Part 3 (1/2)

”Squeamish much?” she huffs under her breath.

I snicker a little too loudly, surprised by my accidental outburst. I wasn't expecting her to be funny. I quickly try to recover, and she lets a genuine smile creep across her face.

”Wren hasn't ever been able to handle blood. One sight of it, and he's out like a light.”

”I can really walk just fine. My blood is going to be dripping.”

”That's why he told me to wrap it up.”

She blushes fiercely, further proving her earlier thoughts were scandalous when he said that. She thinks like me. Oh, I'd love to take a peek inside her pretty little dirty mind right now.

”Ah. Well, how are you going to wrap it up while you're carrying me?”

she asks when we reach the backdoor.

I set her down on the bench, and then I slip through the door and rush to a nearby bathroom. After grabbing the first hand-towel I can find, I nearly sprint back outside to see another guy has already squatted before her and started examining the wound.

d.a.m.n it. Does she have some pheromone secreting from her that calls men from miles away?

I almost growl under my breath when I see it's Keith, Melanie's sister's son.

”Hey, Tag,” he chirps while rubbing his hand up her leg, just above her calf. ”I thought I'd check for a sprain.”

Right. I'm sure that's what you're doing.

”I've got it, Keith. Just do me a favor and go tell Melanie we'll be a while,” I mutter, deliberately sounding misleading.

Ash laughs lightly while shaking her head, and then she pats Keith on the shoulder.

”It was nice meeting you, Keith.”

Good. She's dismissing him.

”I should probably help you out. I'm a trainer, after all. I deal with stuff like this all the time,” he says while flas.h.i.+ng her a flirty grin.

”I think Tag has it under control. It's just a scratch. Will you tell Billy where I am?” she says sweetly.

s.h.i.+t. Bity.

”Yeah. Sure. Let me know if you need anything,” he drawls while standing, and I make sure to step in between them quickly to tie the towel around her foot.

”You can spray the sidewalk off if you want to be helpful, Keith,” I degradingly release. ”You know Wren can't handle blood, and she's left a few small drops here.”

He narrows his eyes at me, and then he offers her a conniving, sweet smile as I scoop her up.

”I'll take care of it.”

Before she can thank him, I whisk her away and head inside toward the stairs.

”There are a lot of really nice people in Billy's family. I can't believe I haven't met any of them before,” she says while resting her head against me.

She smells too good for me to think straight.

”I'm surprised I've never met you before. I come to every Christmas, birthday... well, everything. How have the two of you been friends for so long and yet I've never even heard of you?”

Amus.e.m.e.nt darkens her eyes.

”Well, I'm not sure how you haven't heard of me, but I've heard of you.”

d.a.m.n you, Bity.

”Care to elaborate?” I ask while arching an eyebrow.

”Not really. Just carry me onward,” she says with a exaggerated breath and a secretive laugh.

”Tell me.”

She giggles more as I start heading up the steps, and my eyes narrow.

”Fine. He just isn't your biggest fan,” she says while snickering more, possibly making fun of me.

Great.

Bity has probably told her every indiscretion of mine, but I'm sure all of his skeletons are still buried behind a locked vault.

”Really?” I mumble through gritted teeth.

”Well, you did show up with two dates, so I think he's pretty spot-on with his characterization.”

Why did I bring two d.a.m.n dates?

”I think I might have made the wrong impression,” I mutter, slowly trying to dig myself out of the hole I'm in.

She tosses her head back and laughs harder, and despite my anger toward Bity, her beautiful, carefree smile makes mine etch up involuntarily. She's unbelievably beautiful like this.

”How so?” she snickers as I top the stairs and head down the hallway.

”I'm a.s.suming you're staying in the princess room, considering Melanie has always put her favorite girls in there.”

She smiles and nods.

”You're very right. I always stay in the princess room.”

I see the cracked door, and then I turn around to nudge it open with my back.