Page 4 of Tempting Me (The Asher Family #3)
CHAPTER THREE
SHAY
Girls’ night is the best night.
Especially right now. I need help, and these women are the only ones who know my secret and have kept it.
Hell, our friendship as a whole is basically a secret.
It has been since the day I walked into B’s Bakery and overheard Sadie planning the layout for Sips and Stories, her bookstore that is attached to Hudson’s Bar.
That was almost a year ago this fall, and all it took was the mention of one Meghan Quinn book that we all loved a little too much and we agreed to a secret night to talk about it.
Now, that one night has turned into meeting as much as we can with our schedules to talk about whatever we are reading.
Turns out, we all find a way to read multiple books a week, and I love it.
Small town or big city, readers are everywhere.
I’d headed to Hudson’s Bar last night hoping to get advice, but Luca was there and so was Miles and so was—well, way too many people who might gossip .
The last thing I need is any word of who I’m seen in town with getting back to my parents.
Small towns are great, don’t get me wrong. But living in a small town where everyone knows that your family, who is well-known, doesn’t like another family, who is also well-known, means you have more eyes on you than I care to admit.
I glance over my shoulder as I head up the walkway to my friend Brooke’s front door. I don't bother knocking before I step inside and let out a breath.
No, it’s not the end of the world if people see me, but it would lead to too many questions and I cannot handle more than one problem at a time.
“You made it!” Sadie Collins, who is engaged to Hudson Asher, says with so much happiness, it’s hard not to smile at her welcome. She wraps me in a hug. “I’m so sorry about that last night. I could see that you wanted to talk, but the people in the room made it hard.”
“It’s fine. I get it. I could just suck it up and tell them to mind their own business.”
It’s true, I could. But I'm not exactly the kind of girl who likes confrontation, so I just … avoid.
“We all could, but the safe choice would be to make a plan first so that you get to set the story. Otherwise, rumors will fly like confetti at a gender reveal.”
Also another great reason to avoid confrontation.
I glance at Brooke and then back at Sadie. “Anything you need to share?”
“No.” They laugh in unison. “Unless we want to get to the bottom of this whole Miles and Quinn thing. I mean, do you think he got her pregnant and that’s why they decided to just boom start dating?”
Sadie laughs at Brooke’s theory and shakes her head. “And that right there is how rumors get started. Miles is smart, so is Quinn. Whatever is going on with them is their problem, not mine, not yours, and definitely not Shay’s.”
“Agreed. So what is Shay’s problem?” Brooke asks, nodding to the living room for us to move there. Just as we sit with a charcuterie board and mimosas, Grace blasts through the door.
“Sorry, sorry, a last-minute reservation got lost and my brother couldn’t find it and it was chaos. What did I miss?”
She drops her purse to the floor along with a pair of slippers in her hand, toes off her heels, and replaces them with the fuzzy ones.
We might be a small town, but seeing as how Grace runs the lodge and its status is growing larger in the country, if she’s working, she will never not be wearing heels.
It’s crazy how we ended up as best friends. I’m in torn jean shorts and a tank with slip-ons, and she’s all business.
“Shay was about to give us an update on The Marina.”
“Oh, good. Tell her to hire Luca.”
“For what?” Sadie grabs a cracker with cheese.
“Her contractor bailed yesterday,” Grace says for me.
“Oh my god.”
“Are you freaking kidding?”
I groan and down my first mimosa.
“It’s true, and if I don’t find someone to replace him soon, that’s it. I’ll lose The Marina.”
“Oh, babe.” Sadie hugs me .
Brooke refills my drink and says, “Would hiring Luca be the worst?”
“Absolutely, it would.” I grab a cheese cube and toss it into my mouth.
“That would basically seal The Marina’s fate. The moment word gets out that he and I are working together, my parents would have Linc stake a for sale sign out front faster than the speed of light.”
“I would tell my brother he can do no such thing,” Sadie says. Her family owns the only reality company in Lovers.
Again. Small-town things.
“I’d steal it every night just so they’d have to replace it, and eventually they’d run out and take it as a sign that they can’t sell.”
We all turn to Grace, who has never looked more serious.
“Damn, Richford. Really?”
She nods.
I grin proudly at my friend's secret rebel side.
“I just think, you know, he does good work. He’s efficient. He could probably still get everything done on your timeline, too.”
“Brooke,” I groan. “I can’t.”
“Okay, okay, watching him work would be a plus, too. Those hot summer days. Does he ever work shirtless?”
“Why are you looking at me?” Sadie asks with a laugh.
“He helped build the bookstore.”
“That you own a business right next to. Have you ever seen him work shirtless?”
“No. But it wasn’t summer either.”
Grace laughs. “He is pretty fit. ”
“Fit,” I repeat and then gag, sticking a finger in my mouth for emphasis.
“Girl, you can hate the man all you want, but you have to admit that he’s nice to look at.” Grace drinks her mimosa.
I roll my eyes, but I'm smiling and nodding.
He really is.
I’ll admit it.
That might be what I dislike most about him.
That and the fact that these girls are right, he really would be the perfect person for this job. I’ve seen his work all over town. I know how quickly he works while still delivering high-quality results.
I take another sip, listening to the girls start to talk about our latest book.
None of it changes the fact that I can’t hire Luca, even if my mind keeps straying to how it could work.
My parents would flip if they found out.
I reach for the salami.
If.
If they found out.
If.
The word repeats itself all night long.
In fact, two mimosas later, I’m starting to believe I can still make my dreams come true.
If I can convince Luca to agree to it.
Fingers crossed.