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Silence.
For five whole seconds, maybe longer.
Probably a new record for the three of us.
Then Patton’s chair hits the ground so hard he flops against the table, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. “Is she hot?”
“Screw you, Pat.” I ball up a piece of paper and toss it at him. “That’s not the problem here and you know it.”
Archer looks like he wants to tear my head off and hurl it at Patton.
“Humor me. Exactly what the fuck was going through your head when you decided to tell a crucial business prospect that you’re engaged to a woman you’ve met—how many times?”
I pinch my jaw.
“Twice,” I bite off.
“What the—What made you think this was a good idea? Were you drunk?” Archer’s fist crashes down on the table.
“Look, Ineversaid I thought it was a good idea—shut up, Patton. I know it was stupid. Terrible case of foot-in-mouth.”
“Did he buy it?” Patton asks between his rolling laughter. “Did Haute buy that you—Dexter Rory, the man without a beating heart—are engaged to apastry chef?”
“She’s the store owner, andyes,as it happens, he did. Forrest Haute thinks with his stomach first and I think his gut was impressed.”
“Damn. She must be a total smokeshow.” Patton looks at Archer. “Wouldn’t be impressed otherwise.”
“Goddammit, Pat. Enough,” Archer flares. “We need to find a way to neutralize this, not think about Haute jerking off to this bakery chick.”
The absolute worst part is that Patton’s right.
Shewascute in that fluttery stubborn damned way of hers, and Haute smiled at her plenty.
Which means he thought she was easy on the eyes, too.
Which also means he should be the jealous one, and I shouldn’t be feeling the slightest hint of pins and needles in my blood over a woman who means jack shit to me.
What the hell?
“I think we know what we’ve gotta do,” Patton says, turning his grin on me. “You’ve got to double down, Bro. Make this girlwantyou.”
I wonder if I can make my brother burst into flames if I just stare at him long enough.
“Patton’s right,” Archer says. I do a double take. “You need to sort this fuckery out. We’rethisclose to the biggest deal this company has ever had. We can’t lose it now over you getting fucking tongue-tied, Dex.” He frowns at the table. “The Mill could set us up permanently. It could keep Colt sleeping easy for life.”
Colton.
Archer’s son, my nephew, and the entire reason Archer’s so hard-assed about life like the perfectionist asshole he is.
I can’t even hate it.
Colt’s a good kid and Archer’s a better single dad than having three parents.
“Just offer the girl a nice cut of the profits if she’ll play along,” Patton suggests. “She’s a businesswoman, right? She’ll know a good deal when she sees it.”
“Out of yourpersonalshare,” Archer adds. “Seeing as you got us into this mess.”
Sure, asshole.
