“We’re not.” Dani paled. “That’s crazy. We’ve never—I mean, other than today—I’ve never even thought of—”
“Are you really going to try that on us?” Kaya raised her eyebrows and Dani blew out an exasperated breath.
“Lying is wrong,” Bailey warned her, wagging her half-eaten corn in Dani’s direction.
“Fine.” So she’d thought about it recently. And immediately after the first time she’d met him. And maybe a few thousand times over the years. But she’d tried really hard not to and she’d always felt guilty about it after. That had to count for something. “We’re best friends. And I wasn’t lying. I’m not his type at all.”
He’s too good for me.
She’d thought she’d outgrown her old insecurities, but they were stubborn fuckers. Especially when it came to Liam. How could he ever see her as anything more than the weak, timid woman she’d been when he’d had to save her? No matter how official that paperwork looked, he would always know the truth.
Bailey shrugged. “All I know is that if anyone looked at me the way Liam looks at you—which is not remotely brotherly for the record—I’d add him to my five-year plan in a heartbeat. And in that plan, I would make hard, sweet love to him at least three times a day. Between meals.”
Dani choked on her drink, and Kaya patted her on the back soothingly. “If it makes you feel better, Bailey hasn’t had anything hard and dirty in a while. She wants to run the world first and thinks men are a distraction.”
“What’s your excuse?” Bailey grumbled. “And I don’t want to run the entire world. Just my own inn. Then I’ll invite Ewan McGregor to the opening and he’ll fall madly in love with me. The end.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m a little behind schedule though. It’s been so long I might have forgotten what to do with the real thing. But if it’s Ewan, it’ll be worth it.”
Kaya wasn’t looking at Bailey. Her attention was on something over Dani’s shoulder. “We’ll discuss your five-year plan later and I really want to hear more about that spider, but first, who did Liam say he was playing poker with tonight?”
“Jace and his roommate, Nick.” She turned to Bailey. “Have you met Nick? He doesn’t talk much. Liam says he’s kind of unusual, but brilliant. He’s into geology or archaeology or something like that.”
“Geoarchaeology.” Kaya corrected a little too quickly. “And don’t ask me how I know that. Just know that my love for you is why I can pretend you didn’t let that sexist pig, Jace, or his roommate into your house.”
“Poor Jace.” Bailey chortled. “She’ll never forgive him for carving that naked ice sculpture of her for the resort Christmas party last year.”
“He didn’t. Is that what happened?” Liam hadn’t told her the details. Then again, if she remembered correctly, he’d missed that party because he’d spent the whole evening taking care of her while she was down with the flu.
Because he was too good for her.
Kaya was staring Bailey down. “He’s an immature ass, but even if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t want anything to do with him.”
“We know you just as well as you know us,” Bailey challenged mulishly. “And don’t even try to throw out that Navajo excuse.”
“Half Navajo,” Kaya bit out. “And it’s not an excuse.”
From what Dani had been able to gather, Kaya was from a very traditional Hopi family. Maybe too traditional. It was obvious that Kaya protested too much when it came to Jace. She brought him up all the time, even when he wasn’t around. Dani didn’t have to be psychic to know she thought about the arrogant chef more than she wanted to.
“That sculpture was very detailed,” Bailey murmured, determined to have the last word. “And flatteringly accurate.”
Kaya’s lips twitched, but instead of responding she repeated her original question. “Who else is here?”
“Why? And don’t tell me you see a ghost, because I’ll believe you and I need to sleep tonight.”
“Not a ghost exactly.” Kaya narrowed her gaze. “But the man staring at you is certainly something.”
Fear filled her veins with ice and Kaya jerked beside her, as though she’d felt the force of the change through their connection. “Dani?”
Dani tugged free and got to her feet, her gaze sweeping the dimly lit yard. Had Sal found her? Now, today, at the moment she’d gotten her chance to start again?”
“Oh, Dani, I’m so sorry,” Kaya said somberly, coming over to stand beside her, both hands on her shoulders. “It’s not that, I promise. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
A sound near the patio door had her spinning again, hand pressed against her chest.
Not Sal. Thank God.
This must be Nick’s friend. She hadn’t seen him arrive, but she’d known someone new was coming for the game. Dani tried to slow her breathing, pushing her hair behind her ear and forcing a smile. “You must be Stace, right? Are you out of the game already?”