Not anymore.

He’d been on defense since Derrick had started talking, and now, after hearing her brother, Brady decided it was time to go on offense.

Sloane deserved a world of people on her side, not just her brother and best friend.

Fake dating or not, Sloane also deserved a fucking break.

And he was about to make her one.

He felt his nostrils flare and his jaw tighten before he delivered his resolve to her brother in an almost growl of defiance.

“Not if I can help it.”

Brady pushed back into his bar with a plan. It was quiet. Sloane was still behind the bar. Her eyes were red, close to tears. Emma and Santana were next to her.

Brady passed them all and walked right up to the mic and started talking, loud and clear.

“My first time was with a girl named Gina. I was sixteen and thought I was going to rock her world. Turns out all I did was poke her in the ass so many times that she ended up slapping me. Once I got it right, I lasted a cool thirty seconds. If that.”

For a second, no one said a word.

Then good old Dixon hollered out, laughing. “Ohhhh! That’s why they called you the ass king in school!”

More laughter broke out.

Brady capitalized on it. “Now, if anyone can beat that story with a more embarrassing first time, I’ll clear out your tab and you’ll drink for free all next week. And, since we already know Sloane’s story, we’ll make her the judge.” Brady looked over at her. “If that’s okay with you?”

Her eyes were wide, and, for a second, Brady thought his plan was making things worse for her.

But then she smiled. “Only if I can take that prize if no one can do better.”

Dewey popped up from his table like a flower in spring. “Y’all think your stories were embarrassing?” He scoffed and walked toward the mic. “Just you wait until you hear about why you should never try to make your own scented lube.”

The room was already laughing.

Brady made his way back to the bar and held his hand out for Sloane. He led her to a chair one of the regulars had put in the middle of the runway for her. Dixon made her a Cassidy’s famous mixed drink, Brady pulled up a seat next to her, and the room settled in for Dewey’s cautionary tale.

Somewhere in the space between Dewey’s allergic reaction and having to call his mom, Sloane took Brady’s hand.

And hot damn if it didn’t make his heart go to fluttering.

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

The birds were singing. The sun was shining. The morning was alive with the sound of freaking music!