Page 31 of Winning His Wager

Three more women walked in. Three beautiful ones, including her baby sister. Who was at the dance with Ridge Hauffman. Her sister’s very first date. Dorie looked so beautiful, so grown up. Dylan’s eyes stung.

They weren’t little girls anymore. They were a part of the real world now.

Talk about terrifying.

“So this is where we are meeting up? Going to all do the grand entrance—from the bathroom?” Dusty asked. “What’s shaking, ladies?”

“Just giving Dylan a bit of a man-pep talk,” Dixie said, moving over to let Dorie use the mirror. “We’re just having a little trouble narrowing downwhichparticular gorgeous man our floozy little sister is actually with tonight. There seems to be multiple possibilities.”

“She’s such a slut,” Devaney said. “Dad is about to explode.”

“Oh, do tell,” Darcey said. She looked amazing again. Like she always did. She and Dusty had that whole easy, earthy sex-appeal thing going on. Devaney had it too. Or she would when she was a bit older. Dylan envied her that. She still felt like a kid playing dress up tonight. Even though Mateo had looked at her with real interest in his face.

And there had been that whole last-oatmeal-cookie look on Fletcher’s face too. That was an expression she wasn’t going to forget anytime soon. Or the way he hadn’t seemed like he wanted to let her go.

“The dress. The dress is where the power is at. I am sure of it,” Dylan told her sisters.

“It’s not the dress, Dyl. It just isn’t,” Dixie said. “I think, tonight you get your pick of the boys. So, throw caution out the window and go for it. Have fun. But…make sure you stay where we can see you. All of you. Safety in numbers, remember?”

“So, who are we talking about here?” Dusty asked. “Rumor has you with Quade, but I did not see him out there.”

“He’s running late. Something about a problem on set.” She really wished he’d get there. She needed reinforcements tonight. She just knew it.

“And there is Mateo Hauffman, who seems fascinated by her,” Daisy said. “Talk abouthot.And you and Dorie can date brothers. That could be fun.”

“He’s a very beautiful man,” Devaney said.

“Wait a minute, didn’t you have a date with Logen too?” Dylan asked.

“Hmmm. No. He asked. I said no. No time.” Devaney had that look again. Dylan was going to have to ask questions—when they were alone.

“But then there is…Fletcher,” Dixie said. “There is always that man you are shacking up with.”

“Then she and Dusty could boink brothers,” Devaney said as Darcey pushed open the doors and led the way out.

“Like you and Dylan did three years ago?” Dorie asked.

“You knew about that?” Dylan asked. She and Devaney had tried to keep that quiet so their father didn’t find out. He hadn’t liked those brothers at all—and had made it known. Well, kind of like the Tyler-itis he wasn’t hiding very much, now that she thought about it.

She wondered if he was starting to exhibit signs of Hauffman-itis yet. There might just be a pattern emerging.

“Of course, I knew about that. I wasn’t stupid,” Dorie told her. “I see everything, hear everything?—”

“And we know…you know everything, too,” Devaney said, rolling her eyes. “You have always been the brattiest of us.”

Dylan and her sisters stepped out of the restroom. Dylan looked out at the crowd. Right into diamond blue eyes.

“I think I am in serious trouble here actually.” The words came out before she could stop them. But only Dusty heard.

Her sister put an arm around her shoulders. “I can completely understand.”

Dylan looked into her sister’s beautiful eyes. “Why does everything have to get so complicated?”

“I’ll let you know if I ever figure it out.”

“This…this is so not what I planned.”

Dusty just patted her on the head…and commiserated.