Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe? I knew I shouldn’t have but I was just so curious. You mentioned having an old boyfriend once, but you were so vague, and I was curious. I’m sorry!” she said, covering her eyes with her hands.
Good God, the kid was a drama queen. “And how did you know I had vibrators in my drawer?”
“Would you believe I was putting away your laundry? Okay! I wanted to try on one of your pretty bras and I found it.”
Instead of being angry, Hadley burst out laughing, grateful for the light moment after the trying last week they’d had.
She shook her head and when Dani removed her hands from her face, she grinned. “So, you’re not mad?”
“Just ask next time, okay?”
Dani nodded. “Hads?”
“What?”
She looked around the hotel room. “What are we going to do?”
“Clean up the house? Maybe put it up for sale?”
Dani flopped back against the pillows. “And then what?”
“Maybe move into a condo?”
“Or go back to the Hamptons?” Dani asked at the same time.
Shock rippled through her. “You’d want to leave here? What about your friends?”
Biting down on her nail, Dani lifted one shoulder “I kind of stopped texting with them. Or they stopped texting me. I think they forgot about me while I was gone.”
Hadley sighed. This kid had been through so much. “I’m sure you’ll pick right up where you left off. Like when some of your friends went away to sleep away camp. Same thing.”
“What about Zach?” Dani asked.
Hadley’s heart squeezed at the question and the mention of his name. “What about him?”
“Did you really want to leave?”
It was Hadley’s turn to shrug. “I thought it was the right thing to do. I have responsibilities here. My job. The house. And you had school and your friends.” She paused to think. “I just wanted to do right by you. Your mom and dad aren’t going to be in your life anymore and I didn’t want more upheaval for you.”
“What about your life, Hads? Don’t you love him?”
Her heart began to beat harder in her chest. “Yeah. I do.”
“Then why are we here?” Dani asked.
Tears filled Hadley’s eyes as she replied. “I really don’t know.”
* * *
“To the Dare brothers.” Nick raised his glass.
Asher, Harrison, and Zach followed, clinking their glasses together. “Why don’t we do this more often?” Harrison asked.
“Because the rest of you are busy with your families. As it should be.” Zach tilted his whiskey, finished the glass, and placed it back on the table.
Since they were in the city, he looked over at Raven, the manager, who liked to be hands on at The Back Door, and he gestured for another.
She inclined her head and walked back around the bar to get him his drink.
Zach turned back to his siblings in time to see Asher studying him. Intently. “What?” he asked his oldest brother.
“You let her leave?”
He raised an eyebrow at that. “Isn’t that what you wanted? For Hadley to go back where she came from?”
Their other brothers grew silent.
“No, it’s what I worried she’d do. What I want is for you to be happy. I didn’t expect you to just let her leave.” Asher raised his glass and took a sip.
“As opposed to what? Tying her to the bed to keep her here?”
Harrison chuckled.
“It’d be a start,” Asher muttered.
“Only you, big brother,” Nick said with a shake of his head just as Raven strode up to them.
“Refills for the table.” She served everyone their drinks. “Anyone interested in food?”
Zach shook his head. “I can’t get drunk if I eat. But thanks.”
Everyone else declined as well.
Nick braced one arm on the table. “Asher may be all about extreme solutions but in this case, I agree with him. She’s gone for ten years, you get a second chance, and you just waved goodbye?” He shook his head. “Didn’t you learn anything from me? Lock that shit down!”
“Do I need to drink at my own table?”
“No, you need to go get your woman. And on that note…” Nick rose to his feet. “I need to get home to mine. My girls are waiting for me.”
“Give the kids a kiss from their favorite uncle,” Zach said.
An answering groan came from around the table, making him laugh.
Nick gave a half salute and strode out to head home to his family.
Zach took another sip of his drink. He knew his siblings had a point but how could he have made Hadley stay in light of her valid arguments in favor of needing to go?
“I’m out,” Asher said, rising to his feet.
“Me too.” Harrison followed.
Zach gave them a forced grin. Being ditched wasn’t fun. He was the last Dare standing and it sucked considering he had a woman he loved who’d opted to leave.
“Bye and give my love to the ladies and babies.” That he meant with all his heart. He adored his family.