“Nice to meet you, man. We’re big River Foxes fans.” Collin shakes my hand and tucks his arm around Noli’s waist.
“Appreciate that. Where are y’all from?” I mask my snooping with a smooth question, but I’m dying to know why they’re here too. Are they tagging along with Rose on her assignment, or what’s the deal? What, if anything, do they know about me?
“Cashmere Cove. Not far from Green Bay. You know my sister.” Noli points across the room. “Rose.”
I nod. Noli’s expression is mostly neutral, if a little curious, which has me guessing that Rose didn’t tell her much about me—or about us. “I do. From my time in Mobile.”
“I’m surprised she never mentioned you.”
I’m going to try not to take that personally. But it tracks with what Rose said when she ended things.There’s no future here.
Why would she have told her sisters about me when all I was to her was a guy she used for a casual fling?
“Is she living in Cashmere Cove now too?” I keep my tone casual.
“We’ve been invaded by all the Kasper sisters,” Collin answers with a chuckle.
“Don’t act like you don’t love having us around.” Noli pokes him in the side.
“I would never.” Collin kisses her temple.
I’m officially jealous of their comfort level with each other. I’ve always wanted someone to love me for me. Someone who I can trust enough to be myself and let my guard down around.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rose step into a dance with one of the pro-golfers who was part of the event earlier in the day. I involuntarily clench my fists at my sides as I catch a glimpse of her beaming up at him.
“Holland hasn’t changed a bit, has he?” Collin is tracking my gaze.
“Who’s that?” I glance at him.
Collin tips his chin in the direction of the dance floor. “Holland Bradley. He dated the third Kasper sister, Poppy.”
“But then she ended up with his brother, Mack,” Noli puts in. “It’s a long story. But everyone is happy now, so that’s all that matters.”
“You think he likes Rose?” Collin asks. It’s an innocent question, but I can physically feel my blood pressure skyrocket.
Noli swivels her gaze, pinpointing the pair on the dance floor. “They look good together.”
She’s right, and I hate it. I don’t know Holland Bradley at all, but I hate him too. Even after all these years, the thought of Rose Kasper coupling up with anyone who is not me feels like a needle to my eardrum.
“No wonder she wanted to be here so badly.” Noli hums.
“Rose is here because of me,” I blurt out, surprising myself with the force of my declaration.
Noli and Collin stare at me with identical slack-jawed expressions on their faces.
“You?” Noli frowns. “Why?”
“She was hired to write an article on me. An in-depth personal interest piece.”
Collin arches his brows while Noli glances toward her sister.
“She didn’t mention that. Interesting. Very interesting,” she mutters. She studies me thoughtfully. “She said you hate her guts.”
I punch out a laugh, appreciating the way Noli is a straight-shooter. She and Rose have that in common.
“She’s not wrong about that.” I push my empty drink farther back on the bar. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go talk to her—about the article.”
I stalk toward the dance floor without waiting for their response.
