Fighting For You (The Connor Family 5)

On a groan, he pulled back. “Let’s go inside before I change my mind and whisk you away. I said I’d be here, and I don’t like to disappoint.”

I nodded, still recovering from the kiss.

“Paige, Will, and Hailey are waiting for us.”

“Did you tell them I’m coming too?”

“They know we’re friends. Hailey might suspect we’re more.”

“You can’t look at me like this,” I whispered.

“Like what?”

“Like you want to make my clothes disappear.”

He caressed my cheek with his thumb, before moving it lightly over my lips. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”

When we entered, a pretty brunette hurried to us and kissed Jace’s cheek. She extended her hand to me.

“Brooke, nice to finally meet you in person. I’m Hailey. Jace, you should hurry. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Jace immediately headed to the backyard for the game. Hailey gave me a tour.

“So, are you teaching as well?” I asked.

“I will start a course that teaches people to be personal shoppers, or style advisors at department stores.”

“But you don’t work in fashion, right? I remember you said something about PR on the phone.”

“I am in PR, but I worked at Macy’s as a style advisor during college.”

I could see that. Hailey wore high heels and a dress with lace at the collar and on her sleeves. It might look pretentious on anyone else, but she rocked it.

“I’ve also worked as a business consultant, and I’ve thought about creating classes surrounding that, but all jobs as analysts or PR require a college degree, while this stylist stuff doesn’t, though the fashion world is a little hard to break into.”

“I might be able to help with that. I used to work for a fashion magazine. I have contacts.”

“That would be great. Paige was actually talking about taking this to a new level and trying to find work placements for the students.”

I spoke to her about my contacts in the fashion world as she gave me the tour. Once she’d shown me all the classrooms, we went downstairs. The classes were over, since it was so late, so most students were in the backyard, either playing soccer or watching. She introduced me to Will and Paige, who were on the sidelines, cheering.

Seeing Will, I realized those potent genes were a family trait. He and Jace looked nothing alike, but they both had this magnetic pull surrounding them.

I filled Will in as well about my network in the fashion industry while we were watching the game. I was focusing on Jace, who was having a blast. I could tell that even though the game was easy for him, he was tired. He’d had a long day and still showed up here, giving his best. He was so affectionate with everyone.

In New York, Jace had said we were friends having fun, which honestly had been exactly what I’d hoped he would say, because I was still reeling from the news about Noah and Cami, too raw to consider anything else. But this gorgeous and utterly charming man wasn’t going to make it easy for me to think about this as just some fun between friends, was he? I sighed. All signs pointed to no.

“Whatever they told you, it’s not true,” was the first thing Jace said when he joined us, pointing between Will and Hailey.

“Jace, I’m offended,” Paige said. “You think I can’t keep these two in check?”

“We just talked shop,” I informed him. “But what exactly did Jace think you’d be saying about him?”

Will rubbed his hands. “How much time do you have?”

“No time at all,” Jace offered, glaring at his brother.

“Ha! That’s what you think. I have plenty of time,” I volleyed back. Hailey instantly laced an arm around mine. Jace looked as if he wanted to break up this party before it even started, but then he was roped into soccer talk by some of the students.