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Her half-brother laughed sarcastically. “You do not have to tell me that.” Judging by the tone of his voice, he spoke from experience. “In this case though, you’re wrong, Callie.”
Neither said anything for a few minutes, which was fine with her. She didn’t want to talk about Dylan. Instead, they took turns throwing the ball for Lucky, who repeatedly bolted after it, usually making the catch before it hit the ground. Callie had started to think he’d let the subject go, but then he looked at her.
“Dylan can be a cutthroat bastard in the boardroom, but he’s not the type to screw with someone’s emotions. He’s a good guy, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my half-brother.”
She remained silent. What was she supposed to say? You don’t know him as well as you think you do. That would just make things uncomfortable between them, and she didn’t want that. She liked Jake. He seemed to be a nice guy, someone she could become friends with.
“Did you know he was once engaged?” Jake asked. It seemed he was unable to let the topic of Dylan go this morning.
The news stunned her. “No, he never told me that.” Then again, she had never asked about his previous relationships, and he hadn’t asked her.
Jake pulled out another blade of grass. “He doesn’t talk about it.”
“What happened?” It wasn’t any of her business. Still, she couldn’t help but ask anyway.
“Francesca turned out not to be who Dylan thought she was. Let’s just say things didn’t end well between them.”
Why was he telling her this? She doubted Dylan would appreciate it if he knew.
“He hasn’t had a serious relationship since then. Not until you.”
If you only knew the truth Jake, Callie thought bitterly. “There was nothing serious about our relationship, Jake. We only went out a few times. It was no big deal. Really.”
Jake scratched Lucky, who had collapsed on the grass between them panting hard, and shook his head. “I don’t buy it. He respects my...I mean, our father too much to just fool around with you.”
Callie shrugged, but didn’t comment. What was she supposed to say? Dylan was trying to protect Warren by faking interest in me? She didn’t want Jake or anyone else to know how naive she’d been. She should have known from the beginning that something other than a true interest in her drove Dylan’s actions, but Callie had been too wrapped up in her feelings to stop and consider things from the analytical side.
Not that she would’ve ever guessed the truth.
As if knowing he wasn’t going to convince her otherwise, Jake got to his feet when she remained silent. “Why don’t we head back for breakfast?” Holding out his hand to help her up, he continued, “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry and want some coffee.”
“Coffee sounds like a great idea.” Callie accepted his hand and come to her feet. Thanks to their conversation about Dylan, her appetite was shot, but she was always up for a good cup of coffee. Especially if it meant Jake would finally end this talk about her and Dylan’s relationship.
***
Dylan rubbed the back of his neck. The clock on his desk read ten, which meant he’d spent the last four hours hunched over his computer working. He was in the middle of acquiring another hotel chain, one that operated primarily along the East Coast. Acquisitions always meant additional hours. This time, it wasn’t business alone that kept him working eighteen-plus-hour days.
Working kept his mind busy, kept it focused on something other than Callie. Every time he thought about her, he pictured her that night in her kitchen. She’d been so devastated. Powering off the computer, he decided it was time to call it a day before the outline of his chair was permanently etched in his ass and the pounding in his head got any worse. Thanks to a combination of long hours, stress, and little sleep, he’d had a headache all week. Not quite a migraine, but damn close.
The cell phone in his pocket rang just as he closed his office door behind him. Jake’s number was on the screen.
Jake didn’t bother with a hello when Dylan answered. “Just got to your place. Where are you? Tell me you’re not still at the office.”
Great, he was getting a lecture from his baby brother. “Just leaving, and you could’ve called first.”
“Tried. Your assistant said you were in a meeting.”
He’d been in and out of meetings most of the day. “Ever heard of something called a message? People leave them all the time.”
“Nope. Are you coming straight here?”
Like I have the energy or the desire to go anywhere else tonight. “That’s the plan. Why don’t you make yourself useful and order some pizza or something.” He’d eaten lunch hours ago and had not eaten since. A pizza loaded with everything and a beer sounded perfect to him.
The streets in the city were never empty, but at least tonight traffic wasn’t too heavy. It didn’t take him long to reach his penthouse. Dylan pulled his Aston Martin into his spot and noticed his brother’s Lamborghini parked a few spaces down. Pushing open the car door, he wondered what Jake wanted. While it wasn’t unusual for him to just show up and stay a night or two, he never called looking for him if he wasn’t home. He had a key to the place, so he could come and go as he pleased. Obviously, tonight’s visit was more than just a random event. Jake wanted or needed something. For the life of him, Dylan didn’t know what that could be. His younger half-brother wasn’t the type to ask for anything. He dealt with things himself. He always had, even as a kid.
The rich aroma of pizza greeted Dylan when he walked in.
“Sorry. Just couldn’t wait for you,” Jake said, nodding toward an open pizza box and bottle of Sam Adams.
