Only One Regret (Only One 5)

I put my arm around her. "If you play your cards right," I say, "I’ll let you use it."

"If I play my cards right?" She laughs. "I’m here on a Sunday. My rest day."

"Yeah, yeah," I say, and we walk back downstairs.

"You know what you need to do?" she questions, looking around one last time before we leave.

"Besides feed you?" I ask, smirking.

"You need to throw a party," she says, and I groan. "No, listen to me for real."

"Why, why do I need to throw a party?" I ask, standing with my feet apart and my arms crossed over my chest.

"Well, one, for presents." She puts her hands on her hips. "It can be a housewarming party and …" She holds up her hand to stop me from talking. "A divorce party." I put my head back and look up at the window-covered ceiling. "It’s all the rage these days. You owe me a party."

"Why can’t I take you on vacation instead?" I say and snap my fingers. "My father told me about the family vacation at the end of June and early July." I point at her. "Already confirmed you are coming, and I got us a house on the beach."

"One, you are a liar," she says, her head moving back and forth. "That trip was last week's news, and your father got a house for you."

"Dammit," I mumble. "You spoke with my sisters, didn’t you?"

"And your mother," she says. "So don’t even, and you didn’t even invite me."

"I told my father you were coming, and it slipped my mind."

"Anyway, I can’t go," she says, and I have this sudden sadness.

"What?" I ask, my voice soft. "Why not?"

"July first is free agent signings," she says. "It’s a busy day."

"Well, they have cell service and Wi-Fi," I share. "Okay, how is this? You come with us on vacation, and I’ll throw the stupid party for you."

She moves her head from side to side as she thinks about it. "A big party." I cringe because she knows my big party is like twenty people.

"You invite the whole team," she counters, and I bite my teeth down. "And your close friends."

"You’re my only friend," I say, and she comes over to me. Her arms wrap around my waist.

"Smooth," she says. "Really, really smooth."

I pull her to my chest and put my chin on her head. "So is that a yes?"

"Are you going to drink tequila with me?" she asks, and I can tell she’s laughing because her whole body starts shaking.

"Abso-fucking-lutely not," I hiss out, and the phone rings in my pocket. Her hands fall from my waist as I grab my phone. I see it’s Zoe and answer it right away. "Hey." Her face fills the screen, and the smile is from ear to ear.

"So I just got off the phone with the agent," she says. "He tried to play hardball." She pffts out. "He lost." I laugh. "Congratulations, you got the house." I look over at Erika, who raises her hands to the sky and claps her hands. "I just sent you over the paperwork. Because we did all the paperwork beforehand and the bank has already given you the approval, you can be in the house in seven days," she says. "But the buyers have agreed to let you get things delivered there before you move in."

"That sounds great," I say, and when I hang up the phone, I look over at Erika. "What are you doing next Sunday?"

"Resting," she says, cocking her hip when I just stare at her, but she finally gives in and makes me laugh. "Fine, I’ll help you freaking unpack."

Chapter 12

Erika

My phone rings, and I pick it up, seeing Cooper’s name. "If you are calling for another favor, you are all tapped out for the month," I say, leaning back in my office chair. From the minute the offer got accepted, he was all in. He was home for the week, so every single day after work we would hit up furniture stores. The girls came with us to choose their rooms and I couldn’t wait to see how it would come together. Luckily everything was delivered during the week, so on Sunday we really spent all day setting up the house. His bedroom set was delivered on Monday right before he left on a road trip.

"I’ve been gone three days," he says, laughing.

"And it’s been glorious," I reply even though I’ve missed him, especially since we are so close to each other. He lives two minutes from my house—two—we timed it. We took the girls for a bike ride from his place to mine and it took us less than ten minutes. "Are you back?"

"No," he grumbles, his voice going low. "That’s why I’m calling." I sit up wondering if he got hurt or something.