Page 67 of Hooked on Trouble

Sawyer scoffs. “Like I need the boost. Any bigger, and the trick-or-treaters will—” He stops mid-sentence. He blinks. Then he blinks again, his gaze glued on Lily’s hand. “You put it on,” he whispers.

I grab Nico’s knee, and Shay fans her face. Lily and Sawyer get lost in each other’s eyes, a silent conversation passing between them. Then he says, “Get over here.”

Impatient, he reaches over Shay and pulls Lily up until she’s standing on her bench and walking on the table and falling into his arms. And God, their kiss. Of the three of us, Shay’s usually the one for PDA, but Sawyer and Lily are in their own galaxy, their bodies molded as he kisses her senseless. For the second time in two days my eyes burn with happy tears.

“Any longer, and the regulars will pull up stools to watch.” The old bartender tips up his cowboy hat, revealing crinkled eyes.

Lily barely manages to unlock her lips from Sawyer’s.

Nico angles his body toward mine, planting his massive forearm on the table, caging me. Eyes soft, he brushes my bangs aside like he often does. “Looks like we have a wedding to attend. Will you be my date, Raven Hunt?” He says my name slow and deliberate, as if tasting the syllables, savoring them. Each letter spirals through my belly.

Did he make the women before me melt like this? Did he turn their names into poetry? I frown, unsure why I’m running in circles again, questioning his feelings. Probably because this is the guy who’s known for falling hard and fast.

And he’s still standing.

He looks about to speak again when his phone rings. He slides out of the booth to take the call. Shay and Kolton are already headed for the door, a final congratulations shouted as they disappear. I get up and try to hug Lily, but Sawyer won’t release her hand. I settle on kissing her cheek. “I’m so happy for you and can’t wait to plan the wedding.”

Sawyer drapes his arm over Lily’s shoulder. “What color cape should I wear?”

She gawks at the question, so I jump in. “There will be no cape, no weird sound effects, nothing spandex, and definitely no lightsabers.”

“What kind of boring wedding are you planning?”

“An adult wedding.”

“For geriatrics.”

“Don’t test me, Sawyer. You won’t win.”

“You’re no match for my superpowers. Right, babe?”

Lily’s answering silence unnerves me. Pulling this wedding together may be more challenging than expected. We can’t make our mark as event planners if the thing is a gong show. “You can always back out, Lil. It’s not too late.”

Sawyer pokes a finger at my chest. “One more comment like that, and you’ll be the entertainment, wearing a tutu and dancing with my nieces.”

I shudder and give Lily a reassuring squeeze. The man’s immaturity will have to be tamed.

As they leave, Nico appears from the back, practically vibrating. If Shay looked ready to burst with Lily’s news earlier, Nico is a piñata about to pop. His grin is infectious. “Are you excited because Sawyer threatened to put me in a tutu?”

“No, but I’d love to see that.” He inhales deeply and shakes his head as if dazed. “I just got a call.”

“I know, big guy. I watched you leave to answer it.”

He scrubs a hand down his face. “The impossible might have happened. We could get a confession to clear Josh.”

My heart jumps, this much good news difficult to ingest. “Seriously?”

He nods, his blue eyes shining with a thousand emotions. “We’ve had leads before, so I don’t want to get too excited. But I need to head to the station.”

“Go, go, go. I’ll bus home. Call me as soon as you know anything.” I wrap my arms around his wide shoulders and squeeze him as hard as I can.

A deep kiss later, he hurries out, and my levity slides. I desperately want this for him. To see him at peace, his family intact. Erase that brooding frown from his face. But if this confession isn’t solid, my mountain of a man could tumble.

My phone buzzes, and I look down to see Rose’s name. The sight exacerbates my nerves. I’ve been stewing over her avoidance of personal subjects, unsure what it will take to bridge the distance between us. Maybe Nico is the key. If I tell her I’m in love and share my fears for his happiness and his silence on the L-O-V-E topic, she might offer a secret of her own. I bite my lip, thoughts of love grounding me. No matter his hesitations, I am pathetically moony over him. Memories of my Sexy Beast and how we defiled his couch last night have me grinning again, my newborn sappy side stretching its legs.

Then I read Rose’s message.

I’m in trouble. I need your help. I’ll call you as soon as I can.