Jaxon took the bait. “Help with what?”
I sighed. “I’m not sure how much you’ve heard from Liam, but I’m kind of in a tight spot right now. Lucy and I are expected to get married, but wehateeach other. It’ll never work; we’ll end up killing each other before the wedding. Right now, I find myself in an epic battle of wills with her—she’s trying to get me to call it off while I’m doing the same. I need new ideas if I’m going to get myself out of this jam. That’s where you two come in.”
Liam nearly choked on his sip of scotch. “You want us to go against the girls?”
Jaxon’s eyes went wide. “No, man. I get you’re struggling, but that’s a suicide mission.”
Eyeing the two of them, I asked, “Are you scared of a bunch of women?”
Shaking his head, Liam answered, “Not scared, just playing it smart. They always win.”
“What are you talking about?”
Tilting his head toward Jaxon, Liam explained, “When they wanted this one to end up with Natalie, there was nothing I could do to stop them. Trust me, I tried.”
Jaxon continued, “And with Liam . . . Well, let’s just say he was holding out on his wife, and they fixedthatproblem.”
That was a lot to unpack. These guys looked spooked. Almost unable to believe what they were saying, I tried one more time. “Are you serious?”
“And if Hannah’s in any way involved, you better watch out.” Liam shuddered at the thought. “That girl is crazier than the rest, especially when she’s been drinking.”
“Can confirm,” Jaxon added.
Thinking back to the girl in the kitchen that Cal identified as Hannah, I shook my head slowly. “So, she was glaring at me. Cal thought it was him.”
Jaxon chuckled. “Oh, she’s got it in for Cal too. But if she’s on Team Lucy, you’re toast. Accept it.”
“Team Lucy . . .” I scoffed. Maybe these two were the crazy ones.
Liam was dead serious, declaring, “These girls don’t mess around. Once team names are announced, they won’t stop until they complete their mission. So, you have two options—either call it off yourself, or resign yourself to life with Lucy. That’s it. Game over.”
Silence descended upon our small gathering, with only the occasional crackling of the fire between us. That’s when I heard it—the distant laughter of women. When it became apparent the other men heard it too, it only confirmed what I suspected. That laughter belonged to the women in question.
Mulling over my options and the resigned men before me, I took another sip of the scotch. “Humor me, gentlemen. I can’t simply give up my life. That’s what will happen if I’m backed into a corner with only those two choices—the result will be the same. I just need an idea or two. Liam, you know her better than anyone. Help out an old friend, even if it doesn’t work. I’m desperate.”
Liam was placed in an impossible position—either to help me or his sister. I knew it was unfair to ask him to choose, but that was where I found myself.
Sighing, he offered, “I don’t know. Amy really doesn’t like it when I interrupt her while she’s working. Maybe try that. Lucy’s a workaholic.”
Frustrated, I groaned. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got? You two are whipped.” I accused Liam, “Being happy has made you soft. It wasn’t that long ago you swore off women.”
Leaning back in his seat, he propped one ankle on the opposite knee. “I’ve learned the error of my ways.”
Jaxon threw a thumb in Liam’s direction. “The girls did that to him.”
“Says the guy who was in love with Natalie for ten years before she gave him the time of day.”
Unfazed, Jaxon replied, “And I also have the girls to thank for that.” Turning to me, he said, “Who knows, maybe a year from now, you’ll be thanking them as well.”
“Doubtful,” I muttered. Steering the conversation back to the task at hand, I asked, “Fine. Say I want to interrupt her at work. How would I go about doing that? We just spent a month at her studio in Milan while she worked, and—knock on wood—we are headed back home after the weekend. Seems too little, too late for your suggestion.”
Liam didn’t see the problem. “Interrupt her when she’s working from home.”
Confused, I asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Lucy doesn’t just turn that part of herself off when she’s at the palace. She burns the midnight oil most nights in her workspace.”
Now, I was really lost. “What workspace?”
