AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wow. That was true. And it had taken Tobias’s anxiety to make me see my mistake clearly. The comparison game really was a con I kept playing on myself.
He twisted a lock of my hair around his finger and nodded, a gentle smile on his lips. “You’re too good, girl. I’m really glad Aithan found you. I need time to figure out how to trust my own judgment again, and if that means the door closes on us, then I’ll have to live with that loss. But I hope, if nothing else, I can always have your friendship.”
I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. “You’ll always have my respectandmy friendship.”
He hugged me back, holding me close, his lips pressed to my hair. “Zelda Gordon, I’m damn lucky to have a friend like you.”
I closed my eyes and smiled. “Me too, Tobias Peters, me too.”
He kissed my cheek, then picked up my sweater and held it open so I could turn and slide my arms into it. “That really is a beautiful piece of lingerie,” he remarked.
Laughing, I faced him as I looped the tie around my waist and made a bow. “Oh, no, you’re not allowed to change your mind.”
“What?” he laughed. “A guy can’t reverse course?”
“Not a minute after he switched gears! You’ll give me whiplash, dude. Trust me, I already get that from Drew.”
“Seriously.” He nodded. “I can’t keep up with that man’s brain.”
“Oh, I know. It’s a bag of cats.” We headed upstairs.
The clatter of dishes and water splashing in the sink greeted us. Drew was washing pans. Aithan was drying and putting them away.
“Thanks, guys,” I said and kissed both of them.
Aithan put the last pot lid away, draped the wet dishtowel over the oven handle to dry, then nodded at Tobias. “You good, man?”
Ducking his head, he replied, “Yeah, all good. Zel and I? We got it all figured out.” He snaked his arm around my waist. “You two are out now that she’s found a real man.”
Aithan said, “Oh, yeah?” as he looked around. “Where?” He glanced at Drew. “You see one?”
“What? Arealman?” Drew pulled a face. “Shit no. Just some chode with his hands all over our woman.” He threw a wet sponge at Tobias.
I screamed and ducked behind Aithan as Tobias caught the sponge and hurled it back, beaning Drew in the head and splattering water all over the kitchen cupboards.
“Wait a minute,” Drew said, wiping water from his face with his sleeve. “Did you play baseball in high school, too?”
“Nah, man, water polo.”
“Well, hell.” Drew used another dishtowel to wipe the cupboards and the counter. “Just my fucking luck.” He begged, “Zel? Please, even the odds with the next brother? Stop picking up guys who can bean a fly at five hundred paces. I can’t hit the side of a barn with a boulder. That shit’s not fair.”
I wrapped my arms around Drew. “I’ll try, Playboy.”
He half-hugged me, and I felt him doing something behind my back. Aithan and Tobias cracked up.
I leaned away and gave him the stink eye. “What are you doing?”
“Me? Nothing.” He dropped his arms, not even trying to hide both raised middle fingers.
“You’re such a child,” I said, completely amused.
“Yes. Yes, I am,” he replied solemnly, then gave me a shit-eating grin.
Tobias shook his head. “All y’all are nuts, and I’m outta here. Taking my little girl out to dinner and a movie.”
“Hot date,” Aithan remarked. “Give her my love.”
“You know I will.” Tobias leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thanks, again, Zel.”
