"I know the mechanics," I said. "I don't know why I bothered to bring it up."

  "All right. Sorry. Look, the main thing is to pay attention, Mr. Observant. Listen to her breathing. Follow her cues. Her soft moaning. Her screams, if she's a screamer. She'll lead. If you get confused, ask her what she likes. Ask her to show you. You'll win big points for being so sensitive. She'll appreciate how thoughtful you are."

  Just once I wanted to be the bad boy, not the sensitive nerd guy.

  Shelby (Golf cart driver, friend maker.)

  I drove the golf cart back. We turned it and the clubs in and caught a ride to the resort. Just a short time later, Kayla and I settled in on the deck overlooking the falls for a nice snack.

  We each had a wild Northwest huckleberry scone, homemade clotted cream, and huckleberry jam. I had coffee.

  Kayla had peppermint tea. "Time to lay off the coffee, I suppose." She didn't sound particularly happy about it. "And the wine. Peppermint tea is supposed to calm the stomach. But pretty much everything is defenseless against pregnancy hormones."

  The sound of the falls was calming and therapeutic, though. Even Kayla looked like she was relaxed and feeling better.

  I was getting anxious about how Bella was faring with Carol. I was spreading jam on my scone, wondering if it would look too needy if I texted to find out, when I got a text from Carol.

  Wow, she must be a mind reader.

  "It's a text from my dog-sitter," I told Kayla.

  "By all means, read it," she said.

  Carol had texted me pictures of Bella's day with her so far. I couldn't help smiling. Bella out for a walk. Bella playing with Carol in the backyard.

  "This is Bella." I handed my phone to Kayla.

  Kayla scrolled through the pictures, smiling. "A Corgi. Oh, she's adorable. I've always wanted a Corgi. Jus wants an Aussie like Charlie. He and Dex have remarkably similar tastes.

  "If Bella and Charlie do have puppies together, no one will be able to resist them. My girls will absolutely want one. They love Charlie. And he loves them.

  "I've never seen such a kid-loving dog. He's absolutely patient with them. Even when the youngest pulls his ears or accidentally steps on him or falls over into him. He seems to know she's not being mean on purpose. He has the sweetest temperament in a dog that I've ever seen. And then, of course, he herds them around. An Aussie would be a good kid-sitter.

  "We told Dex years ago that if Charlie ever has puppies that he has any say over, we absolutely want one. My oldest has been begging for a puppy since she first learned to talk. Jus says she can have one when she turns five, which is soon." Kayla handed my phone back and pulled hers out. She skimmed through her pictures. "We'd make an exception for a Charlie pup. We'd take one early. Seriously, if all the puppies aren't all already spoken for, put us on the list. We'll pay any price."

  That was the best endorsement for a dog I'd ever heard.

  "If it helps any, let me sell you on my girls. They're really sweet little things who would love a puppy to death—not literally, of course. They'd give it a good home." She scrolled through her photos again, looking for something. "Somewhere I have some pictures of them with Charlie."

  She frowned. "Here they are! See if you could refuse these two. Look how they love Charlie!" Kayla handed me her phone.

  Two adorable little girls snuggled up against Charlie on the grass smiled back at me. The older one was blond, the spitting image of Kayla. The other one had dark hair like Justin, and many of his features, but she was clearly a combination of her parents.

  "They're beautiful," I said, totally not exaggerating.

  She reached over and played a video of the two playing with a stuffed puppy. The older one turned to the camera. "Mommy, can we have a puppy? Please? We'll hug it and love it and take good care of it! Please." She had an adorable little baby voice.

  "Okay. Who can resist that? I'm adding you to the list." I handed Kayla's phone back.

  "I knew those little imps were good for something." She smiled fondly as she put her phone away.

  "Sounds like they need a little brother to boss around. I mean, manage."

  She laughed. "A little practice with a puppy would help." She poured herself more tea. "You know, you really are good for Dex. I can see that already. I shouldn't tell you this, but golfing today was as relaxed and happy as I've seen him in years."

  "Really?"

  "I wouldn't lie." She put more clotted cream on a scone. "He used to be a total cutup. But since starting Puppy Love, he's become a serious workaholic. It's really nice to see him enjoying himself. And falling in love."

  "Falling in love. I don't know about that—"

  "I do," she said. "I've said it all day. I know my cousin. He deserves to be as happy with someone as Jus and I are together."

  She leaned forward. "I shouldn't tell you this. He's never really dated. An odd date or two here and there. But I can't remember him ever having a girlfriend. He and Jus were pretty much dweebs when they were young. Jus will back me up if you ask him. Dex has probably told you some other story about how popular he was—"

  "No," I said. "He's been perfectly truthful. You just verified what he's told me."

  "Wow. He must like you more than you admit. Dex will tell stories to impress people and put on a confident bravado. But for him to be honest about who he really is? That's something."

  I blew on my coffee and enjoyed the cool mist that floated up from the falls. "It's hard to believe he, and Justin, weren't popular."

  "Not if you knew them then," she said, looking nostalgic and amused. "Jus and I actually first met in college. Dex introduced us. I'm older than Jus by a few years. But not wiser." She laughed. "He was a boy genius. He started college at barely sixteen. As a junior. He was this pimply, skinny, gawky kid who followed me around with puppy-dog eyes and a big crush." She took a sip of tea. "He was immature, too. No confidence around women. Awkward and shy. Not a ladies' man for sure.

  "I was dating a jock. A real stud. He was built. But a total douche in the end. No, if you'd seen Jus then, you wouldn't recognize him now. Either in looks or confidence and personality. Dex wasn't much better. But he's always had confidence.

  "Jus has never been as confident as Dex. Dex can put on a show. He feigns confidence to the point where he would have made it on stage. But deep down, he's not that sure of himself with women. Don't tell him I said that. He'd kill me." She took a small bite of scone. "That feels good in the stomach. Much better than a dry cracker."

  I smiled.

  She leaned close again. "Dex is…inexperienced." She raised an eyebrow. "How inexperienced? Hard to say. Possibly totally, if you catch my drift."

  Was she hinting he was a virgin?

  "Whatever the case, I hope you make a real man out of him. Train him up right. But be gentle and encouraging. Guide him. Tell him what you need. Or make it totally obvious." She took another bite of scone and sighed with pleasure. "Men can be so clueless sometimes. But Dex is a quick study. There's no reason he shouldn't pick sex up quickly, too. Especially since I'm sure he's eager to learn. He's probably already studied some manual on technique. But bookwork isn't the same as experience."

  I nearly choked on my scone. A billionaire virgin? Possibly.

  "Don't tell Dex I talked about it with you."

  I crossed my heart.

  "Good." She changed the conversation to other topics.

  We chatted. Time flew. We went through more scones, tea, and coffee than we should have.

  "Oh, look!" Kayla waved at someone behind me. "Here are the boys now."

  Chapter 19

  Shelby

  I turned over my shoulder and spotted Dex and Justin as they came out onto the deck from the lodge. They looked jubilant. Justin was carrying a brand-new club with a pink and gray ribbon tied around it. He beamed ear to ear like he'd just won an Olympic medal. It was the look of a non-athlete who'd just become conquering hero.

  Justin came up behind Kayla and bent over for a kiss. "How are you feeling, babe?"

  Did he emphasize that last word? Was he suspicious?

  Kayla didn't seem to notice. "Better, thanks. What's this?"

  Justin pulled up a chair and held out the club to her. "My prize. Look what I won."

  Dex pulled up a chair next to me and grabbed my hand. It might have just been for show, but I felt the jolt of chemistry between us.

  "Pretty. Is the tournament over already?" Kayla examined the club. "This isn't the consolation prize, is it?"

  "Have more faith in your hubs. We did not get the prize for worst golfers." Dex rolled his eyes. "If you must know, that was a ping-pong paddle in pink. If you can't golf, good luck with table tennis, you non-athlete klutz. That was the message."

  "Table tennis can be an exacting sport," Kayla said. "Have you ever seen Jus's family play? They're practically pro level. It's vicious and involves a lot of running and being fast on your feet. And ping-pong balls flying around like they're being shot out of a pitching machine at full speed. They hurt when they hit you." She rubbed her arm. "And leave bright red welts. I still have scars from the last time we played." She turned her attention to Justin, beaming. "Seriously, though. What did you win this for? A drive, I imagine. Longest drive?"

  Dex grinned and rolled his eyes. "Longest drive, indeed. In your dreams, Lala."

  "How would you know how long he can drive? His drives are plenty long enough for me." Kayla blew on her fingernails. "Zing."

  Dex sniggered.

  "Excellent guess." Justin looked pleased. "Straightest drive. Wish you could have seen it, Kay. It was on the fifteenth hole. I hit the line dead on."

  "It was a real Cinderella shot," Dex quipped. "Perfect conditions. He got lucky and drove during a period of absolute calm."

  "Lucky, hell," Justin said. "I timed it."

  "You licked your finger. Stuck it in the air. And took a swing." Dex did the heavenward gaze.

  Kayla turned to Dex. "You got it on video, I hope?"

  "How would I know he was going to drive perfectly straight as an arrow?" Dex said. "He's been hooking it all day. It's not my job to record his every stroke. And no, the tournament isn't over. There were a dozen or more foursomes behind us. But no one was going to get closer than being on the line. And Justin was first. They handed over his prize as we left the course.

  "I hate to admit it, but Justin got his share of envious looks on our way here. That club is evidently one of the most coveted prizes. Custom made for this tournament. And it's lost on him."

  "Is it engraved with the wedding date?" I asked. Everything else was. I was curious.

  Justin took a closer look at the head. "Yeah. It is."

  "Wow." I was genuinely impressed. I've seen a lot of weddings and wedding planning. It takes a lot to get a wow out of me. I'd never seen so many customized wedding items, not any as expensive. "You'll never forget to send the happy couple an anniversary card now."

  "Good point," Kayla said. "It's all part of their plot."

  "Did you have a big wedding?" I asked Justin and Kayla.

  They exchanged a quick look.

  "Um, no," Kayla said. "We were married on the spur of the moment in Reno. That's another long story."

  A server arrived and deposited enormous sandwiches and glasses of beer in front of Dex and Justin. Both dug in.

  "Carol texted me while you were still on the course," I said. "She and Bella are getting along famously. I might have to be jealous. At this rate, Bella might insist on going home with Carol when I get back." I pulled out my phone and showed Dex the photos Carol sent.

  "Carol's topnotch." He squeezed my hand. "Only the best for my girl." He winked and dug into his sandwich.

  "I hope you mean me. But I think you mean Bella. She's already bonded with you."

  He shrugged and reached for his napkin.

  "No prizes for you, Dex?" Kayla teased.

  Dex wiped his mouth with his napkin. "My games are tonight—blackjack and poker. I'm going to clean up."

  Justin looked unconcerned. "Not if I beat you first."

  "I'd like to see you try." Dex waggled his brows.

  "You both cheat." Kayla turned to me. "Never play with them. They count cards. Even in Vegas." She rolled her eyes.

  At the mention of Vegas, my heart stopped. My mouth went dry. Any mention of that place made me uncomfortable, as if everyone could see the lie I'd been living with these two years.

  "One of these days, you're going to get banned." Kayla pointed between the two men. "They used to go for a guys' weekend every year. But they haven't been for a few. Not since the last one. I banned Jus until he and Dex can learn to behave themselves there out of my sight."

  "No one behaves in Vegas." Dex shook his head. "We won't get caught. We're careful."

  "Yeah. Careful." Kayla scoffed. "You got so hammered last time it was like a scene from The Hangover. Jus drunk-dialed me. You blacked out and don't even remember most of that trip. That's some serious drinking."

  My heart still wasn't beating, but my ears had perked up.

  "Half the trip! Stop exaggerating." Dex shook his head. "We've told you repeatedly, Lala, dear cuz. I did not black out because of being drunk. I slipped in the shower—"

  "When I was trying to sober him up," Justin added, smiling as if he'd been totally helpful. "Cold shower—"

  "Like an idiot," Kayla added. "Cold water doesn't sober anybody up. You were both plastered. Neither of you were exercising any kind of common sense or good judgment—"

  "I'm telling the story here," Dex said. "I hit my head and got a bad concussion. I was nauseated and dizzy for days and had a hell of a headache for a week after. The flight home was misery."

  "Serves you right." Kayla turned to me. "Put him off gin."

  "I remember the entire trip. Except for the few hours right before and after I fell. Still drives me crazy. The doctor told me my memories will probably never come back." He pointed at Kayla. "Justin had to take me to emergency. I have the medical bill to prove it. And you know it."

  "Yeah, well, he shouldn't have been going anywhere, either. You fell because you were dead drunk. In a slippery shower. Which is a dangerous enough place to be sober. Ask any parent. The fall led to the concussion." Kayla shook her head. "Ergo, ipso facto, the drunkenness led to your permanent memory blank of that night."

  I realized I was holding my breath. My heart had restarted and gone into fight-or-flee mode, beating a zillion beats per minute.

  He doesn't remember rescuing me. He won't remember. Due to a head injury. I'll never have to tell him.

  I shouldn't have been so relieved. I had to hold down a smile, which would have been so inappropriate at that moment. I'm off the hook.

  I let out a sigh of relief. The three of them turned to me. I forced a smile. This was obviously a bone of contention between them still.

  "I'm so glad that was the only lasting effect." I stroked Dex's cheek.

  "Yeah, well, I wish like hell that I could remember," he said. "I won ten thousand dollars at blackjack and poker that night. When I sobered up and got out of the hospital, I was missing twenty-five hundred. Some dick lifted it off me. If I ever find him…"

  I went cold. Maybe not so off the hook…

  Justin shook his head. "I keep telling you, Dex. Those bills probably fell out of your wallet. Or you spent them buying a round for the place. You like to show off when you're drunk."

  "I had them all in a wad," Dex said. "And I don't show off. I'm generous."

  "Why wouldn't a thief steal all of your cash?" Justin said. "Your theory doesn't make sense."

  It did if you knew the whole story. I felt almost guilty for keeping from Dex the sweet thing that he did for Bella and me with the money. He was a generous drunk. But I couldn't tell him. I really couldn't tell him now.

  Dex

  The four of us walked back to our rooms together.

  "I wonder if there are any pictures of the tournament up yet." Lala scrolled through the wedding website on her phone as we walked. "I really want to see Jus's shot. Do you think the event drone caught it?"

  Lala and Justin's room was first as we came down the hall. We stopped in front of their door.

  "Look! There are some photos." Lala scrolled through them. "None of Jus yet. But here's one of you, Shelby."

  She handed Shelby her phone. I looked at the picture over Shelby's shoulder. #HudsonKangley. The bride glitters on the course.

  "Haha. It is a bit confusing that we have the same last name," Shelby said. "No relation."

  "I didn't realize how much you look like Chrissy with sunglasses and a hat on," I said.

  "We all look the same when we're wearing identical shirts, visors, and glasses," Lala said. "I'm sure it's intentional so no one shows up the bride. It's like we're wearing team uniforms. Except Chrissy has a white golf shirt with Bride embroidered in gold. I saw her earlier. I'm sure she'll set whoever posted this straight soon enough."

  "Yeah," Shelby said. "She wouldn't want to be accused of self-glittering." She got a look of disappointment. "I just wish I had that gift candle. I feel cheated. The can is gorgeous, and the custom-blended scent sounded amazing.

  "How many times does a guest get to smell the bride's bouquet? To be able to burn a candle with that scent… At least, I'm assuming there is a real candle and that wasn't part of the prank, too."

  "I had one in my bag," Lala said. "The non-exploding kind."

  We agreed to meet later for dinner and gambling and said our goodbyes.

  I let us into our room.

  Shelby paused in the entry. "Looks like housekeeping has been here. The glitter appears to be gone. Well, as gone as glitter ever can be. You can never get rid of all of it, no matter how hard you try or how many years pass."

  "Oh, look!" She headed toward the end table. "A replacement candle. Wishes do come true. Must have been my fairy powers kicking in." She picked it up.

  "Careful," I warned her.

  She set the candle down. "Look. Housekeeping left my cloth snakes. Nice of them to save them for me as a souvenir. I suppose you need to de-prank again?"