“February 14.”
“Valentine’s Day?”I raise an eyebrow.
She shrugs.“A gift to myself, since I’m single.I’ve already booked the Taylor house for the weekend.”She pulls her tablet back, protective now.“It should be plenty of time to plan.”
“Absolutely.”Sure, a little less than three months is plenty of time to plan a boudoir session.But it’s definitely not enough time to come to terms with the idea of seeing Bailey like that and remaining completely professional.
I’m so fucked.
Bailey
I should not bethis excited to see Silas again.It’s been three hours since I left his office.Three hours since he said yes.Three hours of trying not to think about what I’ve set in motion.
And yet my heart gives a shimmy when I open the door at On the Rocks.The cowbell above me jangles.The bar is the only part of the ski lodge that’s open year-round, and tonight it’s full of Herevians.Granted, the only other options in town are the nicest restaurant—Kinnara, a Vietnamese place—and Schmidt’s, the biker bar and pool alley just outside of town.
“Holy fucking shit,” a familiar voice says.At the far corner of the bar, Kit Hutchinson straightens and starts striding toward me.He’s a lean, blond white guy who grew up spending a ton of time with my brother.
Across the bar, Morgan Law spins around from where he was restocking beers and catches sight of me.Morgan’s hair is a darker blond, his skin tanner, and the bump on his nose gives him a rough edge.The bartender’s face lights up in a grin that matches Kit’s and he dashes to the pass-through.
Kit and Morgan bump into each other.Then Morgan grabs Kit’s shoulder, pushing him backward so Morgan can get to me first.Kit retaliates by grabbing Morgan’s red flannel pattern and pulls.
The two men squirm and wrestle each other for a chance to get to me first.Somehow it ends with Morgan’s shirt coming off and Kit’s too-long hair sticking straight up.
Kit makes it to me first and pulls me in for a big bear hug.It’s not as long as the hug Silas gave me earlier and doesn’t feel as good, but it lifts me off my toes with its exuberance.
“Okay, okay, down,” I say, smacking his shoulder when he sets me down.“Save some enthusiasm for later.”
Then I’m hugging a shirtless Morgan, and just as he pulls away, I hear, “Bailey Emmaline Price.”
The noise level in the bar dips as my brother stands up from one of the back booths.
“Oooooh,” Kit and Morgan say at the same time.
“You are so in trouble,” Morgan says.“You got middle-named.”
“Dad’s gonna give you a lecture,” Kit adds.
“Shut up.”I reach for Morgan’s nipple to twist it but he ducks and protects himself.I swear to god, these guys are the Peter Pans of Here; they’ve never grown up.
My brother reaches us and despite the teasing glower on his face, he swoops me up in a hug that’s bigger and longer than even Silas’s.
“Okay, Dad, let go,” I say, but he just squeezes harder.
“Missed you too, grump,” he laughs.
I am NOT grumpy.I’m just surrounded by overly affectionate puppy dogs.
When he finally lets go he leans back to look me in the face.His hair—brown like mine—falls over his forehead.It’s gotten long since I last saw him, and while we have the same brown hair, Hunter’s eyes are much lighter than mine—our dad’s eyes instead of Mom’s.“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to town?”
“I told Mom and Dad,” I say defensively.
Hunter rolls his eyes.“I’m assuming you’re staying with them, then?”
“Of course.And I’m guessing I’m going to hear multiple times about how you don’t answer their calls.”Hunter and our parents don’t get along very well.I’ve had it easier since I moved away years ago, but Hunter still lives in the same small town.
“You should be staying with me,” Hunter says firmly, but before I can respond he wraps an arm around my neck and calls to Morgan, who’s slunk back behind the bar (and has also put his shirt back on) to get me a beer.
My brother leads me back to the booth where he was sitting.His beer bottle is next to Quinn, another familiar face, leaving me to slide in beside Silas with a “hey.”Quinn is an electrician who has an office in the same building as Silas.She’s athletic and tall, with fair skin and blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.We were in physics together in high school and she was always nerdy but kind.