Page 55 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

Hux’s ears perk up, his head tilting as if it will help him hear better. I consider tossing the rag at him, but I still need it to help me stay centered.

“I know, I know. I have, so I know all about the drugstore and how Mr. Hovland has townies ganging up on her, and that she’s studying every spare second she can, and because of that she and Mell aren’t quite having the hot-girl summer they wanted.”

“Then you know all there is to know.”

“But then Mom mentioned you took her to the Fourth of July picnic?”

Shit. Fuck… Thanks, Shelly. Really appreciate you selling me down the river like that…

“I did.”

There, nice and simple answer. It’s not like it’s a secret. Whole town saw us there. Thankfully, no one saw us on the boat.

“You skipped Hayes Games? To take Brenna to the picnic?”

I swallow hard. To be fair to Brandt, I’d be confused if I were him too. That said, there is a perfectly logical explanation. Once I think it up.

“She needed a break from studying, and this was how I accomplished it. I told you I was going to look out for her, and that’s what I’m doing.”

See, perfectly logical.

“But what about her date?”

I freeze, arm outstretched mid-wipe. A date? Brenna mentioned a date? Oh hell.

My heart starts to race, trying to think. She mentioned a date, but not that said date was with me. Brandt doesn’t know that part. He just thinks I took her to the picnic. As a friend.

So who does he think she went out with?

We never talked about not telling Brandt about our deal. Then again, I would have thought that went unsaid. Unless she thought that I would have cleared the idea with him. Or that it was partially his idea. Which might explain why she thought they were pity dates.

Panic swells in my chest, poking at the bead of guilt that’s been festering. None of this was my intention. All I wanted was to make her feel special. And then I took it too far.

“Brandt,” I say, still trying to figure out how to approach this.

“I know, I know, you’re not her babysitter. And I know she’s twenty-six and her going to dinner with some guy is a good thing. I’ll stop. Plus, you gotta open in ten. Just make sure he’s not some jackass, will ya? I’ll let you go. Call me this weekend, and we can brainstorm beer names.”

“Will do.”

He hangs up before I can say anymore, and my whole body relaxes. Muscles I didn’t even know I had tensed give way, and my reaction must be as visible as it feels. Both my brothers raise an eyebrow, a move that almost seems synchronized. It’s an unsaid question, waiting on an answer I don’t have.

I just lied to my best friend.

No, not lied. Skirted the truth. Not that there’s much difference. Both make me a jackass.

“You had sex on that boat,” Gus says, breaking the silence.

“Ew,” Hux mutters.

“We did not have sex,” I snap.

That is not a lie either. It was not sex. I did not get lucky, so to speak. We fooled around. I got her off. Twice. But we did not have sex.

“Then why’d you get all squirmy when he asked you how Brenna is?” Gus follows up.

Because I tongue fucked her into oblivion and then held her while she fell asleep…

My heart aches, realizing I liked that last part more than the first. I’m in too deep.