“Sorry, I just wanted to drop this off.” I put the wine bottle on the counter beside a very attractive cheese board. A hunk of goat cheese vied for my attention with a harder cheese that was likely a mature cheddar, though the one with walnuts and cranberries also had my mouth watering.
Admit it. You’re a whore for cheese, Summer.
Agreed, Shelby Mae. Agreed.
Elle giggled while Theo pulled me into a hug.
“Summer, I missed you at Rebels HQ the other day. Heard you had a chat with Carter, which is more than he deserves after that tabloid slander. So. You gearing up to sue?”
I couldn’t tell if he was serious. He had a twinkle in his eye, similar to Hatch when he teased me. “I’ll probably take the high road.”
“Likely the wiser move.” He added a wink. “But just so you know, we’re on your side. This is a Summer family.”
Another deep voice cut in. “Dad, don’t burn your bridges just yet. You might still have to work with Carter next year.”
I didn’t know Conor well, but I did know one thing: he had the skinny on Hatch and me. He grabbed a dried apricot off the cheese board.
“Unless this is your way of telling us you’re finally going to retire and start gardening. Hey, Summer.”
“Hi, there.”
“Don’t rush my decision, Connie.” Theo gestured at the cheese board. “Here, make yourself useful and take this out to the living room.”
“Oh, wait,” Elle said. “We have that Brie, the triple cream one.” She pulled it from the fridge and unwrapped it, then sliced off a healthy triangle.
Theo eyed me. “You a fan of cheese, Summer?”
“I’m immediately suspicious of anyone who is not. That Brie’s my favorite.”
“Hatch loves it, too. He brought it over.”
Conor picked up the board. “Imagine that? Of all the cheese boards in all the world …” With a puckish glance at me, he walked out.
Was I being wooed … with cheese? I tried to think of a time when Dash had ever learned a thing about me, something I liked or wanted to do. He wouldn’t watch Downton Abbey or take me shopping for underwear or bike riding around a lake. He wouldn’t cook me a meal, and we always ate out or ordered in. To quote him, it was like asking Crosby to teach hockey to toddlers—a complete waste of his resources.
He could buy me anything, but it came with strings and could never compensate for a man who listened.
Theo opened a drawer and removed a pile of red cloth napkins. “Summer, do you mind bringing these out to the dinner table? Just through there.”
“Sure. Will lay napkins for food.”
I walked in to find Hatch setting the table. He looked up and smiled, and damn, my heart told me what my mind had been trying to deny for weeks.
I had fallen for this guy.
You are one fine dummy, Summer.
Don’t I know it, Shelby Mae.
No one was supposed to fall for the rebound. That was why it was called the rebound. It brought you back to life but wasn’t supposed to be serious.
“Hi, there, Sunshine.”
Flustered, I ignored his soft tone. “Your dad asked me to put these out.”
I could have panicked and thrown each napkin haphazardly on a plate, but instead I called on my past server skills and tri-folded the shit out of them. In setting one at each place, I used the mindless task to free up space in my brain for my current predicament and look for ways to neg the conclusion.
I was in a vulnerable place right now, susceptible to a warm smile, killer arms, and a beautifully shaped cock. Starting a new relationship was not on my agenda.
