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Candace’s voice snaps me out of my nostalgic thoughts and reminds me that we’re standing in the middle of Jasper’s shop. “I’ll need a proper invoice that I can give my accountant for tax purposes. Can you get an itemized receipt printed for me?”
We only came here so Candace can pick up her car after having the brake pads changed out. I wasn’t expecting to run into my ex-wife, otherwise, I would have better prepared myself. I would have put the familiar walls back up in advance. So Alana wouldn’t be able to squeeze her way inside my chest.
“Uh, yeah. I can get one written up for you,” Jasper utters begrudgingly.
When my little brother heads to his back office, I follow him, needing a change of scenery.
“So, are you taking Candace to the wedding with you?” he asks once we’re alone.
I struggle against a yawn and fight not to roll my eyes. I know my brothers have all been wondering about my wedding date situation.
“No.”
He frowns. “Seriously? You’renottaking her to the wedding?”
“Seriously,” I deadpan.
“I’ve been seeing you around town on and off with this woman for a year now. But you’ve never brought her to a family dinner. I’ve never seen you kiss her, or put an arm around her. You don’t even talk about her. Yet, she’s always friendly and looks as happy as a clam when the two of you are together.” Jasper narrows his gaze at me. “What the hell is going on between the two of you?”
I grunt, my fingers going tighter around my paper coffee cup. “Candace is none of your business.”
I sound like an ass, I know. But even if I wanted to spill all the complicated details, my lips are sealed. Legally. I can’t fill in Jasper—or any of my busybody brothers—on what’s going on with Candace and me.
Jasper shakes his head. He drops into the ratty roller chair in front of his computer, stabbing at the keyboard to quickly type up Candace’s invoice. I’m sure her special requests only annoy him. She’s higher maintenance than he’s used to, that’s for sure.
Arms crossed, I pace around his office, passively looking out the dingy window to where Candace is now making small talk with Simon and a few of Jasper’s customers. She’s so friendly. A real ‘people person’.
I tip my coffee cup back, draining it, and Jasper makes an aggravated noise. I have a feeling he’s close to giving up. “Whatever. All I know is that you don’t look at Candace the way you look at Alana. You’ve never looked at anyone else the way you look at Alana. The way youstilllook at Alana.”
I tense up, afraid of losing my temper. “Can you hurry up and get me Candace’s bill already?”
I toss my empty coffee cup into the trash can. I’m instantly glancing around for a coffee pot. I don’t find one.
“We’re out of coffee,” my brother says with a knowing smirk.
I grumble under my breath and scrub my tired eyes. “No coffee? What kind of animal lives like this?!” I yawn again.
Christ—I slept like shit last night. Then again, that’s nothing new.
“Come on, Davis. You can’t keep all your shit bottled up. If you need someone to talk to, I’m always—”
“Bro!” I bark out a disbelieving laugh. “I don’t want to talk about my love life with you. What? You’ve got a wife and a kid now, so that makes you some relationship guru all of a sudden?” I scoff.
This time last year, Jasper was hands-down the biggest playboy in Honey Hill. But then his life did an unexpected 180 when his ex-hookup showed up out of nowhere and handed him an adorable baby girl—in a picnic basket.
Becoming an insta-dad flipped Jasper’s priorities in a heartbeat. Within a matter of weeks, he was head-over-heels in love and running down the aisle at break-neck speed with our little sister’s best friend, Emma.
Life is just wild sometimes.
My brother stabs at a few more buttons on his computer, and the rattling sound of his old printer fills the air. He stands and rounds the desk.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re an asshole?” he bites as he slams Candace’s printed invoice against my chest.
I gasp. “Who me? I’m wounded, Jasper. Wounded.”
Look—I signed a non-disclosure agreement with Candace, okay? I can’t breathe a word about us to anyone. Unless I want to get caught in a whirlwind of legal headaches and have my meager bank accounts drained. Nope. Not happening. I already have enough problems in my life.
But Jasper doesn’t know that. Of course.
