1. Katie

CHAPTER 1

Katie

“ W hy is this so damn hard?” I grumble. Leaning forward, I get closer to the little mirror on the bathroom counter. Pfft. As if getting closer will somehow enhance my makeup skills. I’d roll my eyes at myself if I wasn’t currently trying to master a smoky-eye look.

“That’s what she said.” Tilly giggles.

Ellie high-fives her. “Good one.”

I snort, glancing over at my best friends. Ellie is bent over the counter, her blue eyes wide as she swipes on her mascara. Her shiny blonde hair is pulled back into a sleek bun. My thick locks could never be subdued into something that sophisticated. Instead, I have my dark hair wrangled into a low ponytail. Ellie helped me jazz it up a bit with some form of twist around the hair tie that I could never replicate on my own.

Tilly is at the other sink, curling her long brown hair. She was a model before she hooked up with Ellie’s brother-in-law, Matthew. Now, she’s a romance author and has become a very close friend.

“Do either of you know how to do this? Even with this darling child on YouTube’s help, I still can’t figure out how to blend.” Child might be a stretch. She could be in her early twenties, for all I know.

Ellie turns toward me with a tilt of her head. “Hmm. Let me see the video.”

I place my phone in her outstretched hand. She starts the clip, her eyebrows furrowed as she watches the tutorial. “You’re on the right track. You just need to blend a bit more here.” Ellie grabs a makeup brush and leans toward me. I close my eyes to let her do her thing.

I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around the fact that my best friend is married to one of Westlake’s most eligible bachelors. Well, ex -bachelor now, I guess. Adam Ellis is one of those guys you would fantasize about, knowing full well you’d never have a fart’s chance in hell of actually being with him. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and incredibly successful with the sporting goods business he runs with his brother, Matthew.

To top it all off, he’s also more generous than any man I’ve ever met, and that generosity is why Tilly, Ellie, and I are hanging out in Ellie’s bathroom in the first place.

Adam and Matthew’s foundation, Fit For All, is hosting a New Year’s Eve fundraiser. They provide sports equipment for kids who can’t afford to buy their own. From what I’ve been told, anyone who is anyone will be there. If they can afford the five-thousand-dollar-a-plate fee, they’ve RSVP’d. The fact that I’ve been invited to go for free is hard to digest. I feel guilty about taking away money from the foundation, but Ellie reasoned with me that since I volunteer my time for every event they host, I deserve a place at the table.

Without a doubt, she made that shit up, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. I’m getting a kid-free night in Greensboro, and I don’t have to spend a penny for it. Well, except for the donation I made to Fit For All. I couldn’t help it. Besides, it was the right thing to do .

My stomach pinches at the thought of not spending the evening with my son. Becoming a single mom at twenty years old was not what I’d imagined for my future, but my sweet boy came into my life when I was at my lowest, bringing me more joy than I ever thought I could experience. It’s just been the two of us for the last eight years. Almost nine now. Holy shit, my baby is going to be nine in two months. I’m not ready!

Cody is hanging out with Sue tonight—the only other person I trust with him besides Ellie. While she’s not blood-related to us, she’s been more of a mother to me than my actual mom.

When I met Ellie over seven years ago, she came with Sue attached. She was Ellie’s neighbor and had taken Ellie under her wing the minute Ellie moved into her house. We created a little family of our own since none of us had great histories with the people related to us.

“There. Take a look and tell me what you think.” Ellie’s voice pulls me out of my wandering thoughts.

I flick my eyes open to see the result. “Holy fucking shit, woman. You’re an artist.”

Ellie belly laughs. “Technically, you are correct. Maybe I should add makeup artist to my résumé.”

“Oh, shut up.” I breathe out a laugh. Ellie is a graphic designer, and she freelances on the side while she’s getting her degree. She’s beyond talented, and I’m so happy she’s finally pursuing her passion after everything she’s been through. Between being harassed at an internship and her shitty family telling her to get over it, she deserves to be happy.

The three of us finish getting ready for the fundraiser, singing along to the playlist that is thumping through Ellie’s portable speaker. It takes us much longer than it should because we keep stopping to sing and dance to our favorite songs. Ellie leads us, singing into her hairbrush and wiggling her hips around like a goof. This is one of the many reasons Ellie is one of my favorite people. As she likes to say, she’s the sunshine to my rain cloud. Being with her gives me the chance to let go of my stress and just be in the moment for a while.

I’m constantly worrying about Cody. Am I making the right choices for him? Have I fucked him up beyond repair because his dad isn’t in the picture? Am I enough for him by myself? That last one is always a sucker punch to my solar plexus. Cody’s dad is a piece of shit who wrote us off before Cody was even born. I refused to terminate the pregnancy, no matter how much Bryce’s family offered to pay me.

They finally gave in and had me sign papers that said I couldn’t come after Bryce for child support. They gave me one lump sum and told me I was never to contact them again. I was more than happy with that deal. I put what they gave me into a trust for Cody. He’ll be able to use it for whatever he wants when he turns eighteen. It was the best way I could think of at the time to ensure Cody had a decent future, no matter what happened.

The girls and I finally get our dresses on. Ellie’s is an ice-blue, sparkly number that makes her look like a princess. Mine leans more toward a villain, with its deep red color. The bodice is tight from the sweetheart neckline down to my hips, and a slit opens the bottom enough to give me space to walk. Tilly’s dress is a pretty blush-pink A-line that makes her look like a fairy.

“Hot damn, girl. That dress is sinful,” Ellie says to me.

“Is it too much? It’s a lot. Maybe I should wear my trusty black one.” Compared to the darling dresses Ellie and Tilly are wearing, I look like a harlot. Just sew a scarlet A to my dress and call me Hester.

“Absolutely not. You look gorgeous,” Tilly insists.

“Agreed. If you take that dress off, I’ll kick you.” Ellie holds her hand out for me to take. “Come on. I think if we take any longer, Adam will have a coronary.”

I giggle and then cringe when I see the time. “Oops. Shouldn’t have played Lizzo.”

Ellie scoffs. “He can suck it up. I needed the girl time.”

“Same,” Tilly and I say at the same time.

We walk down the stairs, our heels clomping on the wooden floors. When we step into the living room, Adam and his brothers stop what they’re saying and turn toward us.

Goddamn. This view should be criminal. It’s as if God said, “Yep, this is the right combination of tall, dark, and handsome.” And then proceeded to click copy and paste for each brother.

Adam and Mathew are wearing black tuxes with black accents, which make their dark hair stand out even more. Their younger brother, Carter, and his husband, Sam—the only blond of the group—are wearing dark grey suits. Their ties are coordinated in their colors, and it’s fucking adorable.

And then there’s their youngest brother. Nolan Ellis. I swear he was created to make women weak in the knees. If Clark Kent was in his late twenties, he would look like Nolan. I swear to God, he’s the most scrumptious thing I’ve ever seen. Every time I’m around him, my self-control is pushed to its limits. He’s a playboy of epic proportions and a walking red flag for my well-ordered life.

I don’t date. Period. I have one-night stands when I’m desperate, but for the most part, I rely on my trusty vibrators to sate that need. And yes, that’s vibrator s with an S. Sometimes you need to switch things up a little to keep it interesting.

There’s no doubt in my mind that if I gave in to my desire to fuck Nolan six ways to Sunday, I’d never be able to go back to anything else. Not to mention it would be idiotic to sleep with one of Ellie’s brothers-in-law. Talk about awkward family gatherings. No, thank you. Not that I go to that many. I would like to still enjoy the ones I do, so I stay the fuck away from sexy Superman.

“Jesus,” Adam grunts, his eyes locked on Ellie. Matthew curses a similar sentiment as he stares at Tilly. I grin at their slack-jawed expressions. These two women deserve this kind of worship more than anyone I know.

Without my permission, my eyes flick toward Nolan. He’s staring at me with a propane tank’s worth of heat in his eyes; I’m surprised I haven’t gone up in flames yet. My cheeks warm at his attention. I’m used to men giving me admiring looks. Between my tan skin and dark hair, I give off an exotic vibe. Not to mention the curves I rock from having Cody. I’m confident enough to know I’m attractive. But—and this is a big one—I have never seen a man look at me the way Nolan is right now. It’s as if he’s ready to kneel at my feet and do anything I ask of him. Talk about a visual.

“Everyone ready to go?”

Adam’s question interrupts the daze I’d been in, imagining a scenario where Nolan is on his knees in front of me.

Ooof. I need a drink.