Not that I had a right to dictate what happened in my brother’s love life, but I sure thought I did. Valentina hadn’t been aware this wasn’t just a girls’ dinner. She’d thought the guys were going out to the bar. Instead, the guys, including Walker, decided to grab dinner at the lodge before heading out to the bar.
As it was, now I was stuck with Walker practically plastered to one side of my body because the bench was crowded. That was definitely a minus to the whole bench seating option. When there were actual chairs, people could only get so close.
“Oh sorry!” Valentina said, her red curls bouncing when she faced my way. She cast an apologetic smile after elbowing me in the shoulder while she was attempting to serve herself from a platter of herbed roasted potatoes.
“No problem,” I replied. “I’m sure I’ll return the favor.”
Walker’s knee shifted, nudging my thigh. That subtle touch sent fire licking up my leg. “Sorry.”
His low, sexy drawl set my body alight. My belly did a slow flip with flutters spinning inside. I took another gulp of my ice water before replying, “Just like I told Valentina, I’m sure I’ll return the favor.” In Walker’s case, I couldn’t resist nudging my knee against his thigh.
“That didn’t seem like an accident,” he murmured, low enough that no one else could hear.
Considering the murmur of voices around us and how many people were talking, it was unlikely anyone would notice if we had a semi-private conversation. Minus the actual expectation of privacy, of course.
Beyond Valentina and Lucas, we were surrounded by other couples. Dani and Wade, Shay and Jackson, and Dawson and Evie. In fact, the only single people at the table were myself, Walker, and Skylar, the vet tech. I told myself it was a relief not to be the only single person at the table. Of course, Walker’s presence beside me had me so stirred up, I could barely think.
I resisted the urge to lift my ice-cold glass and rub it over my neck. Instead, I served myself some food and unintentionally bumped Valentina with one elbow and Walker with the other.
“Proving your point?” Walker teased.
This time, I gave in to the urge to look his way. Major mistake. The moment I met his eyes and saw the heat banked in his gaze, my stomach spun, and another wash of heat rolled through my body.
“No, it’s just crowded.” I forced myself to look away.
“So how is Dave?” Dani asked Walker.
Walker looked over. “He’s doing okay.”
“Can’t believe the guy had a heart attack on his wedding night,” Dawson offered in between bites.
“What exactly happened? I haven’t had a chance to ask,” Jackson chimed in.
Dawson replied, “Dave had a heart attack right after the reception.”
“Damn.” Jackson’s gaze swung to Walker. “So he’s okay?”
“Oh yeah. Now he’s gotta get used to eating healthier,” Walker said with a wry smile.
“We never did hear how your fake date went,” Dawson interjected.
“Clearly, I’m not up to speed on anything. What the hell is a fake date?” Shay asked.
I felt Valentina elbow me, and I returned the favor.
Dawson grinned. “Walker needed a date, so Jade went to keep his old girlfriend off his back.”
“Well? Did it work?” Dani asked, arching a brow.
Jesus. Now, this was a group conversation. I knew avoiding it would only raise more suspicions, so I shrugged. Everyone knew, so there was no sense in not talking about it. But everyone didn’t know that our date turned out not so fake after all. If you counted that we knew each other quite intimately now.
Walker finished chewing and took a sip of water before responding, “It went well. I mean, the whole weekend was overshadowed by Dave’s heart attack. Jade was convincing.”
I smiled. “I can be charming when I choose.”
Valentina grinned. “You’re always charming.”
“Not always,” I murmured in reply before draining the rest of my water.
“Huh? A fake date. At least now I’m up to speed on the gossip,” Shay said.
“It’s not gossip,” I retorted, perhaps a bit too sharply.
When I turned, I caught Dani watching me, a clear speculative gleam in her eyes.
A few hours later, the guys had left to go to the bar as planned. It was just the girls—the girls being me, Valentina, Shay, Dani, and Grace. I had to put up with more curiosity than I preferred. Evie had gone home with Dawson early after she managed to cut her hand on the serrated blade on the industrial size saran wrap holder, giving herself a nasty gash.
“What’s with all the questions?” I muttered on the heels of Dani asking me again about the weekend with Walker.
Dani lifted her wine glass and wrinkled her nose as she spun it in her fingers. “There’re always questions. Especially when someone looks at a guy the way you were looking at Walker tonight,” she said pointedly.
“This from you who took forever to admit you never fell out of love with Wade,” I retorted.
Dani blew a puff of air out of her lips, directing it toward a loose curl falling over her eye and expertly sending it up in the air and out of her eyes. “And I finally got around to it. So there,” she said firmly.
“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage.” I cast a pleading look in Valentina’s direction. But, damn her, she was replying to a text on her phone, probably from my brother.
“What do you mean?” Grace interjected.
“I don’t work here all the time like the rest of you.”
Valentina finally set her phone down. Her cheeks were pink, further proof that she was texting with Lucas. “It doesn’t matter. It’s quality, not quantity,” she teased.
I sighed. “I had a very nice time at the wedding. Well, except for Dave’s heart attack.”
“I wasn’t asking about the wedding, I was asking what you thought about Walker,” Dani returned.
“Are you telling
