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Frank’s eyebrows hit his scalp. “Milo’s here? At the ranch?”
“Milo, Caden, and Troy.” I’m pleased with this shift in subject, not to mention my memory with names.
“Troy? Oh man.” Frank scrapes a hand down his face.
My stomach sinks. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m guessing my brother never told you about Clementine.”
Goosebumps erupt down my arms. Almost like they know something’s coming. “What about her?”
“Clementine Kaiser.” Frank shakes his head. “Spencer’s college girlfriend.”
I open my mouth to sayOh, but the word dies at the back of my throat. How could I have been so stupid? Spencer’s in his mid-twenties. He’s smart and kind and adorable.Of coursehe’s had a girlfriend. Probably more than one. Just because he was single when he moved back to Apple Valley doesn’t mean he’s never had a love life. I just never stopped to consider this before.
And I don’t want to think about it now.
“Clem seemed all right at first,” Frank says. “And she was gorgeous. That’s for sure. But she also liked to pick fights. No matter how hard Spence tried, Clem found something to get mad about. If he was two minutes late, she’d get mad. Two minutes early, madder. If he forgot the anniversary of the first time they ate donuts together… mad.”
“Hm.” I bite my lip. “That explains a lot about Spencer.”
“Clem broke up with him more often than people split KitKat bars.” He scoffs. “But once she remembered how great my brother is, she always came crawling back.”
Whoa. Frank’s calling Spencergreat? This is a side of him I’m not used to seeing.
“That is until the time Troy jumped in and asked Clem out,” Frank continues. “He never bothered to see if Spence was cool with it. The guy totally smashed the bro-code, then acted like it was okay since—technically—Clem and Spencer weren’t together at the time. And good old Spencer let him get away with it. Saved by a technicality. Letter of the law. Whatever. Troy’s nothing but a vulture. I’d call him worse, but there are kids around.”
I swallow hard. I hate imagining Spencer being hurt by a friend. I hate imagining him in love with another woman even more. Still, I nod, encouraging Frank to keep talking. I want to hear as much as he’s willing to share.
“Clem and Troy lasted about a week,” he says. “By then, Spence had already shifted into practical mode, listing all the reasons he and Clem weren’t right for each other in the first place. Why they should have stayed broken up a long time ago.” Frank frowns. “My brother never bagged on her. Not once. To anyone. He just said he wasn’t the guy for her. But Troy? He had the nerve to claim he and Spence werebothvictims of Clem. Spence sucked it up to keep the peace.” Frank smirks. “I get it. Those four guys had been roommates for years. They were a group. Too much to lose. And my brother’s loyal to a fault.”
The whole time Frank is talking—the most I’ve ever heard him say—I feel like all the air’s being pumped from my body. Like a thief syphoning gasoline. And then, when my lungs are empty, my stomach flips over. I feel seasick.
Picturing Spencer devastated claws at my heart.
“The worst part of it is,” Frank continues, “Spencer hasn’t let himself really care about another woman since. I think it’s his way of avoiding another betrayal.”
I cross my arms around the middle of me, trying to steady the queasiness. “What about Lucy?” I ask.
“Are you kidding?” Frank guffaws. “Thesafestthing Spence ever did was go after Lucy. He knew she wasn’t his type. And he wasn’t hers. Going after women he has no shot with—and doesn’t really want—has been his safety net ever since Clem. That way he’ll never get hurt again, right?” He shakes his head. “So stupid.”
I shift my jaw. “And you never miss an opportunity to make him feel that way.”
“I makeSpencefeel stupid?” Frank’s face sags along with his shoulders. “Nah. He’s the college man. The one with the master’s degree. Being smart is my brother’s thing. He’s the big shot of our family.”
I tilt my head and consider what Frank’s admitting. It never occurred to me he might be insecure, but I’m learning a lot tonight. Clive got two words at a time from Frank. I’m getting a whole news article.
“Anyway, Spence knows I don’t mean it,” Frank continues. “I give him a hard time and all, but that’s just me trying to get a reaction out of him. I want the guy to snap out of it and live a little. But yeah. Maybe sometimes I do push him too far.”
I can’t help it. My gaze darts to the Mustang then back to Frank. I’m praying the glance was too quick for him to notice, but Frank moves closer to me. He’s squinting now, examining my face, looking for clues.
“Oh, man,” he says. “Youknow,don’t you?”
I widen my eyes. “I know what?”
“I knowyou know,” he says. “And youknowI know you know.”
My arms fall to my sides. “I don’t knowwhatyou think I know you know. But I’m not saying I know you know I know anything.”
