Dare to Tease (Dare Nation 4.5)

“Hey, I get it. The man who raised me was a tough man.” And that was putting it mildly.

Hudson’s gaze softened. “Braden’s told me.”

“Yeah. The boys had it bad, but Jaxon and Braden took the brunt of his disdain.” She swallowed hard, hating to remember the yelling and belittling that had gone on in the house while she was growing up. Her mother would beg her father to stop, and he’d go harder on the boys. Never physical abuse, but the mental anguish was bad enough on their self-esteem.

Hudson leaned against the counter near her chair. “Because Jaxon chose baseball over football and because Braden was too smart and not athletically inclined.”

She drew a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. And he basically left me alone. But this is about you. Are you okay?”

“Yes. He’s only getting to me because I need something from him, but we can talk about that on the way to New York. Right now I’d rather forget about my old man if that’s okay with you.”

“It is.” Because he’d promised to fill her in, she had no problem letting the subject go for now.

“Do you want to bail on me now?” He drew himself up straighter as if waiting for the blow.

She grasped his hands with her fingers. “Considering how I was raised and the athletes I deal with on a daily basis, do I look like a woman who can’t handle a difficult man?”

His easy grin returned. “I forgot who I was dealing with. You can handle anything and anyone.”

Apparently they weren’t including the incident with Jimmy last night, for which she was grateful.

She grinned. “I certainly can. And that includes you.”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “If I didn’t mention it, the wedding is formal.”

“Got it.” She’d have to go dress shopping. Of course, she had a long gown or two in her closest she could wear, but she’d rather buy something new for the occasion. Something that made a statement and had her date drooling. “I take it that means you’re wearing a tuxedo?”

He nodded.

Which meant she’d be doing some drooling of her own.

* * * *

The next morning, Bri walked into her favorite boutique and was immediately surrounded by gorgeous dresses in stunning colors and varying hues. Some sparkled, others glittered, and many were solid, the designs speaking for themselves.

Hudson had texted her a general itinerary for the weekend, which included a family dinner Friday night at his parents’ house, no wedding obligations since he wasn’t part of the bridal party, and the wedding would take place on Saturday evening. Since Bri had appropriate clothing for the night with his parents and the rest of the weekend was casual other than the event itself, she didn’t need to shop for anything else.

She’d asked where they were staying and made a Glam Squad appointment for hair and makeup, and Hudson had promised to disappear from the room while she got ready. Her entire point was to look spectacular, and she hoped he liked and appreciated the end result.

She was perusing the dresses, waiting for her best friend and sister-in-law, Macy, to arrive and help her choose. She’d met Macy at an exercise class in their local gym, and they’d been friends ever since. She’d also married Bri’s brother Jaxon in what started out as a marriage of convenience and ended up with them head-over-heels in love. So now Bri had her best friend as her sister-in-law, and she loved that Macy was family.

A bell rang, indicating someone had entered the store, and Bri glanced up to see Macy walking toward her. Because she owned a website design business and worked from home, Macy could make her own hours, and Bri’s last-minute request to shop wasn’t a problem for her.

“I’m here, but I still don’t know why you need a formal dress.” Macy, her hair pulled up in a casual bun, wore a pair of leggings and a floral tunic top and looked relaxed and happy, a far cry from the panicked woman she’d been when she’d married Jaxon to help her keep custody of her teenage sister.

Bri held up a raspberry-colored gown with what looked like silver clasps on the tops of the shoulders. “Because I’m going to a wedding in Manhattan this weekend. Oh, and I also need shoes, so plan on a long day. Does this color go with my complexion?”

Macy shook her head. “I don’t love it. Let’s keep looking. And don’t keep me in suspense. This has to be a last-minute trip or you’d have mentioned it sooner. Not to mention have already gone shopping. So what’s going on?”

Her friend knew that Bri rarely dated and wasn’t big on one-night stands, either, so this news would come as a shock. One she’d wanted to tell Macy in person because it would lead to a long conversation, and Macy had been in a rush when Bri had called her to make plans. She’d only had time to tell her the story about falling and hurting her hands before they’d agreed on a time to meet.