Page 8 of True Honey (The Hornets Nest #4)

SHORE

W hen I came back from my meeting with the chair of the Athletic board, the red button on my office phone was flashing from the front desk and it meant Susanna needed me for something she couldn’t talk about over the phone.

I shoved my cell in my pocket, flipping through the papers on my clipboard to quickly run over the appointments I had to get to today.

Ella was meeting with Cael, but I wanted to float there to check on his progress.

His shoulder had been pinching, we noticed it last game, even though he was damn good at hiding the pain.

It was Ryan who had pointed out the small wince every time he had to throw to Dean on first base. The tightening in his jaw was practically unnoticeable to anyone else, but the second Ryan pointed it out, it was clear as day that Cael was hiding pain.

That was in an hour.

Then there was Jensen, Mitchell and Matthenson on the list, along with three of the women from the volleyball team after dinner. Today was never-ending.

The red light continued to flash at me and I left my clipboard behind as I left my office. I wound down through the hallways, running into Riona and nearly sending her tea down her shirt. She stepped back, inhaled slowly and glared at me.

“Riona,” her name came off my lips quickly and as sweetly as I could manage. She was wearing one of the blouses that gave a perfect view to her chest, but I ignored the urge to look and kept my eyes trained on her face.

“Is there a fire?” She asked me in that sweet Texan voice that drove me nuts.

There was a point in time when Riona had spent more time in my bed than I had on her couch.

History tangled between the sheets that both of us would have rather stayed behind locked doors.

Just like your father, sleeping with everything that moves.

I ground my teeth together. If Ryan ever found out that I had slept with his sister more than once he’d kill me and he looked stiff but the old man could throw a punch even on his bad days.

“Susanna called, so maybe?” I cautiously stepped around her. “You look pretty today,” I said and her face became even more annoyed.

“Stop antagonizing me, Silas,” she hummed but I watched the corner of her lip turn upward. “Or I’ll dump this tea down your pants.”

“You’d never risk the human resources complaint.” I challenged her threat with a smirk.

“It would be worth the suspension to see you scream,” she continued to walk away slowly.

“From what I remember I’m not the screamer between us,” I laughed as her attitude returned and she flipped me off.

“There she is,” I slapped my hand on the brick as I turned the corner out of sight and continued down toward the office.

When I round the hallway to the main offices I hear laughter that isn’t Susanna’s pouring from the office.

I slowed my steps and stayed out of sight as her red hair whipped around collecting the vases of flowers that lined the desk.

Drew had a massive smile on her face that I’d yet to be blessed with and a lightness to her voice that I’d never heard.

She followed around Susanna as they organized the messy front office, laughing and chatting.

I’m planted to the floor as I watch them completely unbothered by the world.

I hadn’t seen Susanna laugh so much in years and Drew had done a one eighty from the last time I saw her.

The conversation flowed with ease and before long the office actually started to look organized.

There was something there, it pricked at my nervous system in a way I’d never felt before.

Yesterday, Drew was just the quickest option, offer her some money, a place to stay…

Today, I saw the potential in her, that bright smile and sweet honey laugh.

She wasn’t just an easy choice, she might be the best one I had.

Maybe the plan wasn’t so ridiculous…

“We can’t keep meeting like this,” Arlo’s voice startled me from my thoughts.

“I’m too busy for your judgement today,” I said to him without looking away from Drew.

“You don’t look busy at all,” he chuckled and leaned on the wall next to me. “You know you and Cael teased me ruthlessly for following Ella home after games. I was just making sure she was getting home okay.”

“This is different,” I said and ran my hand over my face to break my focus once and for all.

“You’re right, this is like next level stalking,” Arlo teased. “Has she called you back?” He asked, unintentionally picking at the sore spot.

“I’m assuming that’s why Susanna paged me but…” I trailed off. “They’re having so much fun, I didn’t wanna interrupt.”

“Not interrupting the secretary and the girl you’ve talked to twice? How polite of you,” he said, his heavy brows furrowing slightly.

“You’re more of an asshole than usual. Why?” I snapped.

“Ella picked a date,” he smiled at me. “And I’m not being an asshole, you’re being a lunatic.”

“For the wedding?” I asked, momentarily distracted.

“Do you mind if we use your cabin?” He asked me.

“It’s just as much mine as it is yours.” I nudged him gently, I could tell he was secretly flipping out inside about it, but he’d never give away his excitement. “It’s the perfect place to do it.”

“It was all Blondie,” he said. “You gonna bring your fake date?”

“She’s not—”

Arlo started to laugh quietly beside me and I whipped my head to look at him.

“What?” I questioned with a grumble.

“Oh sorry, your fake wife ,” Arlo corrected himself.

“She’s perfect, Arlo…” I looked over at her again and she was telling a story that I couldn’t hear but I liked the way her smile curled to the left when she told it.

“It’s not real,” he warned. “Just tell Seymour no.”

“You know that’s not an option,” I sighed. “I get one shot at this, or Charles takes everything, Ar… ”

“What the hell are you doing?” He sounded exasperated. “No more jokes, what do you think is going to come from this,” he asked, staring through the office windows.

“A wife.” I said under my breath.

I watched as Drew said goodbye to Susanna, her face falling as she turned to leave. I shoved Arlo back behind the wall out of sight and he laughed.

“You’re an idiot, a big dumb, reckless, idiot!

” Arlo wrestled back as the front doors shut loudly from down the hallway.

“This is going to blow up in your face and if you let Ella or Cael get attached to your fake wife, I’ll tell Coach about your late night physical therapy meetings with his sister!

” Arlo warned, pushing me off him with a smile. “You’re so fucked.”

“Go bully someone smaller than you,” I snapped at him and straightened out before turning on my heel to go talk to Susanna. She was still organizing when I wandered into the office.

Looking up at me she groaned, “where have you been?” She grumbled, “there was a nice girl here to see you. I called you almost forty minutes ago!”

I put both hands up in surrender and give her the best charming smile I have. “I was in a meeting and then I got stopped by Arlo! You can blame him.”

“I would never,” she scowled. Arlo was her favorite, he always had been and she had never been afraid to make it known. “Stop picking on him,” she warned with a finger.

“The girl that came in?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

Susanna’s brow furrowed and I could tell that she wanted to scold me some more but she slipped past it.

“Drew,” she said after a moment of trying to remember her name.

“She came in looking for you but you weren’t around.

Lovely girl, she helped me straighten out the office.

Most of the flowers you boys sent for my birthday were dying, they were dropping petals everywhere!

” Susanna rambled. She had been working in this office since I was a kid.

She used to sit Arlo, Nick and I on the stools while practices were running and kept us busy with coloring and math questions.

She’s a Harbor staple and the stadium wouldn’t be the same without her.

“Guess we’ll have to get you some more, what's the next holiday?” I asked her, leaning on the desk in my polo.

“Damned if I know,” she scoffed.

“For no reason is a good reason,” I winked and Susanna started to relax a little.

“She was wonderful, the poor girl left sad when I told her I didn’t have a job to offer her. She’s been searching most of the day without luck.” She said, stopping in her path to look around.

“Make one,” I said, perking up.

Susanna narrowed her eyes on me, “have you been drinking again?”

“No ma’am, you could use the help around here. The office has never looked so put together, so make a new position and I will run it through with the guys upstairs.” I said with a small shrug. She stared at me for a long moment.

“Silas Andrew Shore, what is the motive here?” She stepped forward and I couldn’t stop the shit eating grin that formed on my face.

“Nothing Susanna, I just wanna make sure you have it easy. This will take the stress off,” I tried not to laugh but her glare was under my skin and I’d never been able to lie to her.

“You better not be sleeping with that girl!” Susanna raised her finger at me. “God help you,” she scolded me when I didn’t answer right away.

“I’m not sleeping with her!” I argued playfully, the smile on my face was so wide it was hurting my cheeks. “I just met her at Hilly's and gave her my card! She has a son, needed a job!”

“You sniff out trouble like a bloodhound, you know that?” She threw a pen at me and I caught it up in my hands against my chest with a chuckle.

“I’ll make sure she can start on Monday?” I asked Susanna, by passing the grumbling coming from the old lady.

“Best make it the end of the week, I need help organizing the season ticket holder mail for next season's renewal.” She barked the order as I set the pen down.

“You’re a dream, Susanna. I love you,” I said, backing away and leaving her office.