Without a Hitch(63)

“Mable!” I screech. “What are you doing?”

My words don’t even distract her. She just holds up a finger and shushes me. “What kind of game are you playing at here?”

My mouth snaps shut. Mable sounds…pissed. On my behalf. Obviously, she was listening when I called Hadley earlier. She was the only one home at the time, but she listened patiently when I gave her the run down and told her it was a “code Polly.”

Code Polly is our version of a disaster warning. It started a few years ago when Delaney babysat for a neighbor and didn’t realize the children had filled her pocket with Polly Pockets. Those little fuckers melted all over our dryer, caused a small fire, and ruined her favorite pink jumpsuit.

Lochlan is unfazed by the bathrobe-wearing older woman with a leathery face and a smoker’s cough invading his space. He squeezes my hand and flashes her a pleasant smile. “I just want to get to know Tilly. She wasn’t going to give me the time of day unless I got creative, so I came up with a mutually beneficial, er, arrangement.” He falters only briefly and is saved when the elevator lurches to a stop.

Mable waves her hands dramatically but follows us out of the car and into the hallway. “Sex tapes?”

“Are you asking if I have one or if I watch them?” he replies as if this is an everyday question.

“Both,” Mable blurts as I usher him into my apartment. She moves quicker than I anticipate and slips inside with us.

“I do not have a sex tape, but I have watched a few,” he admits with absolutely no remorse.

A loud squeak comes from the family room, and I know our audience just got a lot bigger. That was Delaney’s uncomfortable sound.

“Ever made one?”

“Jesus, Mable. Enough with the sex tapes,” I hiss as we round the corner to find Eli grinning.

Delaney is so red you’d think she got locked in a tanning bed, and Hadley is perched halfway to the couch like she can’t decide if she’ll sit or stand.

“I haven’t made a sex tape,” he replies mildly.

“Any STDs?”

Hadley drops into the couch with a woosh.

“Not at the moment,” he says, glancing around.

“But you’ve had one?” Mable pushes.

It’s the only time she seems to rattle him. “Well, once. It’s how I found out an ex was unfaithful.

Antibiotics and a messy breakup got rid of both.”

The silence hangs in the room like a dark cloud that doesn’t know if it should open up and drown us or clear the way for the rainbow trying to peek through.

“Well, that’s one way to introduce your new boyfriend.”

I’m going to kill my sister. “Eli.” I clench my teeth so hard they’re likely to crack. “He’s not my —”

“Tilly prefers to call me ‘lover,’ but boyfriend works just fine. I’m Lochlan Blaine,” he says easily, crossing the room to offer my sister his hand. I’m forced to move with him because he has my palm in his giant paw with no indication he’ll let go any time soon.

“Oh, we know who you are.” Eli smirks. “We Googled you.”

“As you should, I suppose.” The slight frown marring his features turns into a brilliant smile that masks his thoughts when Mable opens her mouth again.

“You believe in love, boy?”

“I love lots of people,” he answers evasively.

“It’s marriage he’s opposed to.” It slips from my lips before I can swallow it down.

Delaney squeaks again. It’s a high-pitched sound like pinching the end of a balloon and releasing the air slowly. Hadley starts humming, a sure sign she’s as distressed as I am. I shoot her a pleading expression, but her gaze is sealed on Lochlan. It is truly unfair how handsome he is.

“You’ve talked about marriage?” Eli cackles. “Marriage? Already?”

“Only in how it relates to me spending three weeks with him.” I don’t have to finish. They all know what I’m getting at. Three weeks with this man is putting my heart on the line. Not only putting it on the line, but willingly putting it out there for someone I can have no future with.

“You,” Delaney, finding her voice, points to Lochlan. “Sit. Mable? Keep him company.” Dragging Hadley from the couch, she grabs my hand on the way by, forcing Lochlan to release me. She doesn’t say another word, knowing Eli will follow right behind us, and we don’t stop until we reach my room.

Eli scoots around me to open the door, and we all pile in, then scramble onto the bed and stare at each other.

Delaney breaks first. “We need a plan before that man out there chews up your heart and spits it out.”

I nod.

“If Mable doesn’t rip him a new one first.” Eli’s eyes dance with mischief.

“Three weeks, Till? With…with him?” Hadley’s hands twitch, and it’s only a matter of time before she starts pacing.

“What did Colton say?” Delaney asks.

“Nothing. I didn’t tell him anything, and neither will any of you.” I glare at the girls.

“You really think he’s just going to hand over his hotels at the end of this?” Eli asks skeptically even as she jumps from the bed to grab a suitcase and start filling it with all my sexiest underwear.