“Shit, Maddie just texted.” That was Owen’s voice.
Oh, God, they were coming up the stairs. Groaning, Chase leaned over and grabbed his jeans from the floor.
“She’s running out of ways to stall Bailey.”
Chase froze with his zipper half-way up. Bailey was with Maddie? That meant she was down at the Boys of the Bayou office. The docks were about two hundred yards from Cora’s house, where Chase had crashed in the same bedroom he’d used a few months ago.
“Mitch said to drag Chase’s ass out of bed for help with Bailey.”
They were right outside his door. Chase fastened his pants, grabbed a T-shirt from his open suitcase, and reached for the knob. “I suppose y’all think you’re whispering?” he asked them, as he pulled the Georgetown University School of Medicine T-shirt on.
“Whispering?” Owen asked with a grin. “What’s that?”
Exactly. These people had no idea how to whisper. Not that they ever had much need. They all liked to be heard and everyone seemed to always have a lot to say and they all knew each other’s secrets anyway. Whispering wasn’t much use around here.
“I am not going down to help stall Bailey,” Chase told them.
“Mitch said you were the best man for the job,” Josh said. His grin said that Mitch had told them more about Chase and Bailey than that.
“Not true,” Chase said. “She thinks I’m a dumbass. And, frankly, when I’m around her it seems that’s true.” He lifted a shoulder. “I’m not too proud to admit that. But I am too proud to have a repeat performance.” At least in front of other people.
Now if he could get her alone…
“We don’t need you to dazzle her with your wit and intellect. Or even seduce her,” Owen said with a grin. “I mean, if you’re not up for any of that.”
Chase wanted to flip him off. But the truth was, he’d put his foot in his mouth more than once and she’d ducked his attempt to kiss her so…yeah, he might not be up for any of that.
He still wanted to try.
He just didn’t want to let on to these guys that he wanted to.
God knew what they’d say or do in front of Bailey if they knew he had a thing for her.
“We do need you to distract her though,” Josh said. “For like an hour. Do you think you can keep her busy for an hour?”
One of them would possibly end up with a black eye. But Chase had to admit that the idea of seeing Bailey again had his gut tightening.. He still had no idea why the woman wouldn’t leave his thoughts, but hell, if she was just down the road, it wouldn’t hurt to see her, would it?
Actually, that was bad phrasing. It really could hurt. If not physically, then certainly his ego.
Still, he said, “How about forty-five minutes?”
“How about you keep her busy until we have all the otters rounded up,” Josh said.
Chase frowned. “All the otters?” He knew about Gus, but there were more?
Josh nodded with a grin. “Gus has a girlfriend. And they have five pups.”
Chase felt his eyes widen. “That’s…wow.”
Josh chuckled. “Yeah. Tori is over the moon. And thankfully Gus likes Kennedy best, so it’s her house that he’s decided is also his. And thankfully Bennett is into all the animals and stuff about the bayou so he’d putting up with having an otter family shacking up in his back porch and using a kid’s swimming pool in the backyard.”
“I thought Kennedy lived with Ellie,” Chase said, running a hand over his face. This family was hard to keep up with even when he was here every single day. A few months away and he was completely lost.
“Now that she and Bennett are together, they wanted a place of their own when they’re here. So even though they spend time in Baton Rouge and here, they bought a house,” Josh said. “Of course, it’s about a block away from everyone else.” He said it with a grin.
The Landry clan all lived in a cluster of houses that spanned only a few blocks in the little town of Autre. It would have seemed a little weird if Chase didn’t love it so damned much. Plus it was handy for them all, considering they ate each other’s food, borrowed each other’s tools, clothes, and vehicles regularly, and just generally loved being completely immersed in each other’s lives.
Chase’s family just wasn’t like that. He and Juliet were close, but it was almost as if their older brothers were mere family friends or acquaintances. Chase knew that was part of the reason he loved the Landrys and the way they’d pulled him into their family fold immediately and effortlessly. And yeah, he didn’t want that to change at all.
Which was why he said, “Okay, what do you need me to do with Bailey?”
Owen waggled his eyebrows. “Whatever you want.”
“As long as it’s away from Boys of the Bayou. And Ellie’s. And all of our houses. And maybe even Autre,” Josh said. “We’re not really supposed to have an otter for a pet, you know? And now we’ve got seven. I mean, they kind of chose us, but Gus and Gertie have gotten really comfortable in the beds and shit Kennedy has put together for them. I’m not sure their babies are even gonna learn to fish or anything. They’re all just hanging out in the kiddie pool and eating the stuff Kennedy, Tori, and Maddie are feeding them. It’s ridiculous.”
But Josh didn’t actually look that bothered. Probably because his fiancé, Tori, could do no wrong in his eyes and he’d move mountains for her if needed.
“So you’re trying to keep Bailey from finding out that you have a whole bunch of supposed-to-be wild otters living the good life over at Kennedy’s?” Chase asked.
“Yeah. And that would be easier if they were all at Kennedy’s,” Owen said. “But a couple of the pups have gotten adventurous and are missing.”
“Yeah. One’s over here somewhere, I gather? From what I overheard through my open window while I was trying to sleep.”
Owen clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s almost noon, sunshine. Time to rise and shine.”
That was even funnier from Owen, who was in love and lived with Maddie, the least morning person Chase had ever met. “My booze tolerance isn’t what it was a few months ago,” Chase admitted. “Was really hoping for some grits.”
“Yeah, you should get some grits,” Josh said, taking him by the shoulders and turning him toward the stairs. “Somewhere that’s not in Autre.”
But Ellie’s place had the best grits and was definitely in Autre. In fact, Chase would be able to see it if he went to the window and leaned out just a bit.
“But…”
“And take Bailey with you.”
“Okay, hang on.” Chase dug his heels in at the top of the steps. “If you want me to have any chance of distracting Bailey for more than thirty seconds, I’m jumping in the shower, getting some caffeine, and brushing my teeth first.” Frankly, he was a little afraid that she’d see him coming and duck around the other side of the building.
Owen and Josh grinned.
“You sure that’s enough?” Josh asked.
“No,” Chase said honestly. “But bedhead and morning breath sure won’t help.”