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“No, that’s not true,” Talulah cried.
“Then why are you spreading your legs for him every chance you get?”
Images from last night flashed before Talulah’s mind’s eye and she felt herself flush. “I’m not... I mean... It hasn’t been anything like you’re painting it.”
“Don’t you dare go after her on my account,” Brant growled, which made Averil turn on him.
“I never knew you were that desperate for a piece of ass!”
“Averil, you’re overreacting,” Talulah said. “I get it. Brant’s your brother’s friend. He’s your friend, too, and I don’t have a place in his life. I needed someone to take me to the hospital last night—”
“Oh, so now you’re saying you haven’t been sleeping with him?” she broke in with a shrill laugh.
“I’m not saying that—”
“You’d say it if you thought I’d believe it. You’re such a manipulative bitch. But I’m telling you right now to stay away from him.”
Once again, Brant started to object, but Talulah put up a hand to stop him. “Wait a second,” she said to Averil. “Is this about Charlie? Oryou?”
The blood drained from her childhood friend’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—and neither do you,” she said and whipped around to climb into her beige sedan.
Brant jerked Talulah out of the way as Averil executed a quick three-point turn and nearly sprayed them with rocks and dirt as she rocketed away.
“What the hell’s gotten into her?” he said. “She’s never acted like that before.”
Struggling to cope with all the emotions charging through her, Talulah rubbed her forehead. “You know what’s going on, don’t you?”
Brant looked uncertain about where she was going with that. “What?”
Talulah suspected he knew the truth, but he was dismissing the obvious because he preferred not to be in the awkward situation it would put him in. “She’s in love with you.”
Paul had called her at least thirty times, starting early this morning. He’d never beenthatpersistent before, so Talulah assumed there had to be an emergency. Had the diner been robbed? Had it sustained fire or water damage?
She nearly called Paul right away, even in the truck with Brant driving her home. But the fact that her business partner hadn’t left any voice mail messages, as he would’ve done if there’d been a catastrophe of some kind affecting the diner, made her uneasy. What was so important that he’d blow up her phone but not leave a message—or at least send a text?
Worried, she nibbled at her bottom lip.
“What is it?” Brant asked, noticing her preoccupation.
After what had just happened with Averil at the ranch, Talulah hadn’t said much. He’d asked her to stay for breakfast, said he wanted to make sure she was okay before taking her home. But she’d said she needed to get back and start cooking, and he’d agreed to drive her right away. Other than that, she’d been kicking herself for being foolish enough to mess around with Brant. As much as she enjoyed being with him, the relationship couldn’t go anywhere. Her business was in Seattle and his ranch was in Montana. She couldn’t even say why this type of relationship had sprung up so suddenly between them.
When she didn’t reply immediately, a pained expression appeared on his handsome face. “Is it Paul?” he asked. “Has he been trying to reach you?”
She looked over in surprise. “How’d you know?”
He sent her a sheepish glance. “I thought he might.”
“Why?”
“Charlie said something to me last night,” he replied. “That’s what caused the fight between us.”
“What’d he say?”
“He told me he sent Paul a message on Instagram, telling him about us,” he said with a wince.
Her stomach felt instantly queasy. “Hewhat?”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
