Wes realized he’d been pushing things a little hard in the get-Kaylee-to-be-my-girl department. He eased back. But only just. He’d stopped talking about how great they were for each other and focused on showing her. So far, she seemed more relaxed, to the point that she’d stopped worrying about what anyone thought and allowed him to bring her around as though they were dating. Even though technically—according to her—they weren’t.

“Are you sure you want me to go?” Kaylee asked as they got dressed at her place. They’d gone to her parents’ cabin after work to get cleaned up.

Fine, she’d gone home to get cleaned up, and he’d gone to seduce her in the shower.

“Of course.” Wes pulled a T-shirt over his head, followed by a long-sleeved Henley. “The tournament week begins tomorrow and we’re going over final details. No heavy drinking. We all need to be on our game in the morning.”

“And are you on your game?” she asked as she slipped on low boots with her jeans. “You haven’t been practicing as much. Does that worry you?”

He gave her a mock frown. “I wasn’t nervous until you mentioned it.”

She grinned. “Sorry. It’s just, this is what you’ve always wanted.”

He sank onto her bed and tied his shoes. “It was. But I like working at the club.” He chuckled. “Never thought I’d say that. When I first stepped up my role at the golf course after our father died, I was crawling out of my skin to get away. Sounds strange, but everything changed when I started giving lessons to Bella.”

He finished with his shoes and leaned on his thighs. “It was amazing to see a little kid kill it out there. That was true talent. I’ve always been athletic, but Bella’s got magic. For once, I was excited for someone else’s career. Teaching Bella made me realize how rewarding training could be. I still don’t get much out of teaching people with no skill, however.”

“Like me.”

He flashed her a naughty grin. “You are an exception.”

“Because I get naked with you?”

“Exactly.”

She tossed a throw pillow at his head. “You’re bad.”

He deflected the pillow with an exaggerated karate move. “Anyway. As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted. It might have taken the tragedy of my father passing for me to try something new, but it was a wake-up call. I’m not kidding myself with this sponsor’s exemption. It’s an incredible opportunity, but it’s not going to result in a tour career. I’ve never consistently scored low enough to make it on the circuit. I’m going to go out there and have the time of my life, but I’ve got other dreams I’m focusing on now.”

“Training little Bella?”

He stood and pulled Kaylee up with him. “Training Bella and others like her is one of them.” He kissed her on the lips and grabbed her hand before she could ask him about his other dreams.

Kaylee didn’t want to know his ideas for them. But someday, hopefully soon, she would. “Come on. They’re waiting for us. We better go.”

---

“Tell me again why we’re meeting at Blue Casino instead of the Fireside Lounge?” Kaylee scanned the casino floor. Neon blue with orange accents decorated the loud gaming area.

Adam and his new wife Hayden worked at Blue in management, but they’d only just returned from their honeymoon. Kaylee didn’t think Hayden had gone back to work yet, and she’d heard Adam was helping Levi and Emily with the tournament all week. She wasn’t sure if it was a conflict of interest for Adam to work at Blue Casino and to be a part owner of Club Tahoe, but clearly Blue didn’t seem to mind.

Wes placed his hand at the small of her back as she walked up the few steps to the Monte Belle lounge, where his brothers and their significant others were waiting. “It’s two-for-one beers until seven tonight. We couldn’t pass it up.”

She scanned his face. “Are you serious? You guys are probably the richest men in town and you’re bargain drinking?”

“Who doesn’t like a good two-for-one?”

She threw up her hands. “Apparently, not even billionaires.”

“Not sure billionaire is accurate. Multimillions, possibly. Haven’t checked the trust in over a decade.”

She tripped on the carpet. “Excuse me?”

Wes stopped and turned his back to his brothers. “You know I never cared about that stuff.”

“I know you never cared if others had money, and I know you’re not a snob. But who doesn’t know how much they have?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I know how much I have, just not how much my father put into a trust for me. That was always his money.”

“And he gave it to you. Wes, there are people struggling out there who would kill for a fraction of what your father gave you. If you don’t want it, donate it.”

He sighed. “I hear you, and I’ll consider it. Right now, Levi is pulling from all of our trust funds to keep things moving at the resort. Afterward…I’ll consider what to do next.”

She wrapped her hand around his thick upper arm, and they continued walking toward the group. This was Wes. The multimillionaire who lived in a simple one-room cabin and went to two-for-one beer nights. He wasn’t materialistic. He wasn’t a cheater. And he cared about her. He was a man who was making it damn hard to not fall in love with him again.

She sighed and put on a smile for the larger-than-normal group tonight.

Emily stood and gave Kaylee a hug. “I’m so glad you guys could make it.” She looked at Kaylee and waggled her eyebrows with a glance at Wes.

“We’re friends,” Kaylee said quietly, reading Emily’s mind. All of Wes’s brothers and their significant others had made assumptions about Kaylee and Wes, but she refused to define their relationship.

“Anyway,” Emily said, clearly not believing her. “Let me introduce you to a few of our friends. This is Jaeg and his fiancée Cali, along with Cali’s cousin, Ireland. Ireland just started working at Blue Casino.”

The pretty redhead, sitting next to Jaeg’s fiancée, waved. “Nice to meet you.” Her gaze skittered to Bran.

Poor Bran. Personally, Kaylee thought Wes was the most handsome Cade, but there were some women who couldn’t take their eyes off Bran. Unfortunately, Wes’s brother was seriously shy.

Kaylee and Wes greeted the rest of the group and took seats at the three round tables pushed together to accommodate everyone. Wes’s brothers were pretty big guys. Add Jaeg to the mix, and it was like a table of quarterbacks.

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Kaylee asked. “What can I do to help? Keep the kids away?”

“Actually,” Emily said, “I was thinking we could bring them. Most of the parents in town will be at the event. We might not have many kids at Club Kids that day, but the ones who are there can enjoy the tournament. Adam is our extra pair of hands for the week.” She turned to Adam, who had his arm around Hayden’s waist and appeared completely in love with his new wife. “You don’t mind putting together a picnic for Club Kids, do you?”

“I’m at your service.”

Hayden smiled up at him. “I’ll help too. I’m taking tomorrow off. Blue knows we aren’t mentally back from our honeymoon, and they’re giving us tons of leeway this week.”

“Excellent,” Emily said. “So with the kids taken care of, the merchandise and corporate tents ready to go, the food vendors and restaurants prepared”—she looked at Bran, who nodded—“the golf course and tournament people lined up, thanks to Wes and Levi… We should be good. Unless something goes wrong. Which it always does.” She sank her forehead onto her hand and closed her eyes. Levi rubbed her back.

“Is she okay?” Kaylee asked.

“She’s fine,” Levi said. Emily lifted her hand, waving in agreement. “She’s just stressed.”

“But you’re not?”

Levi shrugged. “Emily stresses enough for the both of us. It’s my job to keep her calm.”

Wes snorted and Kaylee looked at him.

“He means in the bedroom,” Wes said.

Levi shot Wes a scowl.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Cali asked.

“This is major,” Jaeg said. “We should be on hand tomorrow as well.”

“Absolutely,” Cali agreed. “Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if my boss and the entire construction crew took the week off to enjoy the tournament. It’s not often something like this comes into town.”

Wes had told Kaylee on the way over about the friends joining them tonight. Apparently, Cali worked for one of Jaeg and Adam’s friends, who owned a local construction company.

“And me too. I’ll be there,” Ireland chimed in. This time she didn’t glance at Bran, but Kaylee caught Bran frown anyway.

He really didn’t like this girl. And that made no sense. She was very pretty, and seemed sweet.

“I’m here for the foreseeable future,” Ireland said. “I’d love to get more involved.”

Bran grumbled lightly.

Ireland’s shoulders stiffened at the sound, but she tried to smile. “I’ve worked in just about every field as I paid my way through college and graduate school, so I come experienced.”

Bran glanced over, and this time, there was a hint of surprise on his face. Maybe even admiration. But it quickly faded and he looked back at his brothers. “So long as we don’t have any food-poisoning incidents, all should go well.”

“Are you kidding?” Hunt said. He’d been checking his phone nonstop. “Anything can go wrong, and probably will.”

Emily sucked in a breath, her eyes widening.

Levi scowled. “Shut it, Hunt. You’re not helping.”

“In that case,” Hunt said, “we done here? I’ve got plans.” He scanned Ireland. “Feel free to join me. No need to stick around with the couples.”

Ireland blushed and glanced at Bran. “Not everyone has a significant other.”

Hunt shook his head. “Who, Bran? You won’t find him with a woman.”

“I’m with plenty of women,” Bran grumbled. “Just not the kind you go out with.” He looked at Ireland, as though she were an example.

Her face turned bright red to match her hair. She looked away and said, “No thank you. I’m hanging out with my cousin tonight.”

Cali bumped Ireland’s shoulder in solidarity.

Ouch. Bran’s comment and the look he shot Ireland? Harsh.

Ireland was really pretty. Striking, even, with her bright red hair and fair skin. She was also curvy. So basically, the kind of woman most guys drooled over. Come to think of it, Kaylee would expect Wes to drool over her too, but he was busy trying to inch his hand up Kaylee’s thigh. He also kept leaning in and sniffing her hair.

“You smell good,” he whispered in his sexy, low voice.

Wes was a menace; they’d just had sex! But Kaylee smiled. She’d never had to worry about him with other women. Once he settled, he was a one-woman guy.

And then her smile died. Had he settled?

They were having sex. And though it seemed he’d been free with his affections before she’d arrived in town, she’d not seen him with anyone since. He’d confirmed it when he said as much. And now they were having sex in a friends-with-benefits sort of way.

Okay, so the lines of relationship and sex buddies had thinned. But if he hadn’t been a one-woman kind of guy, she wouldn’t have agreed to the arrangement.

Adam waved at the waitress in the lounge, who seemed to be waiting for his signal. A couple of the guys were drinking beers, but some had opted for bottles of water.

The waitress came over with several small yellow shot glasses.

“Lemon drops,” Levi said. “Emily’s choice, since she single-handedly orchestrated the tour bringing in hundreds of workers, hired fifty new employees, and got the casino and hotel primed for the event. Bran and I simply bumped around as urban Sherpas, hauling things and cracking skulls when needed.”

Hunt held up a glass, and everyone else did too. “Kind of a fruity shot, but I’m game. To Emily for saving us, to Wes kicking ass on the course tomorrow, and to no one getting stampeded by the crowd.”

“Cheers,” they all said.