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“She’s the one,” I said in a defeated tone. “Maybe she always has been. Dad also said that we’d know when the right one came along. He was right.”
“Taking your obsession with never missing her show into consideration, I’d say you’re probably correct,” Wyatt observed. “Luckily, if I have to have a sister-in-law, Vanna would be tolerable. I’ve always liked her. And Lord knows that Mom and Dad adored her.”
“Maybe if I was the man I used to be, I’d do everything I could to make her stay. I’d bust my ass to make her mine.”
“You’re still that sameman, Chase,” Wyatt said solemnly.
I held up a hand. “We’re not getting married, Wyatt. She’s looking for her own place, remember? Does that sound like a woman who wants to stay exactly where she is right now?”
He was silent for a moment before he shot me a deliberate glance. “Sounds like a woman who hasn’t been asked to stay. It’s not like you’re a guy who has nothing going for himself, Chase. You’re intelligent, one of the richest men in existence, and you’re a much slicker talker than I’ll ever be. You have a prettier face, too. If she isn’t already, make her fall in love with you.”
I grinned. My brother was far from unattractive. It wasn’t like women hadn’t vied for his attention since he’d gotten out of the military. He’d just chosen to ignore it most of the time. He probably did frighten some people away with his abrupt mannerisms and his dry sarcasm. If Wyatt liked someone, he was either quiet or cuttingly derisive with his humor. If not, he simply didn’t talk to them. His hair was darker than pitch, and he was built like a heavyweight prize fighter. I was a big guy, but Wyatt was enormous and all muscle. When a guy like that almost never cracked a smile, he could be pretty damn intimidating.
Thing was, those of us who knew him were very well aware of how much he loved and cared about his family and the people closest to him.
It was the ones who didn’t know him who found him a little bit scary.
“Vanna’s not impressed by my money, my pretty face, or my charm, unfortunately. She blows off my compliments like I throw them out to every female I know,” I shared.
“Then maybe you should make them a little more…personal,” Wyatt suggested. “Vanna’s no fool. She’s known you most of her life. You’re not exactly known for dating women with advanced intelligence.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked grudgingly.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying that most of your past love affairs haven’t been with investigative journalists. Granted, you’ve had some beautiful women on your arm—or should I say draped over your body—but I doubt you were attracted to their brains.”
“That was a long time ago,” I answered defensively. “And those relationships didn’t last very long.”
“Not exactly surprising,” Wyatt replied. “But has it ever occurred to you that Vanna might not feel like she can compete with the kind of women you may appear to like? Look, I know beautiful women are everywhere in our orbit. I’m not saying I haven’t very briefly dated a few of those women obsessed with haute couture, too. But, quite frankly, Vanna might feel like she’s not your type. She did get cheated on by an A-list movie star.”
“He was a prick and a complete idiot,” I said indignantly. “He hadher, Wyatt. And he threw Vanna away to sleep with another woman.”
I would have killed for a chance to be that asshole, to have Vanna committed to me and our relationship.
The bastard had no idea what he’d given up.
“Lucky for you that hewasa major dick. If he wasn’t, she probably wouldn’t be with you right now,” Wyatt commented. “And she definitely deserves better. I’m just saying that maybe you should let her know exactly how you feel.”
I swallowed hard before I said, “You realize I haven’t had a real date in years, and I think you know exactly why I haven’t.”
“I know,” Wyatt said agreeably.
“I’m definitely out of practice,” I told him.
Wyatt rolled his eyes. “What in the hell do you call what you’ve been doing with Vanna? It looks like dating without the sex part to me. You’ve taken her everywhere. You’ve wined her and dined her. Hell, you even took her to Big Bear. I’m almost jealous that I wasn’t invited. Haven’t been there myself for a long time.”
“There was no beer drinking or fishing,” I said with a snicker.
“Okay. Then never mind,” Wyatt said stoically. “Maybe I’m not jealous.”
I took a quick glance at my watch. “I better get going. Vanna’s making lasagna tonight.”
“Send me the leftovers,” Wyatt ordered impassively.
“Not happening,” I said adamantly. “If I have to be miserable,I’mgetting the leftover lasagna.”
Wyatt and I knew how to cook, but most of our cooking skills didn’t reach the world of Italian food.
While I could make a good burger on the grill and a fairly wide selection of French dishes, that was where my cooking talent stopped.
