Page 72 of The Inn Dilemma

My throat tightens. “To be fair, I know you better than you know yourself.”

“And I know you. Which is how I know your feelings for my sister are more than surface level. You’re not one of those punks who were only out to use her, and she’s not out to use you.”

“She’s grown into an amazing woman. If I can get your approval and her interest, I’d really like to pursue her with forever in mind.”

He smirks. “I had a feeling there was more to your story when I found out you kept her secret from me.”

I grimace. “Yeah. That was being stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

He slaps me on the shoulder. “I can imagine.”

“But we’re cool, and you definitely have my approval to pursue her.” Chris shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m glad I don’t need to give you the talk.” He lifts his hand to put “the talk” in air quotes then recrosses his arms.

I can feel my ears heat. “Definitely not. The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt Nova.”

“I know.”

He motions with his head toward the parking lot. “You want to go for a ride with the crew? You’ve apparently missed all of the messages in our chat.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and sure enough, have dozens of missed texts in our group chat. Chris looks at my screen and raises his eyebrows at the picture of me and Nova I still have as my background.

I clear my throat. “Do you mind if I bring the pups?” Usually when I ride with the guys, I go sans pups, but since the relationship with my new backpack is up in the air right now, I figure these two will enjoy the ride. I had just rounded the corner of the house before coming out here, and I overheard Nova talking to Aunt Birdie, saying she’ll be working on the mural all afternoon.

“You know those mutts are always welcome. As long as I’m not the one strapping that little terror to my chest.” His shiver drives home his point.

I laugh at my friend’s description.

A few minutes later, I’m wearing Titan in his carrier on my chest and buckling Tootsie into her dog carrier on the back of my bike. Chris shakes his head.

I flip on my intercom. “Ready?”

“Always,” Chris answers.

The rumble of our bikes pierces the silence as we pull out of the parking lot and head toward the highway. We’re only a few miles in before Thor’s booming voice fills my head.

“So the pirate has become the courter, I hear?”

I shake my head. “Not officially.”

“Dude. What are you waiting for?”

“He just got my blessing. Give the guy a moment to process before jumping on him,” Chris interjects.

“Yeah, Thor, just because you got engaged three seconds after meeting Clover doesn’t mean that’s how fast the rest of us work,” says Caius as he rides up next to me.

“To be fair, Chris got married like three days after meeting Roxy,” Thor throws back.

“That was completely different and you know it,” Chris defends himself.

“True, true,” Thor relents.

Another familiar bike comes into my mirrors.

“Who are we talking about?” Des asks.

“Holt and Nova. Even though they made out in front of all of Denver last night, he hasn’t asked her out,” Thor continues.

“It wasn’t all of Denver, and we didn’t make out! It was just a kiss.” Even I hear the lie in my rebuttal.