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“God, I love this town,” Dan said. “Ryder told me that Birdie knows about her medical bills being paid, Sawyer.”
“Yeah. She found out at the game.”
“When you jumped the fence and dropped down before her, do you mean? Or before?” Brody asked.
“Before.” There was no point in denying it. He had done those things.
“That explains why she was dancing with Betsy, S.J., and Nina half naked then,” Dan added. “I’ve never seen her let her hair down like that. Glad we could help her.”
“It’s not right,” Sawyer said slowly. “She doesn’t do shit like that.”
“Why does Birdie having fun piss you off?” Brody asked. “You keep saying there’s nothing between you, so what’s the problem?”
“No problem.” But there was. A huge fucking problem, and he didn’t know what to do about it.
“She’s always been the good girl. It won’t hurt her to break out, but maybe not with those girls,” Dan added.
His fingers clenched on the steering wheel at the thought of Birdie being led astray by Sydney Jane, Betsy, and Nina.
“If you like her you should go for it,” Brody said.
“What? You’re not serious?” Sawyer snorted. “You couldn’t get two more different people. We’d never suit, even if I wanted to date again, which I don’t and never will.”
“Don’t be a dickhead,” Dan said. “Just because one woman hurt you doesn’t mean another will do the same. Besides, Birdie is not like that.”
“There is nothing between Birdie McAllister and me.”And if I keep saying it long enough, maybe it will be true.
“Jolena really did a number on you,” Brody said. “You never told us the details. Maybe you should if her actions are going to rule your life.”
He felt the dull flush of heat in his face. “Shut up.”
“The big bad Duke. Strongest of us all, damaged beyond repair by a woman.” Dan tsked. “You’re doing what you always tell us not to.”
He didn’t speak.
“You’re letting someone else dictate your life, Sawyer.”
He was, and he knew it, but the memory of LA and what Jolena had done was still raw, and maybe he was a coward because he didn’t want that pain again.
“Do you remember what Mom said that Dad told her when they first met?” Brody said.
He wanted to tell them to shut up, but Sawyer stayed silent. Reacting would get him nowhere.
“Don’t make the same mistake a second time?” Dan said.
“Not that one. The Elbert Hubbard one.”
“Ah, right, that one.”The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
Dan’s words echoed inside his head with the uncomfortable truth of what he was doing.
“Is there a point to all this?” Sawyer snarled when he could no longer stay silent. He pulled in to a park in front of the Circle Left. At least he could get out now if they didn’t shut up.
“The point is, you need to get your head out of your ass and stop letting that bitch Jolena run your life,” Dan said.
Was he?
“Dad loved this place,” Brody said, eyeing the large three-story pastel pink building before them. The trim was white, and when they were kids, they’d thought it looked like a gingerbread house. Especially at Christmas when it had fairy lights strung around the eaves.
