knew about, anyway.”
“Wait.”
Coco is the sister. Annie is Owen’s wife. Owen is the brother… and Coco is the sister. I’m sure of it. I do not have this mixed up.
The women stop talking and look over at me.
“Sorry.” I clear my throat. “Ah—confused.”
“Wait.” Meredith’s nose wrinkles. “You don’t know about Coco?” Annie tilts her head and they’re all looking at me like I’m the crazy one. I’m not. It’s not me! It’s them. They’re the crazies. I’ve got my facts straight!
“Miles didn’t tell you?” Coco says.
I swallow. “You know, our romance really has been a whirlwind. We still have a lot to learn about the other.” It’s true and false all at the same time. I like it. I make a mental note, reminding myself to inform Miles of my brilliance.
“Oh.” Meredith’s lips part in a grin. They all seem appeased by my answer.
Coco sits straighter, her eyes on me. “I was adopted as a baby. I just found my biological family three years ago. So”—she shrugs—“Annie’s actually known Miles longer than I have.”
Well, I hadn’t expected that. “Shut up.” I slap my hand onto the table just as our waiter makes his way over with our drinks.
My scene makes him do a double take. He stops, not serving any of us. “Hey, I recognize you,” he says, shaking a finger at me.
Annie stands and points at each of us in turn. “Married, married, married, engaged. You don’t recognize her. Go away.”
He blinks, afraid of the little redhead. He doesn’t even serve us; he just sets the tray down, eyes wide, and off he goes.
“That was vicious. I might love you,” I tell her. Who needs a bodyguard when Annie’s around?
Meredith sighs. “I wanted to order.” As if on cue, her stomach growls.
“One of us could go out to the main restaurant and order for all of us,” Annie suggests. “That might be better for Lane, anyhow.”
“Yes! Me! I’ll go,” Meredith says, raising her hand. We all give her our orders, and then she’s out the door, heading to the main area of the bar and grill.
“Okay,” I say, turning back to Coco. “Tell me more.”
And she does. She’s very open about being adopted. About Lucy sending Jude to go find her. About not wanting to meet the family at first. And about feeling nothing but love and gratitude now.
“Maybe I was adopted,” I say. “Maybe I have secret parents out there who… aren’t mine.”
“You don’t get along with your family?” Coco asks.
“Ah, I mostly don’t get along with my mom. And my dad is… not exactly dependable.” I swallow; I don’t say those things out loud often. Talking to the press, you learn to hide all those skeletons away, making everything look hunky-dory. I rarely share about my rocky relationship with my mother. Or my trust issues when it comes to my father. “My grandma is wonderful. And my sister and I get along well even though we’re eight years apart. Yeah—I don’t need the whole adopted family, just the new mom.”
Coco smirks, and I’m glad she knows I’m not mocking her situation in any way. “Well, in a way, you do have a new mom. Lucy. And she’s the best.”
Annie nods. “She really is. Those Bailey boys are so lucky.”
I plaster on a smile, all the while singing in my head, “No attachments, no attachments.” I can’t get attached to Lucy Bailey just to leave Miles a year from now. What good would that do?
“We’re lucky to,” Coco says, reaching out and placing her hand on top of mine.
“Right? Who knew Lane Jonas would become our new sister. Oh man, Kayla flipped when I told her.” Annie grabs her drink from the tray and sips from the fancy glass. “That’s my actual sister,” she tells me.
But I’m stuck on—new sister? I blink down at Coco’s hand over mine. These women have shown me more acceptance and love than Serena did after six years with The Judys. Or after twenty-seven years of being Claire’s daughter.
My eyes sting—new sister—but I suck those ridiculous things back into my head because no attachments! Holy bologna, these Baileys!
Meredith wanders back, arms swinging at her sides like she’s discovered gold. “Apps are ordered, but I might have been followed.”
”Ah, snap,” I mutter. I pull out my phone, Ash is too far away, and no bodyguards on duty… Who needs them? I’ve got Miles. He”s the only one I need.
But then—broad, curly, and handsome pokes its way around Meredith.
Miles.