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“He’snot‘just’ being nice,” Paul snapped. “That’s the problem.”
Brant raised his eyebrows. “I don’t blame you for not liking me. But you only get to act like an asshole if I’ve done something wrong.”
Paul jerked his arm away from Talulah as he stepped forward. “You know exactly what you’ve done. I’ve been with Talulah for four years!”
“We’ve beenbusiness partnersfor four years,” she tried to clarify, but Paul talked right over her.
“And I’ve known her even longer than that, since culinary school.”
“You haven’t known her longer than I have,” Brant pointed out.
“What does that matter?”
Talulah knew what Paul had been getting at. He meant they’d been growing closer and closer for years and Brant should respect that. But it was a flimsy argument, and Brant had immediately called him on it.
“Itdoesn’tmatter,” he said with a shrug. “That’s my point. But you’re the one who brought it up.” He bent to pick up his tools, but when Paul came toward him, he left them on the porch and straightened. “Are we going to have a problem here?”
“That depends,” Paul replied. “Are you going to stay away from Talulah?”
Talulah grabbed Paul’s arm again. “Stop it! I’ll decide who I associate with. You don’t have the right to decide for me.”
“I just want to know!” he said to her. “Is that asking too much? Am I going to have to worry about this douchebag coming over here, trying to get in your pants again, as soon as I’m gone?”
The hair stood up on the back of Talulah’s neck. She’d never seen Paul act so territorial, but she’d never really seen him when he felt threatened, either. She’d been too caught up in their business to date other men. He’d probably assumed they were exclusive—even though she’d always said otherwise—because he’d never encountered any competition, especially in the last couple of years when she’d devoted herself so completely to launching the dessert diner. “We’renottogether, Paul.”
He rounded on her. “You think this guy cares about you the way I do? He just wants a good fuck! You told me yourself he goes from woman to woman without ever feeling much. We, on the other hand, have a successful business. I’m willing to offer you marriage, babies, anything you want and everything I have.”
Talulah had the vague feeling that her inability to commit was once again going to come between her and the people she cared about, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She couldn’t pretend to feel something she didn’t. She could only try to be careful and not say or do anything rash until she was certain of her own mind and heart. And who knew when that would be? “I asked you earlier to give me more time, Paul. I’m not ready for this. It’s been one hell of a week coming back here, facing my past. Please...don’t treat my friends badly.”
The way Brant’s eyes cut to her made her realize how he might interpret what she’d just said.One hell of a week, as if it’dallbeen insufferable. But it hadn’t, andhewas the reason. He’d shielded her from the worst of it, even at the cost of his best friend.
She wanted to clarify her statement. But Paul didn’t give her the chance, which was just as well, since it probably would only have made matters worse. “Even if you’ve slept with them?” he demanded.
Whatever Brant was thinking, his attention snapped back to Paul. “Watch how you talk to her,” he warned.
Paul threw back his shoulders, and his hands curled into fists. “Oh, yeah? What’re you going to do about it?”
Talulah’s pulse was racing as she squeezed between them. “What’s happening here? Quit it! Please. Both of you. This is childish.”
Paul’s eyes glittered with anger. “This dude thinks he can come out here, onyourproperty, and tellmewhat to do.”
“Paul, you know that—” Talulah started, planning to remind him, once again, that he had no real claim on her, but Brant broke in before she could finish.
“You should be careful,” he said to Paul.
Hearing the steel in Brant’s voice, Talulah hoped Paul would back down. But he didn’t.“Why?”he said with even more challenge.
“Because you’re really beginning to piss me off.”
They might’ve come to blows right then. Paul shoved her to get her out from between them, but in the same second, she heard a female voice say, “Hey, you’re back?”
They all turned to see Ellen crossing the grass toward them, the end of the cigarette she held in one hand glowing in the darkness.
“I am back,” Talulah said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Looks like you are, too.”
“Finally.” Ellen squinted at the two men as she stopped and took a long drag. “I came by earlier but couldn’t get anyone.”
“I was in Billings. My sister just had a baby.”
