“You did the best you could manage.”

“Gee. Thanks.”

Ronnie put her arm around Sissy’s shoulder and pulled her friend in close. “What’s this I hear about you and Mitch out in the garden?”

Sissy rubbed her forehead. “You’re telling me my own mother is spreading rumors about me?”

“No. I heard it from Mitch. He said y’all got busted by her.”

Sissy gave up. That idiot. “Nothing happened.”

“Because y’all got busted. He thinks you’re in love with him. Want his babies…and life insurance.”

“It’s like he wants me to slap him around.”

The friends were silent for a moment and then said together, “Although he might.”

Sissy grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray, and that’s when she saw him staring at her. He was really cute, although a little short for her. Asian, dapper as hell…and really cute. Had she mentioned that already?

“I know you two,” he said. She could tell English wasn’t his first language, but his accent was flawless, and she detected a bit of British there. He snapped his fingers. “You took my Lotus!”

Sissy choked on her champagne, and Ronnie started looking for the exits or law enforcement with arrest warrants.

Lord, what is the statute of limitations again?

Giving her a teasing smile, he said, “Some would say you won it fair and square, but I still doubt it.”

Realizing she wasn’t being accused of thievery—that was a load off—she took a closer look at the man in front of her. He was Asian wild dog and really cute. Wait. She’d already thought that. “Now I remember. In the Philippines. Right?”

“Right. Did you enjoy my car?”

“Oh…sure.” Until they’d sold it. That little baby financed their next six months in Asia.

“I’m Kenshin Inu, in case you don’t remember.”

“Sissy Mae Smith. Ronnie Lee Reed.”

“You’re related to Smitty, yes?”

“Yep.”

“Interesting. You know I’m working with him and Mace to start a Japanese division of their business.”

“You are?” Bobby Ray hadn’t told her, probably because he knew she’d beg him to let her go to Japan for the initial setup.

They were so discussing this when he got back from his honeymoon. The thought of getting back on the road again made her almost giddy. It wasn’t like before. She didn’t need to escape for years, only to be forced back for holidays and guilt visits to Tennessee. Now living in the city she adored and as Alpha Female of the New York Smiths she had a reason to come back, but she’d always need to travel and Bobby Ray had to know that. Besides, Ronnie Lee could handle the She-wolves when Sissy wasn’t there.

Already her mind was turning with the possibilities of this.

“I see the bride signaling for me. If you ladies will excuse me.” He smiled and walked off.

“You gonnawait until after the honeymoon or before to torture Bobby Ray about this?”

“After, of course! But Mace will hear from me on Monday.”

Ronnie laughed, shook her head. Sissy didn’t know what she’d do without her regular traveling partner. Together, she and Ronnie had done some major damage around the world and weren’t allowed in quite a few countries because of it.

Wait, is Tokyo still on the list?

But Ronnie was with Brendon Shaw now and madly in love. Although she loved to travel, she didn’t have the same drive that Sissy did to keep it up.

“Oh.” Ronnie motioned over a pretty, slim woman in a sexy as hell dress. “I don’t think you guys have met yet. Gwen O’Neill, this is Sissy Mae Smith. Sissy, this is Mitch’s baby sister, Gwen.”

Lord in heaven! This was Mitch’s baby sister? His “innocent” baby sister? His “sweet, adorable” baby sister? Maybe it was Sissy’s imagination, but the woman was too hot in her sleeveless black dress with the low-cut front and even lower-cut back, five-inch heels, and a short mass of black, curly hair that teasingly swept across bright gold, almond-shaped eyes to be anyone’s innocent anything.

According to Mitch, she was only half lion. Her father was a South China tiger, which made her one of the rare Tigons. And she’d picked up the best of both her parents. Beautiful, classy, and—

“I’d give my left tit to get laid sometime this weekend, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

Now it was Ronnie’s turn to choke up the champagne she’d only just sipped, and Sissy stared at Mitch’s “innocent” baby sister, fascinated.

“I thought I’d find somebody here, but”—hands on hips, she looked around—“nothing is real promising.” The voice was low, husky. Over the phone, she could easily be mistaken for a man.

“Ya know,” she went on, “Mitch talks about you all the time.” She eyed Sissy before turning back to scan the crowd. “And I’m always like, ‘Dude, if you like her so much, fuckin’ marry her.’ And he’s all like, ‘Shut up.’”

Sissy didn’t dare look at Ronnie. Nope. If she looked at her, forget it.

“This is a nice wedding, though, huh? Although we weren’t invited. But Ma made up her mind. She was coming, and I figured I better go to keep her out of trouble, ya know? A couple of margaritas in my mom, and all hell breaks loose. But Brendon got us in with no problem, and everybody has been pretty friendly. Except that bitch.” She snorted and glared across the bar to Brendon Shaw’s twin sister. “Marissa ‘I’m God’s gift to the universe’ Shaw. She’s this close”—Gwen held up her thumb and forefinger a small bit apart—“to getting acid tossed in her face. I don’t think she realizes no one talks shit about my brother. I don’t give a fuck who you are. Or in her case, who you think you are.”