son. And who is this you’ve brought with you? Is that little Klepto Chloe?”
“Dad!”
“Oh, come on. Chloe knows I’m joking.”
Chloe went into the waiting arms of Clifton St. Martin, and he squeezed her tight. “Don’t you, girl.”
Chloe smiled. “Yes, sir, but just for the record, I’ve told Mrs. St. Martin multiple times how sorry I am about stealing her tulips.” She clasped her hands and lightly lowered her head. “It’s no excuse, but they were exquisite.”
Cal’s dad threw his head back and laughed. “Chloe est tres belle.”
Looking at Chloe, Cal responded, “Oui pere, elle est tres belle.”
Chloe smiled and blushed. Cal was aware that Chloe knew enough French from living in these parts to know they were discussing her beauty.
His father regaled Cal with updates regarding his commercial contracting business and Cal realized he was genuinely excited for his father’s success.
Cory joined them and their dad put his arm around each of his youngest sons.
“Did you hear, our Corrigan’s got the entire town in an uproar? The women, that is.”
Cal hitched a brow at Cory. “I may have heard something about it. Did you know one of his most recent disastrous conquests is now sharpening her claws on Logan?”
More laughter erupted from Cal’s dad. “Oh, to be young and feel love’s sting.”
“I’m not so sure this has anything to do with love.”
Cory folded his arms across his chest and looked down his nose at Cal. “You don’t need to act so high and mighty. Sometimes what you do isn’t an act of love either. Wasn’t there some sort of bet you had going?”
Cal snarled at Cory and reared back to punch him, but Cory ducked.
“Fuck off, Cal,” Cory said.
“Cory, I need to speak to you in private.” Cal grabbed his brother by his upper arm.
Cory sighed heavily. “Whatever.”
Cal looked to Chloe. “Will you be all right out here for a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’m just gonna walk over to my house and say hey to my folks.”
A great idea. She’d be out of the way for a while. “You can take dad’s LSU golf cart,” Cal offered.
Cal retrieved the keys from his father, but he withheld them from Chloe until she returned his kiss.
As she drove off in the direction of her childhood home, Cal whirled to Cory. He looked around and then lifted his chin, indicating a spot away from other ears. When they were alone, Cal said, “What the fuck is going on? Why is Alyssa here looking as if she could spit nails?”
“Well, brother mine, it turns out Alyssa is bat-shit crazy. I’m talking Fatal Attraction crazy.”
“And yet you let her get her hooks into Logan.”
Cory looked to where Logan was currently setting up beer kegs at the bar area. “Poor bastard never saw it coming. I’m just as shocked as you to see her here. I’d no idea she’d been getting boned by Logan.”
Cal started rubbing his brow with his thumb and forefinger. “Shit, it’s only a matter of time before she tells Chloe about the bet in Vegas.”
“Dude, if I can make a suggestion… ” Cory rubbed his index finger across his upper lip and then snapped his fingers. “…Tell Chloe before Alyssa can get to her.”
Cal shook his head. “Gee, thanks, Cory, that’s profound.” He left Cory sniggering at him and wandered around, studying the setup his dad had commissioned for the party. He greeted Logan, but there was nothing for him to do. And he was only delaying the inevitable.
Cal took off to walk across the property. He stopped to play with a couple of puppies that ran after him, not wanting to rush Chloe’s time with her family, but he eventually ended up on Mills land. He planned to speak with Chloe regarding the night they hooked up in Vegas. It was time he came clean about the bet. He just hoped their relationship had come far enough that it could see them through this snag.
The obscenely decorated golf cart caught his eye as Chloe was heading back on the path toward St. Martin
“Dad!”
“Oh, come on. Chloe knows I’m joking.”
Chloe went into the waiting arms of Clifton St. Martin, and he squeezed her tight. “Don’t you, girl.”
Chloe smiled. “Yes, sir, but just for the record, I’ve told Mrs. St. Martin multiple times how sorry I am about stealing her tulips.” She clasped her hands and lightly lowered her head. “It’s no excuse, but they were exquisite.”
Cal’s dad threw his head back and laughed. “Chloe est tres belle.”
Looking at Chloe, Cal responded, “Oui pere, elle est tres belle.”
Chloe smiled and blushed. Cal was aware that Chloe knew enough French from living in these parts to know they were discussing her beauty.
His father regaled Cal with updates regarding his commercial contracting business and Cal realized he was genuinely excited for his father’s success.
Cory joined them and their dad put his arm around each of his youngest sons.
“Did you hear, our Corrigan’s got the entire town in an uproar? The women, that is.”
Cal hitched a brow at Cory. “I may have heard something about it. Did you know one of his most recent disastrous conquests is now sharpening her claws on Logan?”
More laughter erupted from Cal’s dad. “Oh, to be young and feel love’s sting.”
“I’m not so sure this has anything to do with love.”
Cory folded his arms across his chest and looked down his nose at Cal. “You don’t need to act so high and mighty. Sometimes what you do isn’t an act of love either. Wasn’t there some sort of bet you had going?”
Cal snarled at Cory and reared back to punch him, but Cory ducked.
“Fuck off, Cal,” Cory said.
“Cory, I need to speak to you in private.” Cal grabbed his brother by his upper arm.
Cory sighed heavily. “Whatever.”
Cal looked to Chloe. “Will you be all right out here for a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’m just gonna walk over to my house and say hey to my folks.”
A great idea. She’d be out of the way for a while. “You can take dad’s LSU golf cart,” Cal offered.
Cal retrieved the keys from his father, but he withheld them from Chloe until she returned his kiss.
As she drove off in the direction of her childhood home, Cal whirled to Cory. He looked around and then lifted his chin, indicating a spot away from other ears. When they were alone, Cal said, “What the fuck is going on? Why is Alyssa here looking as if she could spit nails?”
“Well, brother mine, it turns out Alyssa is bat-shit crazy. I’m talking Fatal Attraction crazy.”
“And yet you let her get her hooks into Logan.”
Cory looked to where Logan was currently setting up beer kegs at the bar area. “Poor bastard never saw it coming. I’m just as shocked as you to see her here. I’d no idea she’d been getting boned by Logan.”
Cal started rubbing his brow with his thumb and forefinger. “Shit, it’s only a matter of time before she tells Chloe about the bet in Vegas.”
“Dude, if I can make a suggestion… ” Cory rubbed his index finger across his upper lip and then snapped his fingers. “…Tell Chloe before Alyssa can get to her.”
Cal shook his head. “Gee, thanks, Cory, that’s profound.” He left Cory sniggering at him and wandered around, studying the setup his dad had commissioned for the party. He greeted Logan, but there was nothing for him to do. And he was only delaying the inevitable.
Cal took off to walk across the property. He stopped to play with a couple of puppies that ran after him, not wanting to rush Chloe’s time with her family, but he eventually ended up on Mills land. He planned to speak with Chloe regarding the night they hooked up in Vegas. It was time he came clean about the bet. He just hoped their relationship had come far enough that it could see them through this snag.
The obscenely decorated golf cart caught his eye as Chloe was heading back on the path toward St. Martin
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