“Hey, girl, your friends are here,” Jason said from the front, and my shoulders tensed.
“What’s with that look?” Pop asked. “You love your friends. They’re great. Did they do something wrong? Do I need to beat someone up?” she asked, punching her fist into her palm.
That made me snort, and I shook my head. “No, nothing like that. I just have to face the music.”
“Oh!” Pop exclaimed, her eyes wide. “So, today’s the day?”
I froze. “What are you talking about?” I asked cautiously.
“Today’s the day you have to take your straw and become the next blind datee,” Jason said from the door and then ran back to the front of the café when I glared at him.
“How on earth do you guys know about that?” I asked.
“We have ears?” Pop replied, shrugging before going back to her baking.
“You guys know… About the blind date pact.” My heart raced at the thought.
Pop sighed, then rested her hands on the counter and gave me a look. “Of course, we do. You guys talk about it often enough, and not in hushed tones. It’s not like we want to overhear your conversations, but we can.”
I winced. “Great.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s cool that you guys are taking care of each other and thinking about your futures. If and when I’m ever ready to date and need to be set up, I might ask you guys for help. Of course, you’re running out of Brady brothers, so we might need to shop outside of the Brady pool.”
That made me wince. “We are not specifically shopping in the Brady pool to find dates. I’ll have you know that I don’t think we’ve set up blind dates with the Brady brothers on purpose at all.”
That made Pop laugh, her piercings twinkling under the overhead lights.
“See? The Brady brothers just make their way through. Now, that Macon? Oh, my. He’s one that I tip my hat to.”
“I thought you said you weren’t in the mood to date?” I asked, a little pointedly.
Pop snapped her fingers. “I knew it. So, I guess Myra is for Nate, and Macon is all yours.”
I held up my hands, warding off whatever her mind was projecting. “No, no, no. I already have enough matchmaking in my life. There is no need for you to add to it. And Macon is not mine. Out of all the Brady brothers, it’s never going to be Macon.”
“Ouch. What did he do?”
I thought of his busted lip and bruised knuckles and gritted my teeth. “Nothing. Because it doesn’t matter.”
“Okay. But I still think something is going on between Nate and Myra.”
“Just because I might agree with you there doesn’t mean I’m going to entertain the idea of setting up the pact sisters with the Brady brothers.”
“I don’t think you need to entertain anything if it’s already happening,” Pop said with a smile.
“Get back to work. I need to meet my friends.”
“Good luck. I can’t wait to hear about your blind dates.”
“Pop.”
“What? Hazel ended up on an accidental blind date, Paris ended up on the worst set of blind dates until, somehow, she ended up with Prior—not that I know the whole story there. Regardless, it’s going to be amazing to see what happens with you.”
I growled as I walked away and stomped to the back booth where my friends were seated. I couldn’t help but let my gaze drift to the table near the window where Macon had sat with Nate, all growling and bruised.
I still couldn’t believe he had gotten into a fight.
I didn’t want to hear anything about it. I didn’t want to know more. It only reminded me of Adam.
And I refused to think of him.
Bile filled my throat, and I swallowed before I took a seat in the booth.
“Hello, girls,” I said. They grinned at me.
Hazel had pulled her hair back in a bun, looking very professorial with her glasses on the tip of her nose. She was radiant, and I had a feeling she had met up with Cross before she came in.
I noticed a slight hickey on her neck, so…yes, that’s exactly what she had done.
Paris wore a suit, looking very businesslike and crisp today. That meant she had not seen Prior earlier. I held back a smile at that.
The Brady boys tended to muss up their women.
Not that I was thinking about being messed up by a Brady. I had standards, after all. Okay, I didn’t, I had nothing. I was dusty, vacant. Old and hobbly. But that was fine. That’s what I needed.
I didn’t know why I had agreed to this whole blind date thing in the first place.
“You said that out loud.” Myra smiled daintily over her teacup.
I narrowed my eyes. “No, I didn’t,” I argued.
Myra just shrugged her small shoulders before setting down her cup. She patted her lips dry with her napkin. Myra was old money, class, and sophistication. She was pretty much everything I wasn’t.
Yet I loved her so much. Except right now. At this moment, I wasn’t a fan.
“You did say it out loud, but I’m delighted that you’re next in these blind date shenanigans. Better you than me.”
“You know you’re next, though,” I replied. “And it’s probably going to be worse for you because you’re last.”
“Or, if we take long enough on you, perhaps we’ll forget about the whole thing, and I’ll never have to do it.”
“Well, now that you’ve said that, I’m adding it to my planner.” Paris pulled a planner out of her bag and began writing things down.
“I thought you were all electronic now?” I asked, frowning.
“I am. But I’m trying this new planner craze that isn’t that new anymore. It’s basically just scrapbooking but with schedules. I’m trying to lower my stress levels. And I get to play with stickers and something glorious called washi tape. I’m having fun.”
I met the other girls’ gazes, and we held back laughter. Paris was uptight and controlling, and planners were right up her alley.
“You do not need to add me to your planner,” Myra said stiffly.
Paris just grinned. “I think I do. I’m going to remind myself often, even though I shouldn’t need to because we’re going to get through this quickly.”
I froze. “What do you mean this? And why quick?”
“I mean, we’ll figure out exactly who you need to be with, everything will work out hunky-dory and be all lovey, and then we’ll move on to Myra. She’s going to be the hard one. You’re easy.” Paris shrugged.
Affronted, I leaned forward. “I am not easy. That’s why we decided to do this whole pact thing in the first place.”
“No need to get snippy,” Paris said.
“You know she’s just fucking with you, right?” Hazel sipped her coffee.
My shoulders deflated, and I sighed. “No?”
Paris winced. “I was, nothing about this is easy. We promised we would do it, and we do not go back on promises.”
“I’m not ready to date,” I said.
“Okay,” Hazel replied and held up her hands when both Myra and Paris opened their mouths to say something.
“Perhaps you’re not ready to fall in love and get married or do anything that’s past a first date.” I opened my mouth to say something. “However, we both know that you need a night out. So, let us give you that.”
“You mean with a man?”
“Or a woman,” Myra said.
“But with an actual date?” I corrected.
“Yes, an actual date. It can be for fun. Your blind date doesn’t have to be your future. However, you do need a night out. And your lovable godmothers are going to be here to help that happen. And to watch Joshua,” Hazel added.
“I still need to find another babysitter.” I rubbed my temples.
“We’ll work on that with you,” Paris said. I looked up at her. “It’s in my planner,” she added with a grin.
That made me laugh. “Well, if it’s in your planner, then I guess it’s going to happen.”
>
“See? And now that Myra’s in my planner, as well, that’s going to happen, too.”
“I’m through with this conversation,” Myra cut in.
I laughed as they continued talking about my upcoming date. My tension eased slightly. Maybe this could work.
Just a night out, no promises, no commitments.
If they understood that I didn’t want a future with anyone because I couldn’t even think beyond tomorrow, maybe this could work.
I would simply do it and get it over with.
And then it would be Myra’s turn.
I smiled, nearly missing the look the three of them gave me. I noticed, but I ignored it. I needed to live in my bubble of sanity. And I truly did not need to think about the future.
Especially with a Brady.
Chapter 3
Macon
* * *
I smelled like cat piss and dog slobber, and I was pretty sure I had gerbil droppings somewhere on my body.
Regardless, I was having a pretty good day, all things considered.
I walked into my home, stripping off my clothes in the mudroom. I shook out everything, stuffed it all into the washer, started the load, and walked in my boxer briefs to the living room.
I froze and looked around.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting a show,” Paris said from the couch as she set down the ginormous notebook that looked like one of those planner things my admin loved. “I mean really, Macon. Do you always walk into your house naked?”
“He’s not exactly naked.” Hazel gazed at my junk.
I resisted the urge to cover myself.
Hazel just shrugged. “Well, those boxer briefs are…brief. But they do sculpt nicely.”
“For the love of God, Macon. Please cover yourself.”
I looked up at my brother Cross and raised a brow. Cross’s gaze wasn’t on my nudity, thank God. But it was on the scar on my chest. The healed wound that indicated where I had nearly bled out. Where Cross had put his hands, trying to stop the blood.
I vividly remembered pushing Cross off, telling him to go find Hazel. To save her. I had thought I would die that day.
Cross’s gaze moved up to meet mine, and I watched him swallow hard.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I put my hands on my hips and sighed. “I didn’t see your cars out front. And this is my fucking home. I’m doing laundry.”
“Yeah, you are,” Paris said and then let out a yelp when Prior leaned over and bit her shoulder.
“That is my baby brother. Watch those eyes.”
“Oh, I’m watching,” Paris purred before she yelped again. I did not want to know what Prior did to her for her to make that sound.
“Here.” Nate tossed some sweats and a T-shirt my way. “Please put on some clothing.”
Nate’s gaze slid over to Myra for a second. I didn’t think anyone else had caught it, not even Myra. But I had. I didn’t know what was going on between them. Though, honestly, I didn’t care right then.
“Where are your cars? How the hell did you get into my home? Why are you here at all? I need to shower. I smell like urine, and I had a long fucking day.”
“Go, shower. We’ll be out here. We brought snacks.” Hazel scooted off the couch and came up to me. She looked like she might hug me. I heard Cross’s growl, and she winced. “Thank you for letting us in.”
“I didn’t let you in,” I grumbled. “Again. Cars. Did you guys park around the corner so I wouldn’t see you? Are you ambushing me about something?”
It wasn’t lost on me that somebody from our group wasn’t here. Was this an intervention about what Nate had seen?
I glanced over at Nate, who gave a slight shake of the head.
Okay, so this wasn’t about the fighting.
At least, not yet.
What was it about? And where was Dakota?
And why was I so disappointed that she wasn’t here?
“Go, shower. Then get dressed and come back. We need to talk.”
I looked at Cross and tensed. “Talk about what? Is everything okay?”
“Maybe go cover your dick, and then we’ll discuss it,” Prior said, covering Paris’s eyes as she tried to peek.
That made me laugh. I moved past the others. “I’ll be quick. But if this is something I’m going to be angry about, get me a beer.”
“I’ll get you a beer, but you’re not going to be angry. You’ll probably like it,” Nate teased.
Tension filled me all over again. I quickly showered, not bothering to do anything with my hair or beard, mostly just trying to get the funk off. Then I slid into the sweats and shirt that Nate had given me earlier. They were mine, and I liked them.
I made my way out to the living room again to find everyone speaking at once. They all stopped at the same time, and I knew whatever was being said was about me.
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I took the beer from Nate’s hand and took a swig, narrowing my eyes at my little brother.
“No, it’s fine, that was for you anyway.” He went back to the kitchen and got one for himself. One of my beers.
“Okay. What is this about?”
“Dakota,” Myra said, and both Hazel and Paris glared at their friend. Worry slid over me, but they didn’t look too anxious so I figured she was safe. She had to be.
“Are you just going to blurt it out like that?” Paris asked.
“You’re the one who usually blurts,” Myra added. “I’m breaking the ice. Tearing off the Band-Aid. We don’t have a lot of time here.”
I sat down on the fireplace, my forearms resting on my knees as I dangled the beer between my legs. “What about Dakota? Are she and Joshua okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine. I mean, she’s okay.” Hazel sighed, then leaned back into Cross since he was standing behind her chair. “As you know, we’re doing that blind date thing.”
I tensed all over again. “I’m not going on a date with Dakota. We’re not blending our groups more than they already are,” I grumbled.
“There’s nothing wrong with blending,” Paris said.
“That’s not what you said before you started dating me,” Prior chimed in.
“Stop throwing my words back into my face when it doesn’t suit me.”
I ignored Paris. “What do you need me to do? Though just because I’m asking doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”
Myra leaned forward and spoke up, and I didn’t miss that Nate glared the entire time. “I don’t know what is between the two of you, but you guys keep grumbling at each other. Dakota needs a night out.”
“I’m not dating her,” I repeated, growling.
“See? The grumbling. The growling. It just keeps happening.” Myra held up her hand as everyone started speaking at once again. “Let me continue.”
“Whatever you say, princess.” Nate glared.
Myra ignored him. “As I said, she needs a night out. She lost her babysitter.”
“Because Nancy left with that guy?” I asked.
“You sure do know a lot about her,” Nate said. Then rubbed the back of his head after Cross smacked it.
“Watch it,” Cross snarled.
“Thank you,” Myra said. “Next time, I’ll just hit him myself.”
“You could try,” Nate snapped.
“Are you sure I’m the one who needs to be told that I growl too much?” I asked. Everybody ignored me.
Figured.
Myra stared at me. “Anyway, Dakota needs time away from the Boulder Bean and the house. And you two need to make friends. I don’t know why you’re always so grumbly, though that is not my business, other than the fact that it is my business.”
“That does not make any sense,” I replied.
Myra shook her head. “It doesn’t have to, because I’m right.”
“I like Myra,” Prior said, and Paris just laughed.
“I love when she gets all prim and proper. It’s fun.” Paris looked at me. “We’re not asking you to go on
a real date. More like dinner. Just out. Where she gets to hang out with humans that aren’t asking her to serve them and aren’t six years old, asking what their farts smell like.”
“Macon isn’t six years old, but I wouldn’t put that past him.” Nate grinned, and I glared at him.
“There are ladies present or I’d hit you for that.”
Nate met my gaze, and I knew if I weren’t careful, he would comment on the hitting thing and my fight club. So, I didn’t push.
“As I was saying,” Myra said, sounding a little more annoyed than usual, “it’s Dakota’s turn for a date. You’re going to be it.”
“Hold up. No, I’m not. Didn’t I just say that? More than once?”
“You did. But, yes, you are,” Cross added.
“Traitor,” I said.
“Nah,” Cross replied. “But I am your brother. And you need a night out, too. You guys need to get along. I don’t know what’s going on, just get rid of the tension, and then we can move past this.”
“So, all of you are in on this? Forcing Dakota and me on a date?”
“It’s not a real date,” Hazel said. I wasn’t sure I believed her. “It’ll get Dakota out, and then we’ll be done. We won’t force her out on another date. She just needs some time away, and we all promised that this date wouldn’t lead to marriage, babies, or anything serious. Just one night of fun.” She narrowed her eyes. “But not too much fun. She’s still family.”
I looked at them and then drank the last of my beer in one big gulp. I set the bottle on the brick and ran my hands over my face.
“You’re not going to let me get out of this, are you?”
“No, we aren’t,” Myra confirmed.
“You could try, but we outnumber you. And we can take you.”
I looked at Paris, at her little arms, and realized that she probably could take me. She was maniacal like that.
“If she hates me more at the end of this, it’s not my fault.”
“Dakota’s not going to hate you. She really just needs a night out. And, honestly, I think you do, too.” Hazel raised an eyebrow.
I looked up at her and swallowed hard. I could still hear her screaming, even when I tried to block it out. Maybe I did need a night out. And I was sure Dakota needed one.
Far From Destined: A Promise Me Novel Page 3