Her head was down, her hair covering her face, as she dug through her purse.
“Lizzie,” Blue called to her as he closed the distance between them. She lifted sad eyes to him, and his chest tightened. He took her in his arms and whispered, “It’s okay. Whatever happened, it’s all okay.”
Chapter Thirty
LIZZIE TRIED NOT to let the fact that she’d just walked out on what was probably the most important meeting she’d ever have ruin the afternoon, despite the disappointment she felt settling into her bones.
“What happened?” Blue asked quietly.
“They said that there was no show without me, so I took Duke’s advice, thanked them, and walked out with my head held high.” She swallowed past the itch of regret crawling up her throat.
“Aw, babe. I’m so sorry, but you know what? Eff them.” Blue pulled her into another hug. “That’s right. You’re awesome on your own. You don’t need them to do a damn thing for you.”
Duke pulled her into a warm embrace. “He’s right, Lizzie. You did the right thing. You left with your dignity intact, and believe it or not, you have a leg up. They’re probably sitting up there wondering what the hell they did wrong.”
“Hey, isn’t someone going to introduce us?” Cash asked.
From the photos in Blue’s house, Lizzie recognized the strappingly handsome dirty-blond haired man as Blue’s brother Cash, and she’d seen Siena Remington in many of her modeling ads, but heck if she wasn’t twice as beautiful in person. The entire group—the three Ryder men and Siena—could have all been models. They were all warm smiles and open arms, making them even more attractive.
“Men.” Siena embraced Lizzie. “I’m Siena, and I’m so glad to meet you. It’s about time another Ryder man gets off the bachelor roster.”
“What is it about everyone wanting us to settle down? Just because Cash bit the bullet doesn’t mean the rest of us have to,” Duke said with a smile that told Lizzie he was teasing.
“Welcome to the chaos,” Cash said as he drew her into a warm hug. His brothers and Siena were so friendly and welcoming that she was instantly comfortable among the close-knit group. “I take it your meeting didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?”
Lizzie’s eyes shot to Blue, wondering if Cash and Siena knew about her webcast. Blue shook his head, and she was thankful that they were so in tune with each other that he knew exactly what was worrying her.
“Not exactly, but it’s not a big deal.” As the words left her lips and Blue laced his fingers with hers, she felt another wave of disappointment wash over her. She hadn’t realized how badly she’d wanted this deal to go through. She’d already been dreaming of the extra time she and Blue would have together without the stress of filming, editing, and managing the entire Naked Baker program.
Thankfully, Siena looped her arm in Lizzie’s and stuck to her like glue, asking a host of questions about her and Blue and taking the subject off the failed meeting. The drive to Blue’s parents’ house was full of laughter as the men talked about work and volleyed teasing barbs at one another, while Siena and Lizzie became fast friends, talking about Cash and Blue and what it was like to live in New York.
Blue’s parents lived just outside the city on several wooded acres. By the time they reached their house, Lizzie knew all about Siena’s family and the impending wedding of her twin brother, Dex, and his fiancée, Ellie. She hadn’t put two and two together and only just now realized that Siena’s brother Kurt had been one of the grooms at the quadruple wedding where Lizzie and Blue had met.
“It’s kismet,” Siena said as they walked up the sidewalk toward Blue’s parents’ two-story colonial. “You and Blue are supposed to be together, and we were all supposed to meet.”
Cash leaned down and kissed the top of Siena’s head. “That’s my fiancée. The social connector.”
Blue draped an arm over Lizzie’s shoulder as his parents came out the front door. He whispered to Lizzie, “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to go somewhere to talk before hanging out with everyone?”
She loved that he was so thoughtful, but after chatting with Siena and being surrounded by such happy banter, she already felt much better. “You really do care about me, don’t you? You’re seeing your family for the first time in months and I’m still the first thing on your mind.”
“Did you ever doubt it?” He pressed his lips to hers, and the heat their kisses always brought filled her from head to toe.