Dare to Forgive (The Dare 3)
She watched expressions exchange between all of the men. Then suddenly Steve looked affected and then looked at Will and Leo then back to Will.
“Since when,” Steve asked in regards to her coming before everything.
“For quite some time,” Leo replied.
“Do we need to discuss this in private?” Will asked, placing his hand at her lower back.
Adel locked gazes with Mercedes, who looked shocked. What was Adel missing here? It was like some silent conversation was going on about her and she was the one out of the loop.
“Might be,” Steve replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Really? Because I’m thinking there isn’t anything to discuss at all,” Leo said with attitude.
“What’s going on here? Did I miss something in this conversation?” she asked.
The men seemed to all rein in their anger and their expressions softened.
“Not at all, Adel. So what do you say? Girlie drink?” Steve asked her.
“No, I’m good, really, but thank you, and thank you for offering to help with the fan, but considering Will got it I guess it makes sense for him to install it.”
“Yeah, I guess it does,” Steve said and then looked Will over, giving him the evil eye.
She looked at Mercedes and shrugged her shoulders. Mercedes smiled.
“What time will you be done installing the fan, Will? Adel and I have plans to hit the lake for some sun and relaxing time,” Mercedes asked him.
“No more than an hour,” he replied. Then looked Adel over. “Maybe a little longer.”
Adel felt her cheeks warm. It was instant but that was the effect Will had on her.
“That sounds like fun. Are you ladies headed to the lake near Marlena’s place?” Warner asked.
“Yes, you know it?” Adel asked.
“Of course we do. We’ve gone to another one a mile down the road from where your cottage is, Adel,” Steve told her.
“If you guys want to come along you can. I think we’re trying to organize the food and some hibachis to BBQ down there and maybe set up a campfire in the evening. It should be fun,” Mercedes added.
“We can bring along some food and an extra grill,” Taylor chimed in and Mercedes looked at him and tightened her lips.
“Oh this will be a lot of fun with so many of us. Maybe you want to come along, too, Will, Leo?” Adel asked because she felt funny not asking them as everyone else around them started inviting themselves along.
“We’ll see. Maybe,” Leo said.
“I’ll be there. I’ll bring some stuff with me to your place and my brothers can meet us there if they decide to go, too,” Will said to her and she smiled.
She looked around at the others and felt a bit of tension still and wasn’t certain why. One look at Mercedes and she seemed to know as a small smile formed on her lips and she winked at Adel. What did Mercedes know that she didn’t know?
* * * *
At 10:50 in the morning, Adel heard the pickup truck pull up in front of her cottage. She could see the truck reversing backward up the small driveway and the big box in the back of the truck. The picture of the ceiling fan looked big and she wondered if it would fit.
She opened the screen door and greeted Will as he got out of the truck. He smiled wide. She was wearing a sun dress with her bathing suit underneath it.
“Hi, Will.”
“Good morning, Adel. You look pretty as always,” he said to her.