“My friend Jón owns an island in Ísafjarðardjúp Bay in the Westfjords. It used to be open to tours, but he’s made it into a private residence. He’s hardly ever there. It’s mostly farmland run by the caretaker. Cows. Goats. Horses too, if I remember correctly. It’d be the perfect location to celebrate the wrap-up of Dylan’s movie.”
“Icelandic horses?” Joanna’s face lit up. “I wonder if we could do trail rides.”
“I’m sure we can,” Clay said then nuzzled Lexi’s cheek. “You can set that up, right?”
Lexi laughed. “What would you do without me?”
Clay shuddered. “I don’t even want to imagine it. You’re stuck with me.”
She kissed him. “Happily.” She looked around. “Okay, so for planning purposes, we’re all in?”
One by one everyone except Bradford said they were. All eyes turned to him.
Connor said, “Bradford, you have to come. If you think the catfish are big here, you should see what you can catch out there.”
Dylan cleared his throat. “You’ve probably been on a hundred sets, but it would mean a lot to me if you came out to see me in action. I’ve been doing all my own stunts and half the time I can’t believe I haven’t killed myself doing them, but it’s so cool to see the difference between what I actually do and how it appears in the movie.”
Bradford groaned. Why did Dylan need to be so damned likable? “I have obligations—”
“We all do,” Connor said, “but you can’t not come, Bradford. Any day now Angelina is going to start popping out babies and we won’t be able to get together like this.”
“Really?” Angelina asked with amusement. “Just popping them out?”
Connor shrugged. “You know what I mean. Travel is easier before children.”
“What is Whitney?”
Connor blushed at Angelina’s mention of her son. “I don’t think of him like a kid? You know he’s always welcome.”
Angelina’s eyebrow arched then she laughed. “I love giving you shit. Whitney has soccer camp anyway. Given the choice between hanging out with old people or working on his kicks, you know what he’d pick.”
Joanna peered around Dylan. “Come on, Bradford. We can try Brennivín. I hear it tastes like vodka.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And you can show off your equestrian skills.”
“Do you know how to ride?” Connor asked.
Did riding with the Kazakh nomads in the Altai Mountains in Mongolia count? There, horses were essential for survival in a way of life that was quickly becoming a thing of the past. A few years back he’d spent a month herding yaks, goats, and sheep after word had gotten out that the government was trying to eliminate their migration route. A private company was interested in buying the land the nomads used to graze their herds and were using violent poachers to intimidate them. Bradford corrected the situation. So, yeah, I can ride. “Enough to stay on a horse.”
“I knew it,” Joanna said. “I’ve never been to Iceland so all of this sounds amazing. Bradford, you have to come.”
Clay jumped in. “That’s settled then. Lexi, plan for nine of us. Fishing. Riding. Thermal baths. I love Iceland.”
“Eight,” Bradford said in a tone that discouraged debate.
No one said anything for a moment, then Clay said, “Eight it is.”
“Seven,” Daphne said. “Really, I appreciate the offer, but travel brings out my anxiety.”
Dylan joked, “And that’s why this group is good for me—you all trim my ego right down. We don’t have to make our time together about me. The lake house idea also sounded cool.”
“No,” Clay said while looking Bradford right in the eye. “We all know how seriously you take your new career. You found something you enjoy and you went for it. It’s sad how many people don’t have the balls to go after what they want.”
“Don’t go there,” Bradford said between clenched teeth.
“Boys,” Lexi said, “do I have to go get Sophie?”
Clay smiled and sat back. “No need. My point has been made.”
Joanna turned to Dylan. “What did I miss?”
“I have no idea.” Dylan raised both hands in confusion.
Bradford leaned forward. He’d sworn he wouldn’t allow himself to lose control, but his temper was flaring. His mood wasn’t helped by how comfortable Joanna was looking with Dylan. More of that in Iceland? No thanks. Since he couldn’t say that, Bradford said, “Clay, have you considered that my schedule might not be as open as yours?”
Without missing a beat, Clay asked, “Have you considered you might be a coward?”
Bradford pushed back his chair and stood.
Joanna rose to her feet. “Bradford.”
It was too late, Bradford had already turned and begun to walk away. He didn’t pause at the feel of her hand on his arm. “Go back to the table, Joanna.”
“Not without you. Clay was pushing your buttons. We all saw it. He owes you an apology.”
Bradford paused and looked down at the woman who had been trotting to keep up with him. “He owes me nothing; just like I owe him nothing. Don’t waste your time on a situation that really doesn’t matter. You have what you want—Dylan is all over you tonight. You might want to stay focused on closing that deal before you find your seat taken as well.”
“First, this does matter. You’re obviously upset.”
In a low tone, Bradford growled, “To be upset I’d have to give a shit about anyone here. I don’t.”
Joanna put her hands on her hips, a move that pushed her breasts higher than her bodice in a highly distracting way. He didn’t want to be turned on by her, but it seemed all she had to do was breathe next to him for his cock to take notice. “I don’t believe you.”
He glared at her. She had Dylan. Was she the kind of woman who needed every man around her to validate that she was beautiful?
She continued, “I know you care about Ian.”
He let out a slow breath, holding her gaze without speaking.
“And Connor. Even Dylan. I know you like them.”
He couldn’t hold back anymore. “What the fuck do you want from me, Joanna?”
Her expression softened. “I want you to admit you care and then I want to get you that apology.”
“Don’t get involved. Although I appreciate you coming to my defense, I can fight my own battles. Clay’s an idiot. I shouldn’t have let him get under my skin. That’s on me.”
Joanna’s hands dropped to her sides. “The funny thing is I think he really wants you to go.”
“I’m sure he does.”
“Connor and Dylan adore you. Angelina thinks you’re wonderful. She was saying how much it means to her that you still check in on Mrs. Tellier. They all want you there.”
Not happening.
“I do too.”
Her softly spoken declaration knocked the breath clear out of him. He scrambled to raise his defenses. It would be so easy, too easy to pull her close and kiss those sweet lips of hers. “You need to stay away from me, Joanna,” he said in a guttural tone.