Every Sweet Regret (Orchid Valley 2)

Brinley reaches for my hand. “You always have a job with me. You know that, right?”

My eyes burn and I snap my mouth shut, afraid I’ll cry if I say more, so I just nod.

“Ask Kace to help you,” Abbi says. “You know he minored in chem, right?”

No, I didn’t know that, but I’m not surprised. He’s always been crazy smart. His degree is in some sort of biotechnical engineering—something I don’t quite understand. I remember Dean spouting off about how Kace would be rolling in money once the government contractors picked him up. Yet somehow Kace ended up back in Orchid Valley building houses—and good for him. He found a career that pays well, and it’s one he enjoys. If only we could all have that. “I’m sure he has better things to do than tutor me,” I say, digging in my purse so I don’t have to look her in the eye.

I don’t know exactly how Abbi would react if she knew Kace and I were hooking up, but my instincts tell me she wouldn’t love it. She’s protective of him, and while I’d like to think she respects me enough to come around to the idea if we decided to take our relationship to the next level, I don’t know that it’d be easy for her. Then again, maybe she wouldn’t come around at all. Abbi and I are friends through Brinley and from working together at The Orchid, but our friendship is one of those that’d likely fall apart without external factors linking us together.

“He is really busy,” Abbi says. “Actually, I think he might be seeing someone.”

My head pops up. “What?”

“We were at Mom’s for brunch last Sunday, and Mom was asking him if he’d started dating, and he got all weird.”

I swallow. “Maybe he just didn’t want to talk to her about it.”

She shakes her head. “No. She asks him every week, and this was definitely different. He got all squirmy.”

Savvy’s staring at me, and I beg her with my eyes not to say anything.

Abbi chuckles, her brown eyes bright with amusement. “Anyway, he was tight-lipped about it, so I know nothing, but if any of you hear anything, you absolutely have to tell me.”

“So you can give him shit about it?” Savvy asks with an arched brow.

Abbi shrugs. “It’s my job as his little sister to give him shit.”

“More like so she can do a background check on the girl,” Brinley says, narrowing her eyes at Abbi over her drink. “Don’t give me that innocent, doe-eyed look. We all know you’re mama-bear protective when it comes to Kace.”

Another shrug. “Guilty, and I’m not even sorry.” She frowns. “This divorce hasn’t been easy on him.”

“Let’s talk about the wedding,” Savvy says, because she’s a goddess who knows when her buddy needs a subject change.

“Vow renewal,” Brinley says, then shrugs. “Nothing to talk about. Everything’s on track, thanks to my fantastic team at The Orchid.” She grins. “It’ll be nice to be able to remember saying my vows, though.”

“For real,” Abbi says. “Which reminds me, I still need to get my bridesmaid dress altered. Anyone have a good seamstress?”

“Let Mom do it,” I offer. “She won’t charge much, and she’s great at that stuff.”

Savvy nods. “It’s true. She did mine for twenty bucks, and it looks perfect.”

Brinley turns to me. “What about you, Stella? How’s your love life going?”

I swallow hard. Brinley’s the last person I want to lie to. Normally, she would’ve been the first to know about something as major as what I have going on with Kace, but she’s been so busy with taking over The Orchid and getting settled in with Marston that I feel like we barely talk anymore. “It’s fine.” I force a smile.

“Did you finally take our advice and leave Random behind?”

“More or less,” I say, which is true, if misleading.

Abbi chuckles. “Does that have anything to do with guys not swiping on you anymore?”

I frown. Because it’s weird, but she’s right. Aside from Kace, the only person who’s reached out to me in the last week is that guy who suggested I was ugly. I’ve been so focused on Kace that I didn’t think anything of it.

She extends a hand and turns up her palm. “Give me your phone. I need to show you something.”

Something on Random? What if Kace has messaged me? He didn’t freak out about Amy knowing about us, but how would he feel about Abbi knowing?

I swallow. “I deleted the app.” I hate lying, but I want to talk to Kace about this before his sister finds out.

Savvy arches a brow. “You did?”

Abbi waves her hand in the air. “Smithy! Come over here!”

Smithy drops drinks off to customers at a nearby table and winks at them before heading our way. “How’s it going, beautiful ladies?”