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I haven’t mentioned Tucker to Jensen because I tell myself there’s nothing to tell my carpenter friend.
I am a fat liar.
I allowed myself to go on a non-date with Tucker, which, let’s face it was a date, but I wouldn’t accept a date with Jensen.
In truth, I don’t want to risk losing the friendship Jensen and I have. We’ve been able to return to banter and laughter after our serious talk. I also love my friend’s dad, Hank. And I enjoy making lamingtons for the older man. I fear if I tell Jensen about the guy who took me to meet his family after taking me on a hot air balloon—non-date—which turned into a sleepover with one too many sangrias and orgasms, then I will lose Jensen and Hank. I am not ready for that.
A shiver runs through my body, reminding me January the twenty-sixth in wine country is no match for a blazing hot summer’s day in Australia. The crisp air demands I start toweling my body dry before going inside to change.
“Hi Aussie, do you need a hand?”
I am shaking out my folded towel. “Hi, Peterson.Nah,I’m good, but thanks for asking. You’re early, too. Where’s Hank?” I finish up patting my body dry, wrapping my Aussie flag towel across my shoulders like a cape to stave off the cool air.
“Dad will be coming along in half an hour. I thought you might need some extra helping hands, but you look like you’ve got that covered.”
“I’m glad you’re all here early. We seem to have overlooked the time spent in the pool.”
“I’m happy I came early,” Jensen teases, waggling his eyebrows.
I roll my eyes and playfully slap his arm.
He tosses me a Colgate smile.
The guy is a knock-out, yet I still feel nothing other than the friend zone toward him, but I feel something close to everything for Tucker.
All the time that Jensen has visited or come over to do some work since we had our talk, we’ve been on an even keel, back to normal, joking about and laughing. It’s an easy friendship.
“You know Shamus and the MacDougall clan well?” I whisper because things just got interesting with Shamus and Gwen.
“Dad and I have done work for them in the past, but we don’t hang out or anything.” He one-shoulder shrugs. “I see them around the local bar sometimes. I knew Paisley from high school,” he murmurs back, getting distracted by Gwen and Shamus.
We stand shoulder to shoulder, watching two MacDougall brothers arching eyebrows at Shamus in surprise while Paisley is practically vibrating with glee. I know her well enough now that she’s a hairsbreadth away from clapping her hands like a seal over her brother-in-law’s response to Gwen because none of us imagined seeing him go all caveman over my best friend in a bikini.
Shamus catches my eye, coming back out of my house. He grunts something inaudible under his breath before heading back to Angus, who is beaming a knowing shit-eating grin at his brother.
Shamus attempts to tug the giant bouquet of sunflowers wrapped in clear cellophane and a wide, yellow ribbon sashed around the long thick stems out of Angus’s hands, but of course, his older brother isn’t going to make it easy.
“Brother, you wanta explain what that was all about with the gorgeous Gwendo—?”
“No! And let go of the flowers. It’s not yer gift to give Ophelia.” Shamus is wrestling it back and forth between the two of them.
For me?Oh, my. They are my favorite. My heart squeezes because I am assuming Tucker is behind the gift.
“So, let me understand, is it Shamus and you or Shamus and Gwendoline?” Jensen rubs his square jaw like he’s trying to work out a puzzle, distracting me from watching the hilarious antics of the brothers.
“Sorry?” Now I am puzzled at his comment regarding Shamus and me.
“The impressive display of affection in the shape of an impressive bouquet of sunflowers, which is practically shouting ‘you are mine’ and Angus isn’t making it easy for Shamus to be the one to hand them over to you.” His eyes do not quite meet mine. There’s no humor but hurt revealing itself.
“Oh, um…” I look away. Now is not the time to have this talk. “The sunflowers I haven’t yet been given, but I would think it looks like Shamus and Gwendoline.” What a terrible answer.
“Nice dance around the question, Aussie.” Jensen knocks his shoulder against mine gently.
“I tried my best.” Humor is always a good defense.
“Let me word it this way: I am your friend, and you were honest with me from the start about not dating men, but if anything has changed, I hope we can talk about it?”He’s right.
“Gwenny’s a stunning sheila with a hot bod in a bikini.” Angus’s raised voice captures our attention as he continues to hold on tight, amusing himself to no end, baiting his brother.
