Preston watched their exchange, turning to his friend. “What’s girls’ night?”
Liam shook his head, grabbing the bags before him. “You don’t even want to know.”
With that, I considered the matter settled and embarked down the path. Before we took off from Milan, I sent an emergency text to Natalie and Hannah, letting them know we needed a brainstorming session. More than happy to oblige, they said they’d be ready when we landed with one of their signature girls’ nights. Up to this point, they were almost like an urban legend, these nights where the trio of friends got together, either at home or out in the wild. But now I was being brought into that inner circle. Being considered worthy of a spot at their exclusive table was humbling.
They must have heard our driveway conversation because the front door was wide open when we emerged on the other side of the stone pathway.
Hannah stood there with a serious look on her face, arms crossed over her chest. Eyeing us, she said, “I have one question.”
Nervous, I glanced over at Amy. Was this some kind of initiation, where I would be denied entry if I answered incorrectly? A cool sweat broke out along my body as I answered in a shaky voice, “Okay.”
Hannah’s blue eyes glittered with mischief. “Caffeine or booze?”
“Booze?” I replied, uncertain.
Pushing off the doorframe, she nodded. “Good. I was afraid after a long flight, you’d be jet lagged, and our best ideas for taking down men come when we are good and drunk.”
Relieved that the question was innocent and they were ready to craft a plan to win the war, I remembered why Hannah was my favorite. She was feisty and wasn’t lovestruck like my sisters-in-law. Sure, they were on my side in this fight, but they’d both had their emotional walls scaled by their respective knights in shining armor. I needed a single girl to help keep our eyes on the prize.
Hannah pulled me into a hug when I reached the open doorway. Close to my ear, she spoke, “Don’t worry. He’s going down.”
That pulled a laugh from deep within my chest. It was only a few words, but I needed that reassurance—I wasn’t alone in this fight.
Natalie was making a pitcher of margaritas in the kitchen, but when she saw me, she stopped everything, throwing herself into my arms, squealing, “I’m so glad you’re here! When Amy told me she was bringing you home, I thought she was messing with me.”
Smiling weakly at my eldest sister-in-law, I squeezed her hands. “Just needed a change in scenery.”
Hannah was all business. “Is the enemy next door?”
“And that’s my cue to leave.” I hadn’t realized Jaxon was in the kitchen until he spoke. Nodding to me, he flashed his perfectly straight teeth—a wonder, considering he played professional hockey. “I’ll leave you ladies to it. Lucy, make yourself at home.”
“Thanks, Jaxon.” I watched as he dropped a kiss on Natalie’s forehead before leaving the room. Jaxon was a total teddy bear and was so good to Natalie and the kids. As heartwarming as that was, it only made it glaringly obvious that Preston was the exact opposite.
Amy grabbed margarita glasses from a high cabinet, being the tallest of us all at five-foot-nine. “Let’s get to work. Lucy may be wide awake, but I’m fading fast. Liam mentioning going to bed didn’t help, either.”
Hannah waggled her eyebrows. “Damn, girl. Still in the honeymoon phase?”
Rolling her eyes, Amy tried to hold back a yawn. “Not that kind of bed. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“But it’s so much more fun in the gutter,” Hannah protested.
Natalie took charge, pouring the green mixed drink into the glasses and garnishing them with a wedge of lime before handing them out. The first sip was heaven on my tongue, the perfect mixture of sweet and tart. It was exactly what I needed.
Ushering us into the two-storied open living room, Natalie curled up on the chaise, inviting us to take a seat. I grabbed the ottoman while Hannah and Amy sat on the oversized couch.
Sighing, I vented, “He’s not backing down! I’m running out of time. When we set this plan in motion, I had months, and now I have weeks left! What happens if he doesn’t walk? This might be the most expensive gamble of my life.”
A sympathetic look crossed Natalie’s face before she prompted, “Okay, Lucy. Catch us up. Last we heard, he went behind your back and got permission to move in, and then you forced him to accompany you to Milan.”
I scoffed. “He really thought he had me with moving in. Then, there was the towel stunt.”
Hannah leaned forward, tucking her caramel-brown hair behind her ears. “What towel stunt?”
Groaning, I filled them in. “I was watching my shows, and he walked in wearing nothing but a towel, acting like he owned the place, sitting his ass right in the middle of my couch. I may have insulted his manhood, and in retaliation, he started to lift the towel . . .”
Natalie’s brown eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me you two . . .”
Offended, I waved my arms. “Of course not!”
