“To be fair, Officer…” She tried not to giggle. Clearing her throat, she went on. “We haven’t had that much to drink. I think we all got caught up in the moment.”
Arabella covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing and ended up hiccupping.
Hudson stepped up next to Kyle. “I don’t see any harm in having a bit of fun, ladies, but we might want to…tone it down some. The music anyway.”
“And the drinking,” Kyle added, shooting a scowl at Bree. She stuck her tongue out at him and mouthed, party pooper.
Greer stood and walked over to Hudson. “I’m sorry we let things get out of hand.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “I’m just glad you’re having fun.”
“Let’s keep the fun PG, please,” Kyle added.
“Since when did you become Dad?” Greer asked with one raised brow.
“Okay, okay, we got the lecture. You boys are free to leave now.” Brighton stood and started to motion with her hands for us to go.
Before Hudson left, I heard him ask Greer, “Are you keeping that outfit?”
I rolled my eyes and started toward the front door, but not before I turned and looked at Abby again. She was dressed in yoga pants and a long-sleeve T-shirt. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, and she had her arms wrapped around them. Our eyes met, and she quickly looked away.
When I chanced a look at Arabella, she was pretending to brush something off of her own yoga pants. She brought her hand up to her mouth when she hiccupped again.
“We promise to behave…some!” Brighton called out as she waved goodbye, then shut the door after pushing Kyle out.
I walked down the porch steps and turned back to face the house. Hunter stopped next to me, and we looked up at the window, where the girls now stood, staring back at us.
“Dude,” he whispered.
“I know,” I replied.
“Poker night’s over, gentlemen,” Aiden called out with a laugh. I turned to look at Hunter. We both laughed as we made our way back to the cars. I caught sight of Aiden and noticed he had the shirt and shorts Willa had been wearing in his hand. I chuckled and shook my head as we called it a night.
Abby
I stood at the window and watched the two cars drive down the driveway. My heart was still pounding like crazy. The way Bishop had looked at me made my insides melt. I knew it was only because of how I’d been dressed, but it still felt so good to see an expression other than anger or pain on his face.
Arabella’s voice was suddenly next to my ear as she whispered, “I almost kissed Hunter. If you hadn’t come over and took me to change clothes, I would have.”
A small laugh escaped my lips. “Why do you think I rushed over there? Other than the fact I realized how we were dressed?”
She raised a brow. “You almost kissed Bishop?”
Nodding, I turned and sat down on the window seat next to Arabella. I closed my eyes and sighed. “God, the feeling of being in his arms. Any rational thoughts I had left…just got swept away.”
“Same. I don’t think I drank that much, because I sure sobered up fast.” She hiccupped, and we both started to giggle. “Okay, maybe I do still feel a bit lightheaded.”
She exhaled and I could tell that the memory of being in Hunter’s arms had come back to her. “It felt so right, Abby. And every part of me wished I could go back and change things.” She wiped a tear away. “Change how I handled it with Hunter—or the lack of handling it.”
“You’re preaching to the choir.”
“Are you two crying?”
Arabella and I looked up to find Bree standing in front of us with her hands on her hips and a very unhappy look on her face.
“Why are you crying, Arabella?” she asked.
“I’m…I’m not crying. A tear just slipped free.”
Bree tilted her head. “I’m pretty sure that’s the same thing. There is no crying at this party. None! Come on, you two, we’re taking shots!” She grabbed us both by the hand and pulled us up.
Arabella argued as she tugged us toward the kitchen. “I’m just now feeling normal, I don’t think—”
Bree shot her a look over her shoulder and cut off Arabella’s protest.
The moment we stepped into the kitchen, I let out a roar of laughter. “What is all of this?”
Greer had so much food set out on the kitchen island, I was positive she was expecting the guys to come back. With a shrug, she said, “I get hungry when I drink. Look! I made a charcuterie board of nothing but crackers!”
Candace reached for a piece of cheese from another board. “She’s real proud of her boards.”
The cheese board appeared to be nothing but cheese. I leaned in to look closer and noticed there was even shredded cheese on it.
I glanced over at Greer to see she was currently making a board of nothing but fruit.
“Um, Greer, you know you’re supposed to mix all the—”
Willa put her hand over my mouth and whispered against my ear, “I already mentioned that, and she threw a slice of ham at me.”
I rolled my eyes and then nodded as Willa dropped her hand. “She never was good at drinking a lot,” I answered in a hushed voice.
Bree walked up with a tray full of shot glasses. “Okay, ladies, we now take our shots to keep us from having hangovers.”
Candace reached up, grabbed a shot glass and downed it. Willa, Arabella, and I all watched in horror as the thick-looking green concoction disappeared.
“What. Is. In. That?” Arabella asked.
With a whole-body shudder, Candace said, “Tastes like shit.”
“Looks like shit,” Willa added.
Bree shot them both a glare. “Trust me, when you bitches wake up tomorrow, you won’t have a headache after you drink this. I learned it from…a friend.”
I had to admit, my brain was already fuzzy, and I knew I still had a buzz.
“I am so glad I’m pregnant and can’t drink,” Willa said. “You couldn’t pay me to drink that nasty green…hangover cure.”
Greer shoved four cubes of cheese in her mouth, then reached for the shot. With her mouth stuffed full, she mumbled, “I’ll drink it!”
“Let’s make a toast,” Bree said.
“To friendship?” Willa asked.
A wicked smile crossed Bree’s face. “Nope. To friends who call the police to report a noise complaint—then bribe the officer who shows up to call his off-duty friends to come take care of it.”
I was positive I wasn’t the only one with my mouth hanging open as we all stared at Bree.
“Wait, you had them call Hunter?” Willa asked before she popped a grape into her mouth.
Bree nodded like she was so damn proud of herself. “And Kyle. I knew they were all together playing poker.
“Why?” Arabella asked.
Willa chuckled, along with Candace who pointed at Bree. “Okay, we seriously need to hang out more. I like how your mind works.”
They reached across the island and slapped hands.
“Wait, why?” Arabella asked once more.
Bree folded her arms over her chest. “In case you didn’t notice the way Hunter was gawking at you, or the way Bishop couldn’t tear his eyes away from you, Abby…I wanted them to have a gentle reminder of what they’re missing out on.”