Meeting my eyes, his are dancing. “I think you’ve had enough, Dr. Myers.”
Gwendolyn gasps, “Liz, are you blushing?!”
“No!” Lifting my arms I explain, “It’s hot in here.”
Caden glances down and I lower them, realizing I did not shave my armpits.
My blush turns purple, cracking Gwendolyn up as she covers her mouth and cries out, “Liz, oh no!”
Caden clucks his tongue and sighs, “Well well well. A crack in perfection’s veneer.”
“I’ve been very busy!”
Dipping down to my crossed legs, Caden swipes his finger slowly up my right calf. “Smooth here.”
Goosebumps sing along the path.
He rises, eyes widening, and it’s his turn to burn red in the face. “Shit, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to do that. I was, uh…”
Nervous laughter breaks free as I reassure him, “It’s fine. I was just acting shocked to regain my dignity and throw the focus back on you.”
His embarrassment shifts to stillness. Caden and I stare at each other for a couple of hot seconds. We simultaneously look to the ground, shift our weight.
“I’ll get you another round.”
Gwen and I watch him walk away before we turn to lean over the table because this needs to be discussed immediately!
“That wasn’t just me?”
“Oh no, not just you. He stared at you like…”
“Yes!”
“I was expecting him to grab you, Liz, and shove his tongue down your throat!”
I laugh from behind my hand, glancing to the bar a second before telling her, “Don’t sugar coat it.”
“There was nothing sweet about that look—it was lust!” Leaning back, she purses her lips. “I remember when David looked at me like that.”
“Oh? When was that?”
“Tuesday.”
We crack up, my excited curiosity drifting toward the bar once more to linger on Caden talking with Eddie. He pulls out his phone suddenly, frowns at it. Hunter approaches him and they huddle up. With quick strides out the exit Caden takes my smile with him.
Gwen grumbles, “Now, what was that about?”
Our server, Doug, approaches with our new drinks. We are all ears as he disappoints us with zero information about why these frosty cocktails are delivered from his hands. “Here you go, ladies. And here’s your credit card. Your tab was paid for.” He pauses. “Unless you want another round later?”
“Yes.” As he disappears with it, Gwen sighs, “Damn,” and lifts her drink. “I really hoped that was going to end differently.”
Something in her tone tilts my head. “What do you mean?”
Licking the excess sugar from her lips she feigns innocence, but not very well. “Nothing.”
“Gwendolyn!” I slap my drink down, splashing my hand. “Damn!”
While I clean myself like a cat, she confesses on a shrug, “I told him you and I would be coming here in a way that might have implied he should be getting his ass in gear, too.”
“I can’t believe you did that!”
“Nobody has to know. You could take that flirtation all sorts of fabulous places. That’s why I did it! I had a feeling you liked him. And I saw him spying on us in the observation room.”
Wryly I remind her since she knows what life in a hospital is like, “As if we could hide something like that from everyone.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Liz. You’re very good at disguising your feelings. Except when you’re a klutz and try to act graceful.”
“Except when he’s around, you mean!”
“So get better at it! Force your best poker face!” She holds her drink up. “To more blushing cheeks from Elizabeth Myers.”
“I’m not toasting that!”
“To seeing what he looks like without clothes.”
I pause, considering it, then shake it off. “Totally inappropriate.”
“To blowing him!”
Laughing, I clink my glass to hers. “To shutting you up, and only to shutting you up.”
“Suit yourself.” Her eyes twinkle as she scrutinizes me while sipping her drink. “See, you can hide how you really feel, quite well.”
My face is devoid of expression as I hold Gwen’s gaze, lower my glass, and insist without hurry, “There’s nothing to hide.”
“That’s it.” She wags her index finger at me. “Keep doing that, and nobody will know.”
Rolling my eyes on a smile I glance toward the crowd, trying my damndest not to think she might be onto something.
CHAPTER 13
C ADEN
“What the hell is she doing in jail?!!” I demand as Hunter and I jog to Dad’s Escalade where I dig out my phone as we jump in and slam our doors at the same time.
“You calling Max?”
I jut my chin to the speakers. “Yeah.”
Hunter turns off the high volume we enjoyed on the drive over. He warns me, “Sam thinks it’s just me coming, Caden.”
“Fuck that!”
“What?”
“Oh, hey Max, not you. Hunter is with me—I meant that for him. Hate to tell you this, but Lexi’s in jail. Samantha just called Hunt to save them and is hoping you and I will never hear about it.”
“Fuck that!” he growls.
“Exactly.” I nod to Hunter, letting him know Max agrees with me. “Meet us at the precinct. It’s in Sandy Springs.”
“Text me the address.”
“Done.” Driving out of the parking lot at a dangerous clip, I toss the phone. “Text him where to go! Call Wyatt. Tell him we need him! We can’t call Uncle Justin on this one. He’ll tell Dad.”
“Maybe he won’t.”
I flick a deadpan glare to Hunter. “You told me, didn’t you? And we’re not twins. Use your head.”
“Right.” He searches my favorites-list. “How come I’m below Sam?”
“Because I hardly ever hear from you.”
He mutters, “You could have just said, because I’m younger,” while sending the address to Max. He calls our cousin, next. “Wyatt, it’s Hunt. I’ve got my brother’s phone. Listen, we have a problem. Lexi’s doin’ time.” I lean over and smack his leg, which eggs him on. “She’s in the slammer. Avoiding bending over to pick up soap, if you know what I mean.”
I shake my head and zoom around southern traffic. “Nice.”
“Sandy Springs. Know anyone up there?” He pauses. “Cool. Can we borrow you a sec?” He holds onto the ‘oh-shit’ handle as we launch onto 75 North. “And tell your buddies
