“They’re getting me a quote by the end of next week, I think.” I shrugged. “Which is fine since I haven’t had time to look for a new camper yet anyway.”
“But you still have the money you inherited from Grandpa, right? You could always buy a place. Or build your own?—”
I shook my head. “I didn’t inheritmoney, Hayes, I inherited ahome. Grandpa’s home. Or I was supposed to.” My voice came out even more bitter than I’d expected. “Until the trustee fucking sold it.”
Hayes bit his lip. “Uncle Tony sold it because they offered him a killer price. Double the market value! And I’m not saying that makes it okay, Brewer,” he added quickly. “He should have known how much the house meant to you and that you wouldn’t’ve sold it for abilliondollars. He fucked up huge. But he was trying to be a good trustee. To make solid financial decisions for you, you know? And it’s not like he stole the money or anything. And it’s too late to get the house back now, so don’t you think?—”
“Hayes.” I sliced a hand through the air. “As I’ve told you the last ten times you’ve tried to bring this up, I don’t want to hear about my father’s claims that he was swindled or manipulated or whatever the fuck. I don’t want to talk about him, period. Ever. End of story.” I took a long pull of my beer and swallowed. “Especially when I’m already dealing with the world’s bossiest, pickiest client.”
Hayes frowned. “Wait, what’s going on with Hot Delaney?”
I choked on my beer. “Hot?”
I mean, yes, the man was attractive. Very. But I didn’t expect to hear my cousin say so.
“Uh, yeah. Anyone with eyes knows Delaney’s hot. Obvi. But he also dated Jasper for a minute last fall, and Jasper used to be a model, which by definition meansJasper’shot. And everyone knows if you bang a hot person, that makes you hot, too. Therefore… Hot Delaney.” He chewed his chicken. “It’s science.”
I shook my head. “This is the brain that graduated at the top of his class in college?” I demanded. Then I added, because I couldn’t help myself, “Delaney banged Jasper?”
Hayes shrugged. “Man, IDK. I think they only dated once or twice ’cause Jasper was pretty hung up on Watt even then.” He gave me a sappy smile that was coated in buffalo sauce. “Aren’t Jasper and Watt, like, the cutest? Second-chance romance, am I right?”
“You’ve been spending too much time in Janice Plum’s book club,” I grumbled. “In fact, this entire town has.”
“Hey.” Hayes pointed his wing at me. “Don’t knock romance, Brewer, or romance will knockyou. But speaking of Hot Delaney…” Hayes glanced around the crowded bar. “Is he here tonight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, Hayes,” I snapped. “Because no one invited him? Because he’s always telling people what to do and doesn’t think their ten years of expertise might be worth listening to?”
“Whoa.” Hayes leaned back, his chicken forgotten. “I’m sensing feelings here, Brewski.”
“Anger. Anger is the feeling.” I finished the rest of my second beer and signaled the server for a fresh one. “And stop calling Delaneyhot,” I muttered. “His hotness is irrelevant.”
“But you do agree he’s hot?” Hayes prompted.
Kel returned at this moment, sliding carefully into his seat. He and Hayes exchanged another of those speaking glances, and then Hayes stood.
“I’m gonna grab more napkins,” he announced, leaving me alone with Kel.
Like the two of them were fucking tag-teaming me. I didn’t appreciate that.
An awkward silence fell.
“So.” Kel summoned a smile. “You guys were talking about Hot Delaney, huh? Is it true he, ah, had something to do with your camper?—”
“No,” I said shortly.
“Oh, thank fuck.” Kel sounded relieved. “I was afraid I’d have to dislike him on principle. Enemy of my best friend’s cousin is my enemy,” he said solemnly. “It’s science.”
I shook my head. He and Hayes clearly spent too much time together.
“The camper was an accident,” I explained. “Delaney’s a pain in the ass, but I don’t blame him for that.”
“A pain in the ass? Delaney?” Kel’s face scrunched. “But Delaney seems so cool and thoughtful.”
I deliberately didn’t let myself think about the croissants and the coffee and the containers of leftovers with sticky notes.
