The Best Man (Alpha Men 2)

“Or your feet, for that matter,” Lia interrupted her.

“Jesus, it’s not that bad,” Daff growled, embarrassed. “You make me sound like one of those hoarders.”

“If the shoe fits,” Daisy said.

“She wouldn’t know if it fits, she can’t find it beneath the rubble,” Lia retorted, and the other three screamed with laughter.

“Oh, for God’s sake. Lia, are you taking me to my car or should I walk?”

Lia wiped her eyes, her shoulders still heaving with her silent chuckles.

“Yes, okay. Get your panties out of that twist.”

“This is what happens when she doesn’t eat. She gets mean and feral,” Daisy observed, and Daff glared at her.

“Watch it, Deedee,” she warned. “I know where you keep your girl porn.”

Mason sat up, immediately on high alert.

“Her what?” he asked eagerly.

“Nothing. Ignore her, hunger has made her delusional,” Daisy said, and Daff smirked, knowing that her sister’s fiancé would keep hounding Daisy until he found out exactly what Daff had meant by that comment. It wasn’t exactly porn, just a small stash of erotica that Daisy had been meaning to give away for years. She was too embarrassed to donate the books to the local library or clinic, because everybody would know it was from her. Daff had once suggested Daisy make anonymous donations, and her sister had confessed that she still had the childish habit of writing “this book belongs to Daisy McGregor” on the inside cover of every book she bought. Now Daisy’s eyes promised painful retribution as Mason immediately leaned toward her and started badgering her.

“What girl porn, Daisy? C’mon, I know you’re keeping something from me.”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Daisy maintained, not meeting his eyes.

“Aw, angel, why you gotta be like this? If you have girlie porn, maybe we could have a read through together, see if there’s anything interesting to try.” Daisy’s chest hitched and her breathing increased as she lifted her eyes to meet his. The expression in them was shockingly sultry.

“You’re not exactly lacking in imagination,” Daisy said, a husky note entering her voice.

“Okay.” Daff surged to her feet and added a couple of bills to the money Spencer had left in the middle of the table. “I’m out of here. Coming, Lia?”

“Oh my God, yes, please.” Lia was on her feet in seconds, tossing her own money onto the growing pile, while Daff threw a disgusted look at the couple who barely seemed aware of their surroundings anymore.

“Ugh, sometimes you guys are a bit much,” Daff complained, and Lia made a strangled sound of agreement. They left the overly affectionate couple who acknowledged their departure with half-hearted waves before going back to their intimate whispering.

“Thanks, Lia,” Daff said after Lia parked beside her tiny hatchback VW at the farmhouse.

“You coming in to say hi?” her sister asked, unbuckling her seat belt.

“Nah, I just want to get home,” Daff responded, reaching for the door handle. Truth be told, she needed to figure out what she was going to do about the Spencer thing. Until she apologized to him, she wouldn’t feel right. She had said some truly awful and unfair things and now felt like the bitch everybody already thought she was.

“What did he say to you?” Daff asked, pausing with her fingers wrapped around the handle, and Lia frowned in confusion.

“What?”

“Spencer,” Daff clarified. “You were all eaten up with guilt about our conversation earlier until he whispered something in your ear. So what did he say?”

“Oh.” Lia hesitated, as if contemplating whether to divulge the information. “He said words don’t hurt, only actions do, and then he said that my actions have only ever shown me to be a kind and caring person.”

“He really said that?”

“Yes? Why? Surprised that a bland, insipid, boring guy like Spencer Carlisle would have insightful gems like that to offer?” Ouch! Turned out words did hurt, especially when they were thorny zingers laid on you by the sweetest person on earth.

“He’s full of shit,” Daff dismissed, and Lia surprised her by nodding.

“He is. Because words do hurt. You said terrible things and they hurt him, but he was sweet enough, kind enough to let me know that he didn’t hold me accountable for your words. So I will do him the courtesy of pretending that he meant what he said. In order to preserve his dignity and pride.”

Daff chewed on her lower lip, feeling justifiably put in her place.

“He wasn’t meant to hear what I said.”

“And yet he did.”

“Yes.”

Lia sighed. “Let me know if you need help with the cleanup.”

Somehow Daff didn’t think she meant the cleanup of the house, and that made her feel small and petty. Despite clearly being pissed off with her, Lia was still offering her moral support. Something Daff definitely didn’t deserve.

“I feel like crap, okay?” she admitted, and Lia leaned over to give her a one-armed hug.