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That would definitely scare her off.
Emergency bartending was back in play. He could take a shift. Someone always needed to take off this time of the year.
He was being a coward, but he wasn’t sure how to deal with this tight feeling in his chest. He definitely wasn’t sure he could handle sitting down at breakfast with them, feeling like the third wheel.
He put on his boots and coat and made sure he had his keys in hand when he slipped out of the room. The sun was coming up, and he glanced behind him.
Was he making a mistake? Should he go back in and hope this antsy feeling left when she woke up and they inevitably had some hot morning sex?
Damn, it was cold out here.
The snow came down in a light shower, dusting the world a lovely white. It would be a beautiful day at the festival.
He started for his SUV, and that was the moment when Hale came out wearing nothing but the slacks he’d had on the night before and his shoes. “What the hell are you doing?”
This was what he’d wanted to avoid. He needed some time to process. He needed to think and feel all his crappy feelings so he wouldn’t say bad shit. “I’m going back to the cabin. I got a text from Zane. He needs help opening.”
It was a lie but a necessary one.
“Trio doesn’t open for hours,” Hale pointed out. “Come back inside. You said you’d spend the day with her. I can’t. I’ve got to work on the bathroom today or I’m going to get behind on the project. I can’t let those dominoes start to fall or we won’t be ready to start Callie’s cabin on time. Also, I don’t want to be the one who tells that Taggart guy he can’t bring his family on vacation this spring. I think he could be cranky.”
Did Hale think he was the only one with responsibilities? “And I need to study. I’ve got a final coming up in accounting. So I’m going to be working all day. I think you should take the day off and show Elisa around. I’ll help you with the bathroom install tomorrow.”
Hale stared at him for a moment. “What the hell is going on?”
“Nothing. I told you I need to study and work.” He didn’t want to have a fight in the middle of the Movie Motel parking lot.
Hale’s arms came up around his chest, the big guy finally showing a sign that the temperature was getting to him. “You know the accounting stuff backward and forward, and that test isn’t for another two weeks. You’ve got plenty of time.”
He liked his accounting class way more than he’d expected he would. He was taking a tax course next semester just for fun, and wasn’t that sad. “I have to take this seriously, Hale. I graduate in another semester, and I have to be ready. I owe my brother.”
Hale’s jaw went tight. “You know you can pay him back in cash, right? Like you don’t have to sacrifice the rest of your life because Jake paid for the last year of your degree. Hell, he won’t even miss the money. I’m sure he would be open to a payment plan.”
Hale didn’t understand a damn thing. “I think I’ll handle my relationship with my brother. You can stay out of it. You have no idea what it’s like.”
Hale’s teeth were starting to chatter, but there was still no way to mistake the look of hurt on his face. “Yeah, I guess your family is your business.”
This was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid. “I’m only saying I have to think about it. I wasn’t trying to say anything else.”
“No, you were pointing out that I don’t understand what it means to have a family.” Hale got straight to the point. “And you’re right. I don’t have a brother who cares about me.”
He was taking this to the worst possible place. “Of course you do. You have me.”
“No, I’ve got a friend, and that’s what I am. We can call each other brothers all day but when it comes down to it, we’re not. We’re two guys who’ve enjoyed spending time together. We needed each other when we first started out, but no matter how much I want it to be different, your family—your real family—is always going to come first.” He backed up, his body physically shaking at this point. “I’ll spend time with her. I’ll make some excuse for why you’re gone.”
“You don’t need an excuse. I already gave it to you.” He wasn’t sure how to convince Hale he wasn’t leaving him behind when he graduated. He wasn’t sure Hale was the one being left behind at all.
“I thought you liked her.”
“I do. Maybe I can meet you for dinner.” By then he might have figured out how to handle the whole third-wheel thing. By then he might calm down and be ready to see what happened last night in a different light.
