Page 31 of Beyond Question

“Clearly.”

“You busy today? Can you meet me for coffee?”

Bronte sighs. “I don’t know. I don’t want to go behind Mom’s back.”

“It’s not, not really.” Well, it is, but for a good cause, right? “I’m just… fuck, Bron, I really have no idea what I’m doing here and could use a friend.”

“A friend.” Her voice is wary, but then she laughs. “I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“The day?”

“You really like her, don’t you?”

“Yes.” The admission comes out easier than I expected it to, but there it is. Can’t take it back. “And she hates me.”

“Mom hates all men, Travis; don’t take it personally.” She doesn’t say it, but that damn ‘it’s not you’line of bullshit hangs in the silence. After a moment, she finally sighs. “All right. I guess I can help you out. If anyone can, it’s me, her favorite daughter.”

My eyes widen as a pit forms in my stomach. “There aremoreof you?”

“No,” she says with a laugh. “Don’t sound so alarmed. It’s just an expression.”

I drop my head back and close my eyes. More daughters would be risky as fuck.

“Don’t worry, there isn’t a whole harem of daughters you’ve conquered to worry about.”

She read my mind, but… “You were never a conquest.”

Bronte clucks her tongue. “Only because I knew about you going into it, Travis. Make no mistake about that. Girls talk.”

I swallow hard, then nod. Am I really such a bastard that womenknowabout me? That they warn their friends about me?

“Okay, my… friend is leaving at nine. I can meet you somewhere around, say, ten o’clock?”

“Great. Perfect.” I groan. I sound way too eager. “Sorry, I’m just… flailing here.”

“Wow,” she says, “I’m feeling a little pressure, Trav. Don’t go into this thinking I have any control over the outcome. My mom is the most stubborn woman I know.”

I snort. “So I’ve discovered.”

“But, if she agreed to go out with you, even that once and even if it didn’t end well, that’s something. She doesn’t… she’s neverdated, Travis. Not as long as I’ve known her.” She laughs then adds, “Twenty-nine years and eleven months, to be exact.” Then Bronte pauses to let that sink in and I blink repeatedly becausewhat?

Paige is beautiful and smart and successful…

How has she never dated?

Inthirtyyears?

That’s unheard of.

“Really?” My voice comes out in a whisper.

“Yes, really. You’re the first man she’s shown interest in as far as I’m concerned, and I doubt she has some secret nightlife I’m unaware of.”

My brain goes immediately to my best friend and his secret nightlife. My eyebrows creep up my forehead. Could Paige be…

No. No way. She’s not the whips and chains type.

Is she?