Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Landry studies me for several seconds, but it feels like hours. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but he must find it because he pulls out his phone and taps the screen. It rings twice before she answers.
“Hello?”
“Watcha up to, little sis?” he asks.
“I just pulled into the driveway. I was supposed to hang out with Sloane, but she’s sick. I went out and grabbed some supplies for her and dropped them off. I’m walking inside.” She laughs, and I love the sound of it. Fuck.
“We’re down in the basement. Come say hello,” Landry tells her before hanging up. “I’ll ask her when she gets down here.” He turns to me. “You ready to beg, QB?”
For Corie? Every fucking day of the week.
“Nah, I don’t want her to do anything she feels uncomfortable with.” I hope I’m pulling off the I don’t care either way persona when the reality is that I care a whole hell of a lot.
“Well, that attitude isn’t going to help,” Foster tells me. “Let us handle this, QB. We’ve got your back.”
I pretend to count my chips instead of staring at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Corie to appear. I don’t see or hear her when she enters the room, but I can feel she’s close.
“There she is,” Baker says.
“Baby Reynolds,” Reid chants.
“Hey, Corie,” Foster greets her.
“My little sister,” Landry coos.
They’re all making this obvious as hell; it takes everything I have inside me not to show my amusement. My girl will say yes, but we have to play our parts, including me not laughing at my friends as they try to butter her up. Even her brother, who I’m relieved is in on this.
Baker elbows me, and I turn to glare at him. “Greet her,” he says under his breath, nodding toward Corie.
Finally, I lift my gaze, and it collides with hers. “Hey, Corie.” I smile. She smiles back, and everything is right in my world. Regardless of whether this works out or not, she’s still mine—even if I can’t tell them that. Not that it won’t work out. The guys suggesting her was the hardest part, and that’s done. Corie will resist, but she’s going to say yes.
I get a whole weekend with her without lying about where we are or what we’re doing. I’m ready to toss her over my shoulder and hit the road tonight.
“So,” Landry says, clearing his throat.
I shake out of my trance, pulling my eyes from hers to look at my best friend. His brows are furrowed as he turns to look at his sister standing next to him. “Sloane being sick leaves our boy Knox in a pickle,” Landry starts.
“And we thought, who better to help him than baby Reynolds?” Reid chimes in.
“He needs you, Corie,” Baker adds.
“Our boy is desperate. Just look at that face,” Foster tells her. “His girl has plans and won’t budge, and Sloane is an outbreak monkey, and no one wants to get what she’s got.”
I can’t help but chuckle, because if she wasn’t already in, I’m not sure that those lame comments would be enough to convince her. “I’m not desperate,” I tell my friends. “It’s fine if you can’t go. I’ll figure it out,” I tell Corie. The words taste sour coming out of my mouth. Of course, I want her to go. I know this is all a part of the game we’re playing to pull this off so no one suspects, but even saying it bothers me.
“I have to work tomorrow.”
“Surely, you can take the day off,” Baker says before turning to me. “Don’t you have an in with HR? Put on your Beckett charm and get Corie the day off.”
“No,” Corie rushes to answer. “I don’t want any special privileges. What time are you leaving tomorrow?”
“It’s a two-hour drive, so I was thinking ten or so in the morning. We can adjust that to whatever works for your schedule, if you think you can do this,” I tell her.
“I have vacation time because it accrues with each paycheck. Let me….” She pulls her phone out of her back pocket and bites down on her bottom lip as she places her phone to her ear. “Hey, Sally,” she says, walking toward the corner of the room.
She’s already cleared for the day off. So I don’t know who she’s calling; maybe she’s not talking to anyone, but she’s believable.
“Great, thank you so much,” she says loudly, ending the call and returning to the table. “Sally said it was fine. I explained that I had a friend who needed help. She was okay with it.”
“Knox, tell your girl there’s a change of plans, but hell yeah!” Baker cheers.
“All right!” Reid cheers. “Take that, Sara,” he says.
“Sara doesn’t even know about this,” I remind him.
“Yeah, and thanks to baby Reynolds, she never will,” Reid reminds me.