Page 39 of Mr. Perfect

It was much too early for Felix to consider alcohol, plus he was driving. “Lemonade sounds perfect. What about you?” Felix asked Rocky. “I bet Stephen knows how to make a mean Manhattan.”

“You know it,” Stephen said. “It’s my granddaddy’s favorite drink. Would you like one?”

“No, thank you,” Rocky said. “Sweet tea is perfect.”

“What’s it like working on the podcast with Felix?” Reanna asked Rocky.

“At first, I wasn’t sure how it would work out,” Rocky admitted. “I thought Felix was a cutthroat attention whore who wouldn’t play well with others.”

“Ouch,” Stephen said, rubbing a hand over his chest like he’d been the one insulted.

“And now?” Ree asked.

Rocky chuckled and said, “Now, I know only two of those things are true.”

“Nice, Major. Thank you.”

Rocky hooked an arm around Felix’s neck and pulled him closer so he could kiss the top of Felix’s head.

Reanna threw her head back and laughed.

“Which two?” Stephen asked.

“Felix stops at nothing to get to the truth, and he doesn’t play well with others. But it’s what makes him so amazing,” Rocky said. “Turns out, he’s not an attention whore.”

They swam, drank twice their weight in non-alcoholic beverages, and lounged in the sun. It was the most relaxed Felix had felt in ages. He hadn’t planned on drifting to sleep, but one minute he and Ree were telling Stephen and Rocky stories from college, and the next, Ree was waking Felix to tell him dinner was ready.

“Are you battling insomnia?” Ree asked, her dark eyes filled with worry.

“No,” Felix replied honestly. “I’m just working on a story that kept me up late.”

“I can’t help but worry about you.”

Felix pulled her into a hug. “I’m in a good place.” And he was. Mostly. Then, as if fate wanted to mock his bravado, Felix’s cell phone buzzed with an incoming text. It could’ve been Kelly reaching out to give him an update on Pulitzer. Perhaps it was Minerva letting him know that the biggest story of all time was about to break in Savannah, and she needed him to come back and cover it. It wasn’t how his luck ran, so Felix wasn’t at all surprised when he saw a text from an unknown number asking if he was still in Atlanta.

He didn’t need to ask their identity, but he tapped out a quick response.Who’s this?

The reply was immediate.Like you’ve been able to stop thinking about our kiss.I want to see you.

Felix stared down at his phone while trying to come up with an adequate response to surmise the emotions rioting throughout his body. How’d Jude get his number? He nearly snorted out loud. Jude didn’t have to be an ace investigator to track it down, so Felix didn’t waste energy on silly questions. Instead, Felix slid his phone back inside his pocket and smiled at Ree, who was observing him. “I smell charred meat. Let’s eat.”

Felix could see in Reanna’s eyes that she wanted to probe deeper and ask questions, but she didn’t. She knew Felix would talk when he was ready.

Dinner was a fantastic feast of grilled steak, shrimp, twice baked potatoes, and roasted asparagus.

“I think I need another nap,” Felix said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach.

“I’d sink to the bottom if I jumped into the pool right now,” Rocky teased. “That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

“I love to cook,” Stephen said.

“Thank goodness,” Ree said. “I didn’t inherit my mama and grandmama’s culinary talents.” She leaned over and kissed Stephen on the cheek before stacking his plate on top of hers. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.” Felix started to reach for the dishes in front of him, but Ree stopped him. “Guests are exempt.”

“Not this one,” Rocky said, picking up his and Felix’s plates. “I’m helping, and that’s final.”

“Well, I guess it’s okay, Pretty Boy,” Ree said.

Stephen leaned back in his chair when it was just the two of them. “I’m glad we have a few minutes. There’s something I want to discuss with you. Two things, actually.”