“Wow. You’re humble today.”

“I’ve been your hero twice. Three times if we count the sex.”

“We’re not counting the sex.”

“I’m counting the sex.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course he was counting the sex. Why wouldn’t he count the sex? Men did feel like heroes if they successfully squeezed an orgasm out of those elusive G-spots, mind you.

I wonder what that made me. I’d never failed to give myself an orgasm.

“Your phone is flashing.” Noah reached behind me and handed it to me. “Want a coffee?”

I shook my head and opened the unread messages in our group thread.

AVA: Tell Noah I’m sorry.

AVA: Like, really sorry.

HALLEY: Seconded. A lot.

AVA: I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.

HALLEY: It was pretty good dancing, and we were the ones who bet you’d fall off the table so we’re rich now.

AVA: I want a cut of that money. It’ll match the one on my knee.

“Halley and Ava said they’re sorry,” I told Noah. “Ava’s also embarrassed, Halley is rich, and I think I need better friends.”

He laughed, carrying his cup back over to me. “Tell them not to worry about it. I told you it wasn’t all that bad. Plus your brother likes me.”

“That’s never a plus,” I muttered, hitting the reply button.

ME: Noah said don’t worry. And I want my share of that money. I’m told I hustled hard for it.

HALLEY: You’ll get it. Don’t worry. Did you know Preston and Noah struck up a bromance?

ME: So I’m hearing.

AVA: I can’t think of anything worse than your brother and your boyfriend having a bromance.

ME: Noah isn’t my boyfriend.

AVA: Looked like it last night.

ME: And you looked like an idiot on that table, but here we are.

HALLEY: Can you two stop bickering for five minutes? This is important. We need to stop Preston and Noah’s bromance in their tracks.

AVA: It’s not my problem.

“Hey,” Noah said, tapping my knee. “Does Ava have a brother?”

I peered up at him through my lashes. “Yes. Why?”

“I swear Preston said something about him coming back to Creek Falls soon. Doesn’t he live here?”

“I think he’s in Charlotte with his best friend. They keep moving around and I don’t know. I didn’t know they were coming back.”

“Preston said he wasn’t sure when, but it was in the plans.”

“Huh. I wonder if Ethan’s coming back, too.”

“Who’s Ethan?”

“Leo’s best friend. Leo’s Ava’s brother.”

“Right. Does it matter?”

I grinned slyly. “Yeah, it does. Ava’s in love with him.”

“With her brother’s best friend?”

“My best friend is dating my brother.”

Noah tilted his head to the side. “Huh. Yeah. You’re right. So Ava’s in love with her brother’s best friend, and I’m guessing he doesn’t know.”

“She won’t even admit it,” I scoffed. “But if they’re coming back to town, I am going to be her worst nightmare.”

“You’re a great friend, aren’t you?”