As I descended the stairs and turned toward the living room, my mouth was already curving. Luca stood on the couch, shaking his booty in a ridiculous dance that had both Arden and Cope fighting laughter. “Is he dominating Candyland again?”
Their heads turned toward me, and Arden shot me an amused smile. “I’ve never met anyone with such good luck. You should take him to Vegas.”
“Mom,” Luca said almost reverently. “You looksopretty.”
I fought a blush, partially at the attention and partly because it was embarrassing that my kid was this shocked over my appearance. But I couldn’t respond because I was too distracted by heat. I could feel Cope’s gaze sweeping over me, settling on all sorts of different places. My legs. My chest. My face.
“He’s right,” Cope said, grit coating his words. “You look stunning.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Thank you,” I whispered, tripping over the simple statement. “Arden, are you coming with us?”
Her lips twitched, those gray-violet eyes twinkling as though she knew exactly what I was doing. “Do I look like I’m going?”
I did a quick sweep of Cope’s sister. She wore what looked like a workout outfit: leggings and a tee that slid off one shoulder, exposing a sports bra. “Looks like you’re ready to dance.”
Arden scoffed. “Not really my scene.”
“Not really mine either,” I admitted.
“You don’t have to go,” Cope said quickly. “You could stay and hang with us. We’re going to play Monopoly Junior after this. Party of the century.”
Arden smacked Cope’s stomach with the back of her hand. “Sutton deserves a night out with friends. Let her live.”
Cope scowled at his sister. “This is living, too,” he grumbled.
Arden rolled her eyes before shaking her head. “Go.Have fun. And don’t come home before midnight, at least.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Or don’t come home at all.”
The glare Cope sent his sister would’ve had me swallowing my tongue, but Arden didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. But before he could say another word, the front door swung open, and Thea and Rhodes filled the entryway.
“Let’s go shake our asses with some cowboys!” Rhodes shouted.
“She has moregame than all of us put together,” Rhodes mumbled as she sipped her margarita on the rocks.
Thea chuckled. “I would never want to compete for a man with her. I’d lose every time.”
I took a sip of my own margarita, the tequila warming me from the inside as I studied Lolli on the dance floor. She had come to play. She wore black boots, black jeans, and a black button-down. They were all decorated in a western-wear pattern, but the design itself was made up of tiny jewels with pot leaves at the center. She’d currently charmed three cowboys into dancing with her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another two joined soon.
“She’s a true legend,” I said, laughter coating my words.
“Soooooo,” Rhodes began, the light in her hazel eyes dancing. “My brother certainly had his eyes on you when we left tonight.”
My face flamed. “He’s probably just worried I’ll end up kidnapped because I wasn’t aware of my surroundings or something.”
“Kye’s that way. It’s a miracle if I get anything past him,” Fallon mumbled, taking a sip of a pink drink.
That had me fighting a smile. Kyler’s protective streak when it came to Fallon was legendary. “Well, we made it out with no babysitters.”
“Dang straight,” Fallon said, lifting her glass in cheers. We clinked, and then she stood. “Come on. Since we’re free, we should dance.”
I slid off my stool as the band shifted into an upbeat song I recognized from the radio station I always had playing at the bakery. “I like the way you think.”
Lifting the glass to my lips, I downed the rest of my drink in one slug.
“Uh-oh,” Thea said, humor lacing her words. “Lolli isn’t the only one who came to play.”
I shot her a grin. “As Shania Twain says, ‘Let’s go, girls.’”
Rhodes let out a hoot, downing her drink. And then we all headed to the dance floor as the band sang about cold beers and tight jeans that fit just right. We danced and jumped and laughed our asses off.
