Wild Child (Rock Royalty #6) by Christie Ridgway

insisted on holding the finish tape during the nude relays. Think of all those bouncing breasts.”
    In retaliation he pounced on Cami, slinging his arm around her neck and jabbing his knuckles into her skull. “Shut up, squirt.”
    She squirmed, mock-shrieking. “Ren! Ren! Come save your little sister.”
    Though she broke free on her own, she double-timed it to those gathered on the expansive deck. “Come on, Ash, let me acquaint you with the rest.”
    Brody stood back as Cami drew the other woman forward. “Hey everybody. This is a new client of Brody and Bing’s.”
    Yes, client. The label he’d given her when he’d introduced Ash to Cami.
    She indicated the couple who stood hip-to-hip near the barbecue. “And Ash, this is my brother Ren, who is going to marry Bing and Brody’s sister Cilla,” she said. Then she pointed around those gathered in a loose circle near them. “Bing has his engagement ring on Alexa’s finger. We love Rose because she’s agreed to put up with my brother Payne for life. Reed fell for his neighbor, Cleo, who has those two adorable little boys kicking the soccer ball over there. And Walsh finally woke up to notice his admin would make a marvelous wife.”
    Though the group scoffed or groaned at Cami’s identifications, they smiled politely enough as Ash made the rounds to shake hands. Then she turned to Cami. “And you? Are you paired-off, too?”
    “Yeah, Cam,” Payne chimed in, clearly ready to return a dig. “That’s the million-dollar question we’ve all been wondering about for months. Are you paired-off, too?”
    His teasing grin died as Cami’s expression went from warm to wiped-clean.
    “No,” she said. “Never.”
    Ren’s spine went ramrod straight, and his eyes narrowed.
    “Fuck,” he muttered. “Cami, what happened?”
    “Not a thing,” she said throwing out a hand. “I need to grab a salad from the indoor fridge.”
    As she began to stalk off, Ren called out, “Wait up, Cam.”
    Her footsteps only accelerated.
    “Fuck,” Ren muttered again and started in her direction, then halted as Cilla put her hand on his arm.
    “Let me.”
    “She probably won’t talk,” he warned.
    “I know my way around moody Colsons,” she said, a little smile playing around her mouth.
    Ren’s fierce expression softened. “Yeah, you do,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. His palm patted her jean-clad ass. “Go be sweet.”
    In the awkward silence that followed as Cilla hurried away, Cleo piped up. “Hey, Ash. I left some items in my car. Would you mind helping me collect them?”
    It got the whole group moving. That pair moved off, Ren turned to fiddle with the barbecue, Payne, Rose, Bing, Alexa, and Honey ambled down the grassy slope to join Cleo’s young sons, Eli and Obie, in their game.
    That left Walsh, who strolled over to hand Brody a bottle of sparkling water.
    “Thanks, man,” he said. “How’ve you been?”
    “Business is good. Honey is better.” Walsh tipped back his own bottle and took a swallow. “What’s up with the woman?”
    “Bing invited her,” Brody said.
    “A new client.” Walsh looked off into the distance. “You’re wooing her?”
    Brody gave the other man a sidelong look. “Like I said, Bing invited her.”
    “I bought it for a minute, you know. Especially since it was Cami who was doing all the talking.”
    “I don’t know what you mean,” Brody muttered, and brought his drink to his mouth.
    “For a second I really thought you’d brought this gal to brunch to shore up her business.”
    “Bing—”
    “Invited her. I heard you already. But then I remembered where I’d seen her before.”
    Brody froze. “You’ve been up to the roadhouse?”
    Walsh’s brows rose.
    “Satan’s Roadhouse. In Topanga,” Brody clarified.
    The other man shook his head. “Never been to the place.”
    “Then how—”
    “You showed me her picture. On your phone.”
    Shit.
    “You were hungover like a dog?” Walsh added helpfully.