Page 39 of Blind Trust
“Brah’s got game,” Kekoa whispered as they watched Mr. Brandt escort Effie away.
“Hank is bringing out your horses,” Tully said before he placed a hand on Lyla’s shoulder. “Ride safe, my dear.”
Lyla kissed his cheek and squeezed Etta’s hand before they walked away. “Always.”
Elinor sighed. “You have the cutest family.”
“Thanks.” Lyla couldn’t deny it. Her family was special, and it meant a lot that her team was here to meet them.
“Yoo-hoo!”
Noooo.
Lyla cringed and avoided looking at Nicolás as she turned to face—“Mrs. Davenport...you made it.”
“Of course! We wouldn’t miss it,” she said and gestured to Mason at her side. “You remember Mason.”
“We’ve been friends for twenty years, Mother. I think she remembers me.” He wrapped Lyla in a hug as if it was the most natural thing in the world even though she felt her own stiffness at his touch. He whispered, “I’ve been home less than twenty-four hours, and my mom is going to drive me nuts.”
Lyla smothered her giggle as Mason stepped back. “That’s a record, I think.”
“So, which one of these young men has captured your”—Mrs. Davenport’s gaze moved up Kekoa, eyes widening a bit—“heart?”
Lyla’s cheeks burned at the curious, amused, and confused expressions her friends were giving her. Quickly introducing them, she paused at Nicolás, eyes pleading that he would forgive her for what she was about to do. “And this is Nicolás.” Lyla readied herself. “My boyfriend.”
The gasps, snorts, and chuckling coming from her friends were not helping to sell her story. Neither was the stunned expression lining Nicolás’s face, but it shifted when his gaze moved to Mason. She quickly reached for his hand at the same time he lifted it up like he was going to put it around her shoulder, but instead their failed attempt at fake affection ended with him accidentally hitting her on the chin and knocking her a few steps backward.
Nicolás swiftly took her hand and gently guided her back toward him, their eyes meeting for one, two, maybe three pulse-pounding moments. Then her attention snagged on Kekoa, who was having a laughing fit, hand on his stomach as Elinor helplessly swatted at him.
“Nicolás.” Mason reached out his hand, which required Nicolás to extricate his fingers from Lyla’s clammy grip. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Same,” Nicolás said quietly and then stepped back, shooting a glare at Kekoa before he wrapped his arm around her waist with a bit more finesse. Lyla relaxed into the position all too naturally.
“Must be a fairly new relationship.”
The suspicion in Mrs. Davenport’s countenance worried Lyla. If the woman caught even a whisper that there was a chance of hope for Lyla and Mason, she’d be on it like the barking foxhounds around her.
“How long have you two been a couple?”
“Awhile.”
“Not long.” Lyla shot Nicolás a look. “We’ve been friends for a while.”
“I can see why our little Stinkerbell is smitten. You’re handsome in an exotic way,” Mrs. Davenport chittered. “I had a Spanish boyfriend once.Rodrigo. And when he would kiss me”—she closed her eyes—“he would say ‘que sabroso.’”
Yummy?! Why can’t the ground open right now and swallow me?
“Mom!” Mason hung his head.
“What? Nothing wrong with a little Spanish love, am I right, Lyla?”
“Tell them your nicknames for each other.” Kekoa tilted his chin, eyes dancing with mischief.
I’m going to kill him.
He smiled at Mrs. Davenport. “They’re so cute.”
“Ms. Lyla.”
