Page 19
“Great,” I finally say, allowing my eyes to meet his.
He’s smiling this smirky smile. It says, Delaney, one. Carter, zero.
“That’s great,” I repeat, pasting on a smile I hope doesn’t make me look like one of those deranged clowns in a horror movie.
He’s not winning.
“What did Kate have to say, Delaney?” Treyvon asks Marcus, pulling his attention away from me.
I breathe in a long breath and blow it out slowly and quietly.
Marcus turns toward Treyvon and says, “I’ll fill you in later.”
“Kate?” I ask. “Thunder PR?”
Marcus nods. “She wanted to talk about our post.”
“And?” I ask him, secretly dreading his answer.
“She said to leave it alone.”
“Leave it alone?” I ask. “As in let people think we’re madly in love with one another?”
He nods, not looking me in the eye at first. “Yeah.”
Marcus glances at Treyvon and Brady, who are wearing twin smirks. Then his eyes flick back to mine.
“I’m sure it will die down shortly,” he says.
The memory of him laughing at how I smelled rears up, reminding me of the many reasons Marcus and I would never even be friends, let alone romantically involved.
And now he’s going to be volunteering with Porch Light.
Just great.
I break away from the guys, unsure I can hold it together in front of Marcus much longer. I scan the yard and find Winona, standing next to Declan at the grill, smiling up at him. I smile watching them. It’s a smilefest. I could not be happier that my sister found a man like Declan.
With Marcus in my rearview and my sights on Winona and Declan, I walk away, feeling my muscles loosen with every step I put between me and the infuriating quarterback—the quarterback of my favorite football team—and, yes, my fantasy team as well. But we’re not talking about that right now.
Winona sees me coming. I don’t know what my expression looks like, but it must be something like desperation, because she pulls me into a hug. When she releases me, her hands are braced on my upper arms.
“What happened?” she asks, her brow drawn up with compassionate concern.
“Nothing,” I say, followed by, “Marcus, that’s what happened.”
“Cass,” Winona’s voice is soft.
I can’t tell if she’s sad for me or sad that this feud hasn’t run its course. Winona would love for the world to all get along. She sees the good in everyone. Even Marcus Delaney.
“So … I was inviting guys to be a part of Porch Light, and Marcus walked up. Treyvon voluntold him and he said he loves projects that make his image shine.”
“He said that?”
I laugh lightly. “Not in so many words.”
“Cass, please. Marcus is not as bad as you make him out to be. I keep telling you that you got off on the wrong foot.”
“Winona. The man actually told me that I stink.”
