Chapter 21

21

Dakota

T he days following my hospital visit are mellow and eerily calm. The guys and I have yet to sit down and address my situation, mainly because I've been purposely avoiding them. There's a blockage where the inheritance and my urgent need for a husband are concerned.

"Maisie, stay with Trevor and Chelsea, please," I tell my daughter while I set up the beverage bar in the community center's sports hall.

A fundraiser is being held to help expand the building sometime next year. Fortunately for me, that means a paid gig for today, on the books, and with everything covered. Alcohol is not being served at this event, but I can make some mean mocktails and fruit slushies, and the money is surprisingly good for this type of gathering.

To my surprise, some of the single dads and moms from the community center's clubs have joined forces to volunteer and help the organizers.

"All right, you two can help me out," Chelsea tells Maisie and Trevor. "Trev, can you cut these ribbons here, just like this?

She shows him a couple of lengths of red, white, and blue ribbons from a basket that she has already filled. Trevor nods once. "Okay, but what are they for?"

"We're making pom-poms to hang all the way up there," Chelsea draws his attention to the northern side of the sports hall, which has been decorated with a generous string of red, white, and blue pom-poms.

Maisie picks up a few rolls of colored paper. "What are these for?"

"These are for Trevor to cut up," Chelsea calmly takes the rolls of paper and hands them over to Trevor, who grabs a pair of scissors and immediately gets to work, while Maisie is left slightly confused. "Don't worry, honey, I got you covered," my friend adds with a warm smile. "You'll be grabbing the paper ribbons from this basket, and you'll tie them together at one end like this."

Chelsea goes on to show her, gathering lengths of red, white, and blue and tying them up until the pom-pom is complete. Maisie is beside herself with excitement.

"So cool!"

"And easy, right?"

Knowing that my girl and Trevor are in good hands, carefully being watched over by Chelsea, I shift my focus across the hall. I'm impressed by how much everyone has come together to help.

Cole is running around like a busy bee, coordinating everybody's tasks.

I see Reed, Maddox, and Archer working together to mount the string lights, taking turns on the ladder.

"Hey, Dakota, thank you again for helping us out," Cole says as he comes over for a quick chat.

"No need to thank me; I get paid for this," I chuckle softly, then feign concern. "I do get paid for this, right?"

He freezes for a split second. "I thought the check already cleared…"

"I'm kidding, Cole. Loosen up a little, will you?" I laugh, putting his mind at ease in the process. "I'm okay here; I've got everything I need."

"Good, good. I think we're still waiting for some fresh fruit to arrive, right? For your drinks."

"I got a call from the driver. He's stuck in traffic, but he should be here within the hour. Don't worry about me. Everything's fine here."

"Fantastic!" he says, then dashes off elsewhere.

I can't help but smile as I add more drinks to one of the coolers.

"Excuse me, miss," a familiar voice causes me to look up from behind the bar. "You've got a gorgeous plump ass. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Archer, ever the smooth operator. I laugh. "Need a drink?"

"Yes, ma'am," he shoots back with his signature cool grin. I whip out three bottles of ginger ale and set them on the bar top, then screw the caps off. "I know it's been a hectic few days," he starts, "but I'd love to take you home with us tonight. We could drop Trevor and Maisie off at Chelsea's again if she's available. I'll pay the lady double for the double trouble."

"That sounds good," I reply, though deep down the thought makes me anxious. "I'd love to sleep in your arms tonight."

We still need to talk. The clock is ticking, and my woes are far too urgent for me to keep putting them off. The guys are going to get tired of it eventually. Archer leans closer, a dark, sizzling look lingering in his emerald-gold eyes.

"I doubt there's going to be much sleeping tonight, Dakota, but we'll give it a try. See where it leads."

That's enough to get my engines rumbling at the most inappropriate of times.

I watch him take the ginger ales back to Reed and Maddox, stealing a glance at each of them before resuming my bar setup. My thoughts keep me busy while my hands move automatically. It's a process I've done so many times I could do it with my eyes closed.

Once in a while, I hear Maisie's laughter and look up. She and Trevor seem to be getting along better. I'm not sure what happened, but he seems to enjoy making her laugh. I even see a smile teasing his lips whenever she doubles over.

The sound of heels clicking across the basketball court makes me perk up to see who's coming. For a moment, I hold my breath as I recognize Callie. She's smiling and dressed completely out of sync with the rest of the sports hall. She's wearing a tight black-and-white dress and luscious red stilettos that match her lipstick, further amplified in effect by her fiery hair, pulled back into a tight bun.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, slightly confused.

Callie stares at me for a moment, then remembers to smile. "I'm actually here for the charity event."

"You are?"

"The Monroe Foundation is co-organizing this fundraiser," she says, matter-of-factly, as if I should've known that already. I didn't. And I have mixed feelings about it. "Is that a problem?"

"Of course not. They're raising money for the new daycare extension. If you can help them out in that endeavor, it'll make life easier for a lot of the moms in this neighborhood."

"Including you, right?"

I nod once, briefly looking around. Just as I expected, her gaze goes immediately to the Faulkner brothers.

Her eyes light up and my stomach churns tightly.

"The event doesn't start for a few more hours, though," I say, drawing her focus away from my men. The pang of jealousy tests my resolve, but I refuse to cave in. I keep my chin up and a half-smile on my lips, not wanting to show even the slightest sign of weakness. Callie may have apologized, and we have talked about a few more things since the hospital, but I can't say that I completely trust her. It's way too soon, and I've got too much to lose to take a chance. "Why don't you come back later?"

"Nonsense, I'd love to help. What can I do around here, other than sign a check for tonight's donation box?" she says, giggling.

Well, that's one way to make herself welcome and indispensable in this place. I can't exactly turn her away, either. "There are still a few things that need to be organized. Find Cole, the guy in the burgundy shirt who's running around like a headless chicken. He's the one who can help guide you in the right direction."

"Ah, no need. I see your future hubby over there. He can tell me where to go."

"Wait—"

Too late.

She's already waltzed off, her hips swaying intently as she makes her way toward Archer, Reed, and Maddox. I'm stuck behind the bar, growing increasingly anxious as I'm forced to watch the exchange from afar. I've never experienced jealousy like this before, and part of me is aware that I have no reason to be jealous in the first place. The Faulkner brothers want me. They make consistent efforts to be with me, even if that means giving me a few days' worth of space when I need it.

Yet I absolutely hate watching what's happening now as Callie reaches my lovers and starts chatting them up. Slowly, I glance over to Maisie, content and focused, tying up pom-poms while Tyler keeps cutting ribbons. But it's the glare in Chelsea's blue eyes that sends shivers down my spine. She isn't buying Callie's redemption act. I don't want to say that she's right, yet I can't say she's wrong, either.

I can only pay attention.