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“Neil,” Dad replies, and we leave them to talk.
“Bar.” Knox grunts.
“Whisky please,” I say.
The girls also place their drink requests, then Atlas and Knox disappear to get them.
“I promise not to be a dick if you introduce me to Jimmy,” Molly says...pleads.
I slide my hands into my pants pockets and rock back on my heels. “You’re playing with fire, Molly.ButI can be bribed.”
“How about I won’t draw attention to the pretty brunette over there staring at you?” Payton quickly darts her eyes across the room. “Who I assume is Kaylee Rose.”
Shit.
I make the mistake of following the line of sight, and a bolt shoots through me as our eyes connect.
Fuck.
I smile, lift my hand. Kaylee gives me a wobbly, nervous smile in return and glances at Molly and Payton. Her smile drops and she turns away.
“You two drive a—” I start and by the time I’ve turned around, Payton has taken a step closer to my face and I pull back.
“Levi Montgomery!” she hisses. “Are you...wait. Let me get my thoughts together.”
“They’re sleeping together.” Molly nods as I glance down and curse silently.
“I’m sorry, Sherlock Holmes and Veronica Mars, but you are both wrong.”
Liar.
Payton rests back on her heels and glances over again. Then back at me.
“So, let’s go over and say hello.”
Fuck.
“She’s my physio. I told you. Just a colleague now. We dated. It ended. That’s all.” I glance away uninterested.
“An ex who is still in love with you,” Molly says, peering over toward Kaylee like she’s about to pick up a pair of binoculars and bird watch.
Then the two women move to stand shoulder to shoulder as if it’s the most natural thing in the world and start discussing her.
“Hey,” I hiss, glancing over at my brothers and seeking out my father. He’s across the room chatting. Ward Montgomery knows a lot of people.
Suddenly an idea strikes me.
“So, who is my father dating?”
Their two heads spin around so fast I think they’re going to fall over.
“What?” Molly asks and if the situation wasn’t so dire, I might have laughed.
“I heard him on the phone to someone in the Hamptons.” Leaving off the part about Knox hearing it also, because I know Payton well enough that she’d spit it out as soon as they return with drinks.
As in on cue, a glass of whisky appears in front of me. I lift it to my lips.
“Your father is dating?” Payton exclaims and whisky sprays out of Knox’s mouth.