Vote Then Read: Volume I

by Carly Phillips

  Roxie frowned but didn’t say anything for a moment as Thea just stared between them, a contemplative expression on her face.

  “I will jokingly yell at Carter later for daring to keep such a juicy secret from me. Right now, let’s get on to that whole you really don’t know what’s going to happen thing. I also need to know about his dick, because we’ve mentioned it like five times, and you still won’t talk about it. So either it’s really sad, and he knows what he’s doing with his mouth because you wouldn’t stay with him and risk your friendship otherwise, or it’s so big that you don’t want us to feel jealous. Especially our dear sister over there, who’s feeling a little neglected in her nether regions.”

  Adrienne ran a hand over her face. “Why do we keep using phrases like ‘nether regions’ and ‘lady parts’? This whole conversation is weirding me out.”

  “Answer the question,” Thea demanded. “Because we love Mace, and I always thought he was like an additional Montgomery brother. But, apparently, that is so not what you’ve been thinking. Unless you sort of were, but then this is a whole part of the conversation I really don’t want to have.”

  Roxie giggled and leaned into Thea, and Adrienne figured they’d talked around the subject enough that she just needed to get on with it.

  “First, because I know you won’t let me get out of this conversation without talking about it, even a little, here you go.” This time, it was Adrienne who grinned like that canary-eating cat. “He’s amazing. Hands-down the best sex I’ve ever had. Biggest…you know what I’ve ever seen. I’m not going to go into dimensions or measurements because, first, he’s mine, and it’s something I kind of want to keep to myself. Second, he deserves at least a little bit of privacy even though he probably should’ve realized that he wasn’t going to get any when he became friends with me in the first place.”

  Her sisters clapped, and she rolled her eyes. Sometimes, it was nice acting as if you weren’t an adult with bills to pay and countless lists you needed to check off.

  “He makes you happy?” Roxie asked. “Because that’s the most important thing.”

  Adrienne nodded slowly, truly thinking about her answer. “With everything going on right now in the shop and how someone’s trying to take it down to do whatever the hell they are planning, he’s the one thing that’s making me smile.”

  Roxie sighed happily, but Thea didn’t react, as if she knew Adrienne wasn’t finished yet. Roxie had always been the dreamer, and though some things had changed in the past year after she married Carter, that part of her remained—if slightly dulled.

  Adrienne told them about her first night with Mace and their following nights and how he made her feel. She couldn’t help but laugh as the two of them fanned themselves. Adrienne might not have gone into too much detail, but they had been able to guess.

  “The thing is, he made me smile before we changed everything. I love you guys, and I love Shep, but I also love the fact that I had connections outside of our family. I know it’s the same way with you and Molly, Thea. The idea that I can have these friendships that feel like family outside of the amazing and loving unit we already have, always make me feel more well-rounded. And I didn’t realize that really, not until I noticed that Mace needed to rely on me as well as his own family when his ex showed up and dropped off Daisy.”

  She frowned, trying to get her thoughts in order.

  “But now, everything is different. Yet not. We thought we were so smart in talking about each step as I somehow found myself in his arms and not wanting to pull away, yet I don’t think there was a way to talk about exactly what we were feeling until we knew what that was. And even now I don’t know if I know. It’s all confusing and exciting and exhilarating and I’m finding myself having these new feelings and fun with my best friend in ways I didn’t know I could before this.”

  “Do you love him?” Thea asked softly.

  She met her sisters’ gazes and nodded, scaring herself. “ I loved him before I thought I was possibly making the worst mistake ever. That love was like a base for what I’m feeling now, and that idea is just scary. I focused on my business and my art for so long that I put aside the idea that I could be with another person. And after everything that happened with him with Daisy’s conception and birth and all of the legal problems afterwards with his ex—and even more so now—I don’t know what he wants out of what we have. We’ve done so much to make sure that we’re not going to break each other during, that I’m truly afraid what will happen if and when we decided the risk isn’t worth it anymore. Because I’m not the same person I was even a month ago, and I think the change is for the better. But I’m really afraid that he’s not going to fall for me like I’m already falling for him.”

  She wiped away a single tear, unaware that she’d let it fall.

  “He’s your best friend, and I don’t think that will change.” Thea spoke slowly as if working through her words. “But I do think if you’re truly falling for him like we all think you are in this moment, then maybe you need to state the path you want to take. I’m not saying bare yourself and your feelings. Not yet. Not unless you want to. But maybe you need to make it more than just steamy nights when you can find them. I know you have a little girl to think about, too, but she’s already in your life, and you are in hers. But if this is truly what you want, you’ll make it happen. There’s never been one thing in your life that you haven’t been able to grab by the horns, because you throw yourself into things headfirst. I’ve always admired that about you, and I love you so damn much. So, if you’re truly falling for him, take the next step.”

  Their mother called them in for dinner before anyone else could say anything else, so she hugged her sisters and went inside to enjoy a family meal with people who understood her. And when she got home, she pulled out her phone and took the next step.

  Addi: I think we should go on a date.

  She sucked in a breath, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake.

  Mace: Tomorrow good?

  She bit her lip, trying not to smile like an idiot in her own kitchen. It seemed she had her first real date with her best friend tomorrow, and she couldn’t help but dance on her feet, her excitement warring with her nerves.

  Her sisters were right. If she loved him enough to try and make this work, then she needed to take that next step, that risk. And tomorrow, when she went on a date with Mace that was just about the two of them and not just a friendly meal, she’d put all of herself into it.

  Because that’s what she did, fear of the future or not.

  12

  This was a huge step, at least that’s how it felt to Mace. He ran a hand through his hair and wondered if he actually knew what he was doing. Considering that he’d been walking through a murky fog for the past couple of months trying to figure out his game plan, he had a feeling this wouldn’t go any better than the other things.

  Well, that was just a stupid thing to think. Sure, he kept going at things a little confused and more than a little behind, but it wasn’t as if he’d screwed up everything. He was working his ass off at MIT and gaining new clients weekly. Yeah, the walk-ins had decreased ever since the news had spread about the so-called drug deals and sanitation issues, but once they figured out who the man was out to get the shop, they’d be able to bulk up their reputation again. So, while it was really annoying and worrisome that business had taken a hit as it had between the graffiti and those other two major things, he knew they were stronger than whatever else came at them. The whole team was beyond talented, and they had the Montgomerys and their personal reputation backing them. So, whoever thought they had the right to try to hurt them could go fuck themselves.

  And as for the most important thing in his life, his daughter? He felt like he was finally finding his footing when it came to raising Daisy on his own. Finding the balance between being a good father and ensuring that Daisy had daily contact with her mother wasn’t easy. And a small part of him wanted to cut his ex out of his life f
orever, not only for what she had done to him in the past, but for what she was doing to her daughter day in and day out in the present. Daisy was still too young to understand exactly what was going on, but she was old enough to know that something was different and wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.

  He was still waiting on the final paperwork and decisions about what would happen in the future with his rights when it came to Daisy, and that unknown made his stomach clench to the point where he was pretty sure he would have to buy stock in antacids.

  So, while the monumental legal worries were going on around him, he had to put all of that aside to focus on what was best for his daughter. The two of them had found a rhythm so far that seemed to be working. Because he was able to go into work later since the shop didn’t open as early as most nine-to-five jobs did, he could wake up every morning with his baby girl and get her ready for preschool. Then he’d walk her there himself before heading back home to see if he and Adrienne were going to carpool that day. His parents took turns picking Daisy up from school, and they truly loved the fact that they had this time with their granddaughter now.

  And though it worried him slightly, Adrienne’s role in Daisy’s life had changed, as well. His daughter had bonded quickly to the other woman in his life, even before the changes in their relationship had happened. His best friend came to his house as much now as she used to, and that meant she saw Daisy more often than not, and his little girl always made sure to say hello when she knew he was texting Adrienne. He knew Adrienne was doing her best not to change the way Daisy saw her, and for that, he was grateful. There was a difference between changing their relationship as a couple and changing the way she was viewed in his daughter’s eyes.

  And after all of that, he had a feeling he would probably win the award for the most convoluted and circular thought patterns of the day.

  His sister Violet would be at the house soon to watch Daisy so he and Adrienne could go on their first official date. He still couldn’t believe the two of them hadn’t actually been on a date yet. Yes, they had meals together and saw each other every day between work and sleeping together, but he hadn’t actually been the man he always thought he was and taken her out in public on a date. Tonight, they would rectify that. The fact that it had been her asking him out rather than the other way around was not lost on him. It had been her saying that she hadn’t had sex in over a year while also thinking he was hot at the same time that had led them to sleeping together in the first place. And while he had been the one repeatedly saying that he didn’t want to risk their friendship, it had been her saying that they needed to actually talk about the details and what they wanted from each other.

  He hadn’t been treating her like he should, and he knew he would have to make up for it. She deserved far better than hot sex on lonely nights or in storage closets when they thought nobody was watching. Now that the world had pretty much figured out what the two of them were doing, it was up to them to either make it work or walk away and go back to who they were before so they didn’t screw anything up.

  So, tonight, he would be the man he should’ve been all along and treat her like the woman she was. Someone who deserved to be cherished and cared for. And, yes, he also wanted to fuck her hard into oblivion, but the thing was, he knew she wanted to do the same thing right back to him. He was even interested in this whole Sir and Ma’am, May I thing her sister had apparently brought up. And while they tested that out, he would do his best not to think about Roxie and Carter and whatever the hell they did in the bedroom.

  Daisy came into his bedroom right then as he was finishing buttoning up his collared shirt. He wouldn’t be wearing a tie or suit jacket since they weren’t going anyplace fancy tonight, but he still wanted to look better than his usual raggedy T-shirt and jeans with holes in them.

  “What’s up, baby girl?” he asked as he turned to her.

  “Are you and Aunt Adrienne going out for dinner soon?” Daisy asked. He’d explained to her that he and Addi were going out for a meal, but hadn’t been too specific since he wasn’t ready to tell Daisy that he and Adrienne were dating.

  Since they were dating. No more mincing words, even if it made him feel like a teenager again.

  “Yep. Your aunt Violet should be here in about twenty minutes, and then Addi and I are headed out. Is that okay?” He didn’t want to be one of those parents that let his child dictate how he led his life, he also didn’t want to change things up too quickly when she was just finding her footing.

  His little girl nodded, her face solemn. “Aunt Sienna said even daddies need time with women they like. Do you like Aunt Addi?”

  He was going to kill Sienna. Yes, she’d probably been put in an awkward situation when Daisy had asked her a question about him going out to dinner with Addi, but a little heads-up would’ve been nice.

  “I do.” He knelt down in front of Daisy and tapped her on the nose, making her giggle. “She’s my best friend.”

  “Like how I’m best friends with Sarah at school? But she’s a girl like Aunt Addi.” He’d noticed that she’d started calling her Addi instead of Adrienne more often, and though he knew he needed to be careful, he liked it.

  “Yes, like that. And you can be best friends with boys, too.” He didn’t want to be that dad who was a sexist prick, but he also wasn’t really looking forward to her growing up and going through the dating phase—with people of any gender.

  “I know. Roland is one of my friends, too. He’s just not my best friend. But now that I live here, he lives near here too, and that means maybe he’ll be my best friend soon. I don’t know yet. I have to see.”

  Mace held back a smile at her words before opening his arms for a hug. Her little arms wrapped around his neck tightly and squeezed, and he stood up so he could carry her into the living room. That’s when he noticed that he’d missed a call from Violet since he hadn’t known he left his phone in the living room.

  She’d left a message, but when he went to listen, he couldn’t hear her as it was mostly just static. Worried, he called her, and was relieved when she picked up on the second ring.

  “I’m so sorry. Did you get my message?” She spoke fast and, thankfully, this time there wasn’t any interference on the call.

  “Yes, but I couldn’t hear what you said. What’s up? Are you on your way?” She should have been well on her way by then if she was going to make it in time, and the fact that she’d called gave him a bad feeling.

  “Damn, I knew there was an issue with my phone. I need to get a new one. Anyway, I was halfway there when there was an issue at work. I had to go in. I tried to call, but I didn’t get ahold of you. Then I called Mom and Dad, and they were on a date about an hour away—which yay for them but it sucks. Then I called Sienna, but she didn’t answer. Only texted me back saying she was finally on a date but that she would cancel right away to come and watch Daisy if you needed her. I didn’t really know what to say to her, and now she’s waiting on my call. Well actually my text because she said not to call so you can probably tell what kind of date it is.”

  Mace pinched the bridge of his nose. When Violet got anxious, she rambled, but the fact that she’d gone through all of this after only calling him once and not thinking of the house phone meant that she was truly sorry for not being able to make it down to watch Daisy.

  “It’s okay. I’ll figure something out. Thanks for trying and, hell, thanks for working hard to try and get me out tonight.”

  “I’m really sorry. But, of course, I was doing my best for you. This is a date with you and Adrienne. This is like whoa important.”

  He shook his head, glad that she couldn’t see the smile on his face. “It’s just a date. Stop freaking out.”

  “I’ll freak out if I want to. Now, I have to go, but know I’m sorry. And then go hug that baby girl of yours because I’m going to miss our sleepover!”

  They said their goodbyes, and he hung up, wondering what the hell he was going to do. Then his d
oorbell rang, and he figured that he’d just run out of time. Adrienne had said she’d come to his place and pick him up since it was her idea for the date, and since he liked making her smile, he’d agreed.

  But now, she was here, and he would either have to cancel their date completely, or find a way to make it work with a hyper four-year-old in the room.

  This was so not going the way he’d planned.

  When he opened the door, however, he got tongue-tied and found himself unable to speak at the sight of Addi in tights and a slinky black dress under a white coat. How she hadn’t slipped on the ice in those shoes, however, was something he would have to ask her later.

  “Hey, you,” she said, her teeth chattering. “Didn’t really think about how much skin is actually showing through thin tights.”

  He pulled her inside and kissed her temple, closing the door behind her so he wouldn’t let out all of his heat. “You look…well…as soon as I come up with words to adequately describe how you look, I’ll let you know.”

  She beamed at him but didn’t take off her coat, and he wasn’t sure if he should bother taking it off for her since he was still trying to formulate the next parts of the evening that was now completely off track.

  “Well, that’s the best way to say hello.”

  “So, there’s a slight change of plans,” he said, wincing.

  Daisy ran up to Adrienne at that moment and threw herself against her legs. Addi almost fell off her heels, but he gripped her tightly against him, the three of them making quite the trio.