“You ran over their tarantula?” Her bottom lip protruded. “That had to be awful.”

“It was terrible, but they’re okay now. Optimus received a beautiful departing ceremony in the backyard.”

“You are going to have your hands full in a few years. Those two boys are too adorable for their own good.”

Linking arms at the elbow, they made their way inside, joining Shayla’s uncle Tommy and his daughter, JC at the kitchen counter. JC’s husband Reed was in the middle of talking, but all discussion came to halt, leaving Carrie Ann to assume perhaps she was intruding on an important conversation.

“Am I interrupting?” She questioned, cutting off the awkwardness.

Tommy greeted her with a warm, uncle-like embrace. “No, of course not. Come on in.”

JC nodded, slipping a strand of her long caramel hair over her shoulder. Struggling to keep her expression neutral, she chimed, “We were just talking about how excited we are about attending the premier. Weren’t we?”

“Yes ma’am,” Reed agreed sweetly. His Texan accent, muscular build, and ice blue eyes were warm enough to make every woman in a five mile radius swoon. A crimson glow burnished over the bridge of Reed’s nose.

Unable to shake the feeling she’d stumbled right into the middle of something, she wondered what could make a man like Reed blush. She observed the couple share a small timid smile. Carrie Ann’s brows lifted to a doubtful point.

“Sounds exciting.” Carrie Ann snickered.

“It is exciting. You’re going to have a great time.”

“Me?” A jolt of anxiety rushed through her.

“Yeah, you.” Tommy’s dark brown eyes twinkled impishly, locking on Carrie Ann, making it impossible for her to look away.

“No, no, no. I’m not going to the premier.”

“Sure you are.” Tommy’s lips remained pressed together as a convincing grin broadened across his face. Carrie Ann knew he was saving the full flash of pearly whites in case he needed to pull out all the stops. After a few beats his lips parted exposing a dazzling gorgeous smile. One that could melt any woman of any age for any reason. “Now, Carrie Ann, how long have you known me?”

“A long time, Tommy—” She cast a small vexing eye roll to the side. “—but that has nothing to do with it.”

“Sure it does. You’re going to attend the premier to support your favorite uncle. And as an added perk you’re going to take the opportunity to invite some last-minute heavy hitters with deep pockets to your Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction next weekend.”

This struck a chord. He knew damn well it would. Fuck! Fuckity-fuck! She folded her arms on the counter and dropped her forehead, hiding her face. A low groan of disapproval crooned in her throat.

“Oh come on, Carrie Ann. It’s not that bad.”

“It is that bad, Tommy.” She lifted her head meeting him with a hard glare. “I ran into him this morning at the gym. If I go to the premier Summer’s going to think—”

“You and Ryan had a thing?” JC interjected, eyes wide drooling with curiosity.

Carrie Ann massaged her temples as if ridding an oncoming migraine. “Yes. We dated for a couple of years, but it was a long time ago.”

“Really?” JC’s voice rang in astonishment.

“Ryan? Is that the hot guy with the wolf eyes in Tommy’s new movie?” Reed asked, curling his fingers into quotation marks when he used the word hot.

Shayla’s uncle recently made the transition from gracing audiences in front of the lens to stepping behind it, taking on the role of producer. Tommy met Summer when he attended college with Carrie Ann and Shayla. The three of them were inseparable. It seemed an easy match when Tommy collaborated with Ryan when producing his first film. The movie was set to premier in a few days, but rumors already swirled with talk of Oscars for the producer and cast.

“Yes, that’s him.” JC laughed out loud.

Carrie Ann and Shayla cut a sharp glance at JC.

“What?” JC shrugged innocently. “He’s handsome.”

A ping of jealously stabbed at Carrie Ann’s heart wondering if there was a possibility JC had been one of Ryan’s many lovers. Prior to her marriage to Reed, the gorgeous blond had been in the modeling circuit for years and was well-known for a string of somewhat scandalous outings with men from around the world.

Carrie Ann watched as Reed coolly curled his fingers around JC’s hips drawing her back into his chest. Brushing his lips along her neck, he took a gentle bite of her lobe privately querying in her ear.

JC’s jade eyes widened and her lip curled in revulsion. She answered her husband’s mute concerns with a quick shake of her head, “Ewww. No. Noooo. Definitely not.”

Carrie Ann expounded, unloading the breath she’d been holding. The relief-filled exhale captured Shayla’s attention, causing her to raise a quizzical brow.

“What?” Carrie Ann cleared her throat, automatically going on the defense. A habit she seemed unable to shake over the years. “He’s not ewww. It’s not like he’s a bad guy.”

A snicker of doubt escaped JC’s lips right before she sealed them tight.

“Tommy,” Shayla interjected. “Would you like to take this opportunity to explain to Carrie Ann why JC thinks Ryan is…Ewww?”

A deep resounding chuckle sifted through the kitchen. “Umm, no, Shayla—“he drew out her name in protest “—not particularly.”

“Tommy…” Shayla encouraged with several bats of her lashes.

He palmed the granite counter, spreading fingers wide as if using the hard surface for moral support. “There’s the slight possibility I might’ve fibbed a little.”

“Fibbed?”

“Just a small harmless lie.” He fumbled through the words, mindlessly spinning a ring on his finger.

Tommy’s wife, Tess, strolled into the kitchen. Her dark shoulder length mane was pulled back into a ponytail, wearing not a stitch of makeup and still looking absolutely gorgeous.

“I thought I heard your voice,” Tess announced in a sing-song voice, embracing Carrie Ann.

“Shhh,” JC exclaimed, placing an index finger to her lips. “Tom’s about ready to get into some hot water for lying.”

Tess wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist giving a look of mock-disbelief. “You? Get in trouble? Never.”

Shayla interceded, “Tommy was just getting ready to come clean to JC about Ryan.”

“Ahh…the reckoning. I knew this would come to light one day.” Tess gave a sinister snicker. “By all means, please carry on.”

“I didn’t really lie, per say. I simply told a small story.” He paused to clarify, “Reed, this was before you and JC met. We were all together at a party in Italy. Production on the film had just launched, so I invited Ryan to join us. That’s when I encountered my first case of OPFS.”

Noticing Carrie Ann’s confusion, JC explained, “Over Protective Father Syndrome. He had a bad case of it.”

“Oh, gotcha.”

“The last thing I needed or wanted was Ryan near my daughters.”

“Or any other man.” Tess teased.

“So…I took the liberty of implying that Ryan was into some not so reputable things.”

Carrie Ann wasn’t sure who looked more shocked, her or JC. Both let out a little gasp when their mouths dropped open.

“It wasn’t a big deal.” Tommy wafted his hand in JC’s direction. “I simply used it as a little deterrent for the girls to stay as far away as possible from him.”

“You said, and I quote, ‘He’s into some really freaky shit!’” JC reminded.

A huge grin of appreciation broadened over Reed’s face. Resting his cheek atop his wife’s shoulder, he gazed over her profile as one of his large hands lulled over her stomach. “I’m forever indebted to you, Tommy.”

“I soooo would not have dated him,” JC assured Reed with a kiss. Simultaneous snickers ricocheted around the kitchen like popcorn kernels in a hot pan. “Okay, well maybe, but he really wasn’t my type.”

“Not anymore.” Reed boomed, reaching for her hand and starting for the sliding glass door. “I’m all the type you need.”