Page 72 of Whisper Sweet Nothings
Are you worried about me, Archie?
Of course.
My phone rang, and I saw her name flash across the screen.
“Stop worrying. I’m a grown-ass wooooo…” Her words were slurring, and I immediately sat forward. “Womaaannn? Woman? Is that a word, or did I just make that up.”
She laughed hysterically, and I heard Eloise’s voice next.
“Yes. You’re a woman!” Eloise shouted.
“Put Eloise on the phone, please,” I commanded.
“Archie wants to talk to you,” Winnie said, and now she’d stopped laughing and sounded hurt.
“Hey, Archer, happy New Year,” Eloise said, and her words also sounded slightly slurred.
It was New Year’s Eve. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Hi, happy New Year. Winnie sounds like she’s had a lot to drink, and I want to make sure that she has a ride home?” I rubbed the back of my neck.
“Well, there’s a few guys from the team here that would love to give her a ride home. She’s a real hit with these guys,” Eloise said over hysterical laughter.
I was not laughing.
“Tell him to stop worrying. I’m walking home,” Winnie called out in the background.
“A beautiful woman shouldn’t be walking home alone. I’ll give you a ride.” I heard a voice that sounded a lot like Wizz, a professional hockey player for the Lions, the team my cousin Clark played for.
“Tell her to stay put. I’m coming to pick her up,” I snipped before ending the call and slipping on my shoes and coat.
I wasn’t going to let her walk home, nor was I going to let some dude who was used to women falling at his feet give her a ride home when she was intoxicated.
It was the right thing to do.
I drove the short distance to my cousin’s house and jogged inside.
“Look who decided to show up,” Bridger said, a goofy smile on his face as he took a pull from his beer bottle.
“Winnie shouldn’t be walking home by herself,” I grumped.
“I don’t think anyone was going to let that happen. She has plenty of offers for rides home.”
I looked over to see several hockey players standing around Winnie as she told them all an animated story. I then watched as Winnie, Wren, Henley, Emilia, and Eloise lifted shot glasses off the bar and chanted something about boozy book clubs and tipped their heads back.
“I wasn’t going to let some drunk asshole take advantage of her. She’s my goddamn nanny. I’m not allowing that on my watch.”
“‘Drunk asshole’? Brenner is like a family member to me, and those hockey players are tight with Clark. No one was going to take advantage of her, Archie. Why not just admit why you’re here?” he said with a smirk.
“I just told you why I’m here.” My gaze locked with Winnie’s across the room, and she smiled.
“Archie! You came,” she shouted across the room.
“That’s what she said,” Rafe said as he walked over, and we all laughed.
Winnie came running toward me, lost her footing, and nearly fell before I caught her and pulled her against me.
“Are you all right?” I asked as she tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled up at me.
