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Callum raises his hands in surrender and steps back. “I’m not a sucker. There’s no way I’m taking that bet. The odds are stacked too much in your favor, Trey.”
I expect my brother to do the same, but he stares me down, trying to “read” me. I don’t give anything away, returning his gaze and turning it into a staring contest. I see Callum and Trey put money on the table. When Sebastian blinks first, Callum fist pumps the air in victory.
“Easiest five dollars I’ve ever made,” he says with a smile, putting the winnings into the charity jar.
Trey turns to my brother. “Are you in?”
“Are we betting on whether or not Bryce asked her out, her answer, or both?” my brother questions, making sure he’s on the same page.
“Her answer. I agree with Callum on this one. It’s a sucker’s bet on whether or not he asked the question. Healwaysasks her out every time he sees her,” Trey admits.
“And Leannaalwaysgives him the same answer,” Callum adds.
“Hmmm. I don’t know. Did you see the smile on his face when he walked out of here? He looked like the cat that got the cream.” He places his bill on the table next to Trey’s. When all three of them look to me for my answer, I can’t help but chuckle and shake my head.
“I did not agree to go out with him. But maybe I should have.” Trey whoops and hollers over his win until he hears the resignation in my tone.
“Aww. What’s the matter, Lee?” Trey asks, pulling me into a hug.
I tell them all about seeing Carter and Melissa at the coffee shop and some snippets of the conversation I overheard.
“I think you’re jumping to conclusions just like when you thought Briar was a supermodel instead of a dog!” my brother says, outing me.
“Bash! That was a conversation meant to stay between you and me!”
“We’re all family here, Lee. You know it won’t leave this room!” he defends.
“I didn’t think it would leave the gym where we had the conversation either, but here we are in the kitchen!”
I don’t really mind that he said anything in front of Callum and Trey because they’re family to me and always have my back, but it doesn’t mean I can’t razz him about it.
“She thought Briar was a model?” Callum asks. At the same time, Trey says, “Well,thatexplains a lot!”
“In all fairness, Carter did make it sound like his client was a woman and not a cute little Maltese show dog,” Sebastian says.
I pour myself a cup of coffee while they continue to gossip around the water cooler. Their conversation must have come back full circle because out of nowhere, Trey asks me, “Were things really so bad this morning that you would agree to a date with Bryce?”
I sigh in exasperation. “No, I wouldn’t agree to go out with Bryce under any circumstance. He’s a nice guy but too pushy for me. Can you imagine if I were to go on a date with him, even once? He’d never leave me alone after that.
“All my comment means is that maybe it’s time for me to start dating. Carter and I agreed to be just friends, and I need to respect the boundaries he’s set. He’s never promised me anything more, regardless of whether or not that’s what I want.”
They look at me with pity, and I hate it.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask them.
Callum is the one who speaks up. “Have you told him what you want, Leanna? We men are very simple creatures. We don’t do well at the mind-reading thing. If you tell us you’re ‘fine,’ we will believe you even though it’s the complete opposite of what you mean. If you tell Carter you’re okay with being friends, then he’ll take you at your word.”
“What if I tell him I want more than friendship, and he says,‘Adiós amiga!’I don’t think I could handle it if things change between us or he gives me the boot.”
Trey, the oldest and wisest among the men in the room, tells it to me straight. “Leanna, things will change whether you want them to or not. It’s inevitable. If your friendship is as strong as you think it is, it should be able to withstand an open and honest conversation. Tell Carter how you feel about him, and if he’s unwilling to move forward, then your friendship will need to take a back seat to any romantic relationships you pursue. It does not necessarily mean you’ll lose his friendship, but the friendshipwillchange.
“Trust me, there will come a time when both you and Carter crave a level of intimacy that belongs in a marriage and is beyond what a friendship can provide. But it requires trust and communication, neither of which you are exhibiting by keeping your feelings a secret.”
“Ouch! Tell me what you really think,” I say, trying to make light of the situation.
“He’s telling you to ‘fish or cut bait. Drive or get out of the car. Make a sandwich or get out of the kitchen,’” Sebastian says matter of fact.
“Thanks. I get it.”
