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“Okay,” Colleen answered as she spotted Brian at the far end of the pool. And no surprise, he had his phone stuck to his ear. What could be so important he had to be on the phone every second?
“Let’s have lunch tomorrow,” Caitlin said.
“Sure. I’ll call you,” Colleen said over her shoulder as she walked to Brian with purpose. Weaving in and out of a few clusters of people, accepting condolences, she finally reached him. “What’s up?”
Brian put his phone in his jacket. “It’s almost seven o’clock.”
“So?”
“I have a business dinner tonight with Sheridan Morgan at La Mer, remember?”
This was an important day for her, and she could’ve used his support, but the last thing she wanted to do was have an argument in front of her entire family. She did what she’d been doing too often to avoid a confrontation with him. She took a calming breath and tried to shove her emotions down. “I thought you canceled it.”
“I can’t cancel it,” he said, his voice rising in annoyance. “Sheridan is an important donor to the museum. You’re welcome to join us. Maybe it would be good to get away from—”
“My family?”
“Come on.” He gestured to the clusters of relatives on the patio. “It’s not as if you enjoy all this loudIrishmusic and rowdiness.”
“This is my family, Brian,” she said, making an effort to keep her voice down. So much for trying to avoid a confrontation. “If you want me, then my family is part of the package.”
“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said with just enough sincerity, but not enough to conceal his impatience.
“Besides, the last time we had dinner with her, Sheridan hardly said a word to me.”
Brian brushed her hair over her shoulder. “It’s just business.”
Colleen turned away from him, wrapping her arms around her waist. He was lying. She’d suspected for a while that Brian’s interest in Sheridan went beyond business. Colleen had hoped it would pass. Obviously, it hadn’t. So now what? Continue on as they’d been with bickering and making up, or what? The question dangled out in front of her like a heavy weight. Sooner or later, she would have to resolve this merry-go-round they were on, but not tonight. Tonight was about her family.
“I’m not in the mood for an argument,” he said in a huff.
“And I’m not in the mood to leave my father’s funeral reception to sit there while Sheridan flirts with you. Why do you let her do that?”
“Are you jealous?” His self-assured smile made it clear that it would please him very much if she was jealous.
That word made her wince because she hated herself for feeling threatened by another woman. “It’s disrespectful to me, but you encourage it.”
“I saw you dancing with Finn. Are you trying to make me jealous?”
“That’s ridiculous.” Colleen stepped away and walked toward the pool. It was a warm evening with only a hint of a breeze. The lights on the walls of the pool illuminated the slightest movement of the water. She hated the fact that she was, in fact, jealous of another woman. A wealthy woman, to be exact. Colleen had that insight during the eulogy that Brian would never fit in with her family. He didn’t have to. Growing up wealthy gave you options—and Brian had plenty of options. Without a lot of money, a girl from a large family had to make the best of every situation. But not someone like Brian.
Colleen kept her attention focused on the water. She could almost hear her father’s voice telling her she was worth more than all the gold in the world. She wiped away her tears. Brian came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She flinched.
“Colleen?” Brian ran his hands up her arms. “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?Colleen turned around to face him. She wanted to burst out laughing, but his wide eyes meant he was serious. He had no idea how clueless he was. “We buried my father today,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady and not lose self-control.
“Relax. Take a deep breath.” He reached out to touch her.
Colleen pushed his hand away. “Don’t tell me to relax. This was a hard day for me and my family. I don’t feel like going out to dinner and I’m angry that you’re too selfish to understand that. I need your support right now.”
“I am supporting you,” he said, not even trying to conceal his annoyance. “I came to the funeral and I’m here at your parents’ house. An evening out will be good for you.”
Colleen glared at him. “Go without me.”
His eyes briefly flickered. Was that excitement? He wanted to leave.
“Are you sure?”
