High-Sided (Armed & Dangerous #3)(36)

“Am I that transparent?” I laughed.

She bit her lip. “Kind of. I don’t think I’ve seen you like this in a long time.”

“What about you? You’re looking a little different yourself as well. You’re not back with Dallas are you?”

“Definitely not,” she snarled. “I actually met someone else last night when I went out with a couple of my friends.”

“That’s great. Does he know who you are?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. I’m going to see him again tonight.”

“What about me? I haven’t spent any time with you.” Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at her like our mother would do. I knew it would wear her down. Madison was a busy woman, constantly on the go, sporting event after sporting event. She didn’t know how to slow down and take it easy. I guess that was because she was in high demand with her job. She had the looks and the personality.

She smiled and it was exactly like our mother’s. “We have all weekend. I’m going to eat dinner with Dad this evening, then I’ll come over and see you before I go out. Is that good?”

“Perfect,” I replied triumphantly. Our dad waved at me from across the shop and pointed at Madison. “I think Dad’s ready for you.”

She glanced at her phone. “Yikes. He wanted to leave fifteen minutes ago. I’ll see you in a bit.” She hurried out of the door and they left. It was time for me to leave for the day as well. I packed up my notebook and when I walked out to my car, Sean was just getting out of his, his shirt covered in sweat. He didn’t look angry, which was good.

I waved at him. “Hey. We’re meeting Janie in an hour. You gonna be ready?”

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. “Yep. Do you want me to come get you?”

If I was going to sneak away, there was no way I could do that if I rode with him. “Nah, I’ll just meet you at the restaurant. I thought we could go to Café REL.” It was one of the best places in town, besides my favorite Italian restaurant. I never left there without a piece of chocolate cake.

He glanced quickly at his watch. “All right, I’ll see you both there.”

Once he disappeared inside, I hurried home to change out of my shorts and into a skirt and tank top. I got back in my car and texted Logan.



Me: Leaving for dinner. You know what to do.



Logan: I’ll be ready.



When I got to the restaurant, Janie got out of her car. Her long, blonde hair hung down her back in waves and she had on a pretty, yellow sundress. Sean would be stupid not to notice how perfect she was for him. Not only was she beautiful, but she had the personality to match. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

“Hey,” she called, waving her hand in the air. “Do I look okay?”

I hugged her and laughed. “Of course you do. Sean will be here soon. I saw him at the shop before I left.”

Sighing, she let me go. “He won’t stand us up, will he?”

“No,” I exclaimed. “He’s not the type.” About that time, he pulled into the parking lot and parked beside her silver Toyota Camry. I was nervous he’d be in a bad mood, but he looked at Janie and smiled.

“Good evening, ladies.”

Janie’s cheeks turned red and I couldn’t help but smile. “Hi, Sean,” she greeted.

He rubbed the back of his neck, his nervousness slipping through. I was glad he wasn’t oblivious to her charm.

“Ready to go inside?” I asked.

Janie nodded and they followed me into the restaurant. The hostess led us to a table and I sat on one side, while Janie and Sean sat on the other. “Would you like something to drink?” the hostess asked.

We ordered our drinks and Janie glanced around the restaurant. “It’s been so long since I ate here. I missed it when I was away at college.”

“Me too,” I agreed. “When I was still in school, Sean would visit me and bring me a piece of their chocolate cake. It’s to die for.”

Her grin widened. “That’s so sweet. I wish someone would’ve done that for me.”

“Now you don’t have to worry about it,” I laughed. “You can come here anytime you want.” My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my purse, pressing the end button as planned; it was Logan. When my phone rang again, both Janie and Sean looked at me, then down at my phone.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

I shrugged and got to my feet. “It’s Madison. I’ll be right back.” With a smile on my face, I rushed outside. “Hey,” I answered.

“Hey, baby. Did I call at the right time?”

“Yes, you did. I’ll be at my house in a few minutes. Want to meet me there? Madison’s coming over and I know she wants to see you.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be waiting on you.”

We hung up and I hurried back inside, pretending to be in a rush. Sean’s brows furrowed and he stood. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “Madison and my dad are stuck on the side of the road. They need me to come get them.”

He pulled out his phone. “I’ll just get my mom to pick them up.”

“No,” I said, holding out my hand. “I got it. You two enjoy your dinner. Call me tonight and let me know what I missed.” His gaze narrowed, but I didn’t give him the chance to call me on my bullshit. I was out of the door before he could stop me. I felt bad for lying, but there was no way he could get to know Janie with me being the third wheel.