“Let’s try this again,” her sister said, motioning to Kenna.
Kenna lifted her glass of champagne. Everyone else followed suit. “To love, laughter and sexy men.”
“Hear, hear,” Jessie Kay said.
The champagne tasted like liquid candy, a decadent invitation-only party in her mouth, but there would be no more for her. She’d learned a hard lesson: she and alcohol were not a good mix.
Daphne drained her glass. “Right now, I’m zero for three.”
Brook Lynn patted her hand. “I’m sorry about Tyler.”
“Boo.” Kenna flashed a thumbs-down. “Exes suck!”
“Did he end things because you turned every celebration into a cry fest?” Jessie Kay signaled the waiter for another round. “Why are you upset, anyway? You are living with two superhot bachelors.”
Daphne actually cringed. “They’re like my brothers.”
“So?” Jessie Kay said. “I can personally vouch for Beck. Yes, you should totally choose Beck. He’s perfect for you.”
“Half the world can vouch for Beck.” Kenna ran her finger over the rim of her glass. “He’ll never commit. Go for West.”
“No, West would be a mistake,” Jessie Kay said quickly, shifting in her seat. “He’s obviously going through something. He’s so not in the right place to start a relationship.”
Oh, oh, oh. What was this? Brook Lynn detected a warning in her sister’s tone. To stay away from the guy?
“How long have you been infatuated with West?” Daphne asked.
Well, well. Brook Lynn hadn’t been the only one to notice.
“I’m not infatuated with West,” Jessie Kay insisted.
The waiter arrived with a new bottle, and instead of doing a taste test, Jessie Kay drained what he poured and tapped the rim of her glass for more.
The second he left, she said, “West was clearly an experiment in Artificial Stupidity. Truth be told, all of my problems end with West—lowest paid, slowest on the road to success, fewest good times.”
“I think the lady protests too much.” Proper manners be damned. Brook Lynn propped her elbows on the table. “I don’t know how I missed the fact that you want to marry him and have a million babies.”
Jessie Kay threw a buttered roll at her. Kenna snatched the bread bowl before Brook Lynn could retaliate and cuddled it to her chest, muttering, “My precious.”
Daphne snickered. “I wish you could have met him before Tessa died. I wish you’d met all of them. Cocky as hell, but unbelievably kind. Hotheaded, but protective. Each of them would have sold their organs on the black market if I’d asked.”
Brook Lynn leaned back in her chair. “Actually, not much has changed.”
Daphne focused on her. “I’ve been wondering. Are you still working for Jase? I keep hearing about your amazing food but you haven’t come over to cook.”
“No, I’m not working for him,” she said. “We have a rule. There’s only one place I will take orders from him, and it’s not his kitchen.”
“First, if you want our food,” Jessie Kay said to Daphne, “you’ll have to pay for it like everyone else. Second...” She faced Brook Lynn. “I didn’t know you’d gotten the kinky gene. Good going, little sis.”
Her cheeks heated. Movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention, and she welcomed the distraction. She expected it to be the waiter. Instead, she met the narrowed gaze of...Stan?
He stared at her for several prolonged seconds then said, “Tell Jase it’s almost time for a reckoning. I’m going to make sure he pays for what he did.”
She jumped to her feet, her chair skidding backward. Stan pivoted and soared out of the private room, through the restaurant toward the exit.
“Dude. Who was that guy?” Jessie Kay asked.