The silence made him nervous and everyone was staring at him, so he blurted out, “I tried to get your number from Jayden, but he told me you’d get mad.”

She blinked at him. “He’s dumb and was dropped on his head a million times as a baby,” she said quickly and Jayden protested.

“I was not!”

“Yes, you were. I dropped you,” she seethed back at him and Benji’s eyes widened.

“You did not!”

“Ask Mom. Why do you think one eye is lazy?” she shot back and he glared.

“Don’t listen to them, Benji. They are always like this,” Baylor said with a laugh and Benji smiled.

“Yeah, she’s always mean,” Jayden spat at her and she glared.

“My grandma says that if they didn’t fight, they wouldn’t talk. But I heard Jayden whisper he loved my mom a lot, more than everyone else, to my aunt Baylor,” Angie said sweetly, hugging Jayden tightly.

“I lied,” he protested and Lucy growled at him before turning back to Benji. Her hands were shaking, and the nerves were coming off her in waves. Why was she nervous? Did she think he’d out them?

“Anyway, I’ll get with you about your house later. I think Jayden told you about my current shop status. I should know more tomorrow, and I’ll make sure my assistant gets back with you. So, yeah, bye. Thanks for stopping by and dropping that off. You shouldn’t have.”

Oh, so she was trying to blow him off?

“Jeez, Lucy, he can come in for a drink or something,” Baylor teased and Lucy’s eyes flashed with anger. “Or he can leave,” she laughed and Jayden’s brows rose.

Looking to Benji, he said, “What in the world? He’s my friend, not yours. Wanna come in, bud? I’m getting them settled, but you can sit with Limpy over there until I’m done.”

“I just yelled an expletive at you in my head,” Baylor said and he grinned.

“I do that a lot,” Lucy muttered, and Benji laughed.

These people were crazy.

Grinning at only Lucy, he shook his head. “Actually, I need to talk to your sister.”

Jayden’s brow rose again as he looked around. “Oh, go ahead.”

She paused, looking back at Jayden and then back to Benji, her eyes full of unease. “Why?”

His grin didn’t falter, it actually grew. He swore he couldn’t decide if she was hotter when she was coming on his face or when she was nervous like this. Clearing his throat, he said, “Well, I mean, I guess we can talk here. Totally up to you.”

Her eyes widened and then she pushed him toward the door, pausing to put shoes on. “I’ll be right back.”

“Lucy?” Jayden asked and Baylor laughed.

“Shut up, Jayden,” Lucy shot back before pushing Benji out.

“Are you leaving, Benji?” Angie called, and he paused as Lucy pushed.

“In a few,” he said and her smile dropped.

“Are you leaving with Jayden?”

He nodded sadly. “Yeah, sunshine. But don’t worry, I’ll be there for your game, though. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

She grinned as she climbed off Jayden and ran to give him a hug. “Awesome. Kick some butt and score me a goal.”

His throat was thick with emotion as he hugged her back. How had this little girl wiggled her way into his heart so fast? “Consider it done.”

“Um, wow, I think I got replaced,” Jayden said and Benji grinned at him. “I guess I’m chopped liver now.”

Angie giggled as she ran back to Jayden, tackling him at the thighs, which caused him to fall onto the couch in a heap of laughter. Before Benji could even laugh or say anything, Lucy pushed him outside.

“I love when you put your hands on me,” he teased as she shut the door behind them and then headed past him, down the stairs.

“Oh, Jesus. Hush and come on,” she called back at him as he grinned.

So he followed.

Watching as her ass moved side to side in those sexy jeans, Benji was almost mesmerized before she stopped at the end of the driveway, right behind his truck. Looking back at the house and then to her, he scoffed. “I think we’re far enough away. I doubt anyone will hear us,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

“Oh, hush,” she snapped, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “So what do you want to talk about?”

He grinned, matching her stance. “You’re so cute when you don’t want to talk about something.”

Looking up at him, she glared. “I can go back inside.”

“But you won’t.”

Her glare deepened. “Get to talkin’, Paxton. I’ve had a shitty day.”

“I heard,” he said then, tucking his hands in his pockets. “How long will you be out of your apartment?”

She shook her head and let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t know. They say Tuesday, but when I went there this morning, it looks so bad. Like the water was seeping through the ceiling of my shop. I don’t know how it got so bad. I called right when I smelled something weird.”

He nodded. “That blows.”

“You have no idea. I love my brother and his wife, I do, but I hate imposing on people.”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “You know you’re more than welcome to come stay at my house. I have room, and I won’t even be there this week. Plus, you can work on it.”