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Was he going to make her stand out here all day in the cold? Finally he released a disgruntled sigh and retraced his steps, following her into the gallery’s back room.
“Thank you for the permit.” It came out badly, as though her gratitude wasn’t sincere or she didn’t appreciate the effort he’d made to get the permit. “It was very nice of you to do that.”
“You’re welcome.”
That’s it? No explanation as towhyhe’d done it?
Champagne and beer don’t mix, Jocelyn Renee. But you won’t ever forget it again, will you? Her father’s overbearing voice rang in her head.
No, she wouldn’t forget. But in that moment she felt as though she owed Tobias a warning about her father. Over the past couple of years, Daddy had gotten in more than his fair share of snide comments about the son of their former maid, making it clear he wanted no one in his family associating with Tobias. Even though Daddy hadn’t yet set down the law with Garret—as he was wont to do with her—she knew he didn’t approve of the friendship between Garret and Tobias. It was only a matter of time before her father started vocalizing his displeasure and pressuring Garret to cease all contact with Tobias. And her father would not be subtle or fair. He wouldn’t hesitate to use her to control Garret.
Regardless of her feelings about the man, Tobias deserved to know what her father would try to do.
Tobias shifted his too-big feet. She needed to say something, tell him that Garret was stronger, that he was a good friend, a good man. That Daddy would never control Garret the way he did her. But the words wouldn’t come. Truth was Garret and her father were very close. They had been for years, even longer than she and Garret had dated.
Looking extremely put out by her continued silence, Tobias sighed. “Was that all you wanted?”
“No.” She cleared her throat and lifted her chin, determined to make peace if it killed her. “I wanted to know why you did it.”
His shoulders lifted and lowered in a tense shrug. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself, princess. I was at the courthouse and saw your name on a pending file. It was no big deal.”
Oh, how she despised that nickname. Her father had called her that, too. A pretty princess in a tower who should be seen and not heard. “I don’t get it.”
“What is there to get?” he asked impatiently.
She made herself meet his unusual eyes. “I don’t getwhy.You don’t like me. Don’t pretend you do because we both know better. Why would you go out of your way to get this for me? Seems to me you’d like to see me fail.”
Indecently thick lashes lowered over his gaze. “That’s not true. But you need the permit to open, and I thought I’d save Garret the hassle of having to get it for you.”
So he didn’t approve of her gallery, either? “I would’ve handled the permit myself. I’ve managed to get all the others. I admit this one has been a problem but—I appreciate the help. I asked Garret to see if he could hurry the process but he’s been so busy he hasn’t had the chance. I was going to remind him again when things settled down.”
“You would’ve run out of time waiting for that to happen. Your father’s got Garret’s nose to the grindstone.”
She knew well what that felt like. She’d been raised beneath her father’s overwhelming aggression and constant disapproval. Never measuring up. Never doing enough or else doing itwrong.Right now he blamed her for Garret not proposing yet, but what woman wanted to nag a man into marrying her?
“I’d better go.”
Tobias looked bored by the stilted conversation. And there he went, tugging on his hair again like a big old dog scratching at his ear. But she had to do something. She couldn’t imagine spending her married life to Garret, having his best friend glare at her all the time. The tension between them had to end. “Tobias—”
“Toby.”
“You look more like a Tobias.” Why had she said that? She swallowed audibly. “Anyway, please wait. I owe you another apology.”
“For what?”
It wasn’t easy to bring up a subject that happened so long ago. “I’m sorry I didn’t speak up. Years ago. That day at the house. Those girls were awful.”
“You mean your friends?”
She faltered again. “They weren’t my friends. Not really. Not at all, if you want the truth.” He didn’t look surprised by the confession. “I should’ve said something to them when they began saying those things. It probably embarrassed you—”
“It was a long time ago.” A ruddy hue crawled up his neck to his cheeks.
She stared, dumbstruck. Was that it? She’d felt badly about it, but he’d acted like a jerk and—He wasembarrassed?Nervous around her because that happened years ago? Was that why he kept fidgeting? And the way he barked at her and glared and acted so brooding when the three of them were together? Was that him trying to cope with the rudeness of a teenage girl who’d become his best friend’s date?
How could she not have realized?“I should’ve said something. I didn’t speak up and that was…unkind. And then my father didn’t pay you after all the hard work—I wish you had kept the check I sent you.”
“It wasn’t your bill to pay. I didn’t want your money.”
