It wasn’t my first thought, but… “Can’t deny that.”
Noah smiles, and I turn to see Mandy leaning in to hug Harlow. I’m proud of her because I know mending fences couldn’t have been easy. She’s clearly worried the Reed clan hated her for being a home wrecker, but they’ve all been kind and forgiving—unlike their father.
The pretty brunette smiles as she hugs Mandy back. “Want to come upstairs and meet Nolan?”
“I’d love to.” She looks genuinely happy. “Stephen shared the pictures on social media with me. He looks amazing, so much like Noah. But he has your smile.”
“He does. He’s not even eight weeks old, and I can already tell he’s going to be physical and athletic like his daddy.” Harlow winks. “But he’s got Mommy’s attitude.”
Mandy actually laughs. “Uh-oh. Watch out, world!”
“Right? We also have Trace’s little boy, Ranger, with us for the night. He’s going to be a pistol, too.”
The women disappear upstairs with Oliver, and I can hear the cooing and the conversation echo across the tile floors.
Noah leans back against the nearest counter. “My mom will eat up having Oliver here. Now that Griff and Britta have announced they’re having a third, she’s all over Harlow and me to get busy again.”
Already? “What does Harlow think?”
His smile turns all sly grin. “We’re trying. I’d like two close together. Trace and I bonded a lot because we were. She wants a girl. But whatever happens, we’re both happy.”
I can tell. “Congratulations.”
Suddenly, the back door opens. Nia charges in, shaking her head, then speaking over her shoulder at the buttoned-up suit following. “How the hell did you screw up everything before day one, Bas?”
“It’s not like I went out of my way to nail the competition,” he insists. “I was at a bar. She walked in. I flirted. She flirted back. Then—”
“I don’t need a play-by-play.” Nia wrinkles her nose. “But you literally had sex with the competitor who’s trying to ruin our business.”
“No, I had sex with a gorgeous redhead who flipped my switch. I didn’t ask her for her life story before we fell into bed.”
Nia turns and glares at him. “Did you even ask her name?”
He clams up. “I’m not apologizing for my sex life.”
“At least admit that taking her to bed was a mistake.” Bas is silent, irritating Nia even more. “How the hell are you supposed to lead the negotiation to buy her business out from under her? We all knew it would be messy since she’s not inclined to sell, but how much more hostile will it be when she realizes you screwed her literally and figuratively?”
“She shouldn’t be hostile after the number of orgasms I gave her.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Nia cocks her hand on her hip. “When Evan hears about this, he’ll be pissed.”
“He, of all people, knows I need to move on.”
I only have the vaguest idea what they’re talking about, but Nia doesn’t seem to be backing down. Neither is Bas. Competitor or not, I don’t think he’s done with this woman.
Noah clears his throat, and they both jolt as they realize they’re not alone. “Hi.”
“Sorry,” Nia apologizes. “I didn’t see you two there.”
I don’t know how they missed us since we’re standing in the middle of the kitchen. She was probably too focused on reaming out Sebastian, and he was probably too busy defending himself.
“No worries,” Noah assures. “Tanner, this is Sebastian Shaw. Bas, Tanner Kirk.”
“Hey.” The tall guy with blond hair in a precise corporate cut sticks out his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
An uncomfortable silence falls then, like no one knows how to clear the air of Bas accidentally sleeping with the enemy.
“Well…I’ll just go find a tall tree and hang myself.” Bas sends Nia an acidic glance.
She tsks at him. “Dramatic much? We have to figure out how to fix this situation.”
“Nia, she still doesn’t know who I am…”
“You are not suggesting that you keep sleeping with her while the rest of us negotiate, I hope.” Nia shakes her head as she refills her glass from the water dispenser on the fridge door. “Of course you are.”
“Well, I can’t exactly undo Saturday night, but I can try to get some, um…insider information.”
“I’m definitely going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“You got a better idea?”
“No, but I didn’t make the mess. You did. Fix it.”
Then Nia marches for the back door again. Bas follows until they disappear out back, leaving silence in their wake.
“Well, he clearly stepped in shit,” Noah quips.
“Yep, and I wouldn’t want to be wearing his shoes.”
We make a little more small talk about his new job color commentating for a network’s NFL broadcasts, and I assure him he did an amazing job last season when he cocks his head my way. “So what do you do?”
“I’m a firearms instructor. Have been for seventeen years. Until recently, I owned a range in Colorado. I’d like to open one here. Got the place all staked out.”
“What’s your timeframe?”
How the hell do I explain to a guy who owns a twenty-five million dollar house that I’m short on cash? “Probably a couple of months. Nothing is set in stone yet. I’ve got to get a few things worked out and—”
“Would you have time to instruct a few of the security guards around here first?”
Is he serious? “You’d want me to?”
“Once you’re done helping Amanda, yeah. Harlow and I have had our share of problems with people respecting our property lines and our privacy. No one dangerous…so far. But occasionally, paparazzi try to sneak around the place and get photos of us. Sometimes, it’s a curious fan. When I hired the security team, I hoped that simply having guards would be deterrent enough, but these trespassers aren’t letting up. Some are getting really bold. I’d like the security team to brush up, be both safe and proficient, before I put any weapons in their hands.” He peers my way. “You any good at your job?”
“Damn good.
