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James frowned. He actually hadn’t thought about it that far. Would Zeke tear the opportunity she had away from his own daughter? No. He didn’t seem the type for that. But he could refuse to let James set foot on the property if it meant keeping his daughter safe from a miscreant like the local veterinarian.
Brielle sneered. “See? There it is. You’ve finally realized that you’re not only putting your new crush in jeopardy, but you’re risking her education too.” She poked him hard in the chest. “So what are you going to do about it?”
He brushed her finger away with the back of his hand and glowered at her. “First of all, you could make this so much easier if you’d just find someone to marry like your sister did. Honestly, Brielle. You have all the power at this point and you’re still refusing to help your younger sisters.”
She gasped. “How dare you!”
“Secondly, Constance is an adult with a good head on her shoulders. If she wants to go on a few dates with me, that’s her choice. And, as much as it looks like you want to, you don’t get to have control over the situation.”
Brielle’s voice lowered; the sinister undertones were enough to raise the hairs on the back of his neck and turn his blood cold. “Didn’t you break up with me because you couldn’t handle the secrets I kept from my father?”
He stiffened and glanced around the barn, praying no one would overhear and share this tidbit of information with Constance. That secret Brielle had demanded he keep in the very beginning was probably the only one that made sense.
She pushed his shoulder hard, forcing him to meet her gaze once more. “Constance is doing the exact same thing.” Her voice lifted an octave, and she mimicked his tone. “Honestly, James, you’d think you’d learn your lesson and go after the Callahan daughter who was actually available to date.” Her brows lowered and her jaw tightened as she let her hurtful words sink in. “Unfortunately for you, it looks like you’d rather let history repeat itself.” She shoved past him and headed for the door.
James spun around, itching to throw a retort at her, but she was too far away. Anything he said would most definitely be overheard by someone else. His hands clenched into fists, and he let out a growl of his own, then kicked at a bucket nearby.
The metal tin bounced around on the floor, making contact with a post and then rolling until it stopped against a stall door. How was it that Brielle still knew exactly where to poke to get the biggest reaction? They’d dated so long ago.
His chest was tight and it hurt to breathe.
The worst part was that she was right.
He’d broken up with her because he couldn’t stand keeping their relationship in the shadows. It wasn’t fair for him to have to hide where he was going or who he was out with from his parents. It wasn’t fair that he couldn’t take her to school dances or tell his best friends who he was kissing beneath the bleachers.
James had kept all those secrets for her, and in the end, he’d gotten nothing out of the relationship except for a broken heart and trust issues.
Constancewasdifferent. But she was dealing with the same family problems. Her only saving grace, according to him, was that she kept her secrets to maintain a peaceful home.
Brielle had kept her secrets because she was scared of the consequences of getting caught.
Blast it all! He was right back into a cycle he’d hated all those years before.
James stormed from the barn and headed for his truck. He needed to leave before he did or said anything that he’d regret. Their date was for later that night and Constance had run inside to get a drink. He would leave her a text message and tell her they were calling it a day early and he’d see her later at the clinic for their date.
Once he sent that message, he didn’t waste any time waiting for her to respond. He needed to blow off some steam and the only person he could talk to was Shane. His friend was the only other person besides Constance, Brielle, and himself that was aware of the current situation—as far as he knew. Maybe Shane would have some advice to give.
The whole drive toward the country club, James stewed over the words Brielle had flung at him. Hehadthought that his relationship with Brielle had ended in a way that was amicable. But apparently he’d missed something. Why was Brielle so intent on keeping him away from her sister? It wasn’t like he’d be the key to getting Zeke to agree to a change in the rules. He practically stomped all the way into Shane’s office and proceeded to tell him everything that had just transpired.
“Maybe Brielle is still in love with you.”
James let out a humorless bark of laughter. “You wouldn’t say that if you had seen the way she looked at me. If you had heard her tone of voice, you probably would have assumed that the world was coming to an end.”
Shane arched a brow. “There’s no other explanation—not as far as I can tell. She’s demanded that you not tell a soul about your past. She’s threatened you for not leaving Constance alone.Andshe brought up that you might as well date her since she’s the available one.”
James sat up in his seat, his index finger out and ready to throw out a retort. He snapped his mouth shut and settled back. Shane made a good point. She was mad, but she’d never told him that she’d rather die than date him again.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Earlier she—”
“Women are confusing. It doesn’t matter if she told you no before. For all you know, she might have been trying to make you jealous. And it worked. You turned around and started dating her sister. Now she’s mad.” Shane chuckled. “Man, you really don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”
“Of course I do. I’m going after the girl that is exactly what I want in a wife. Constance and I have this connection that I’ve never shared with anyone.”
Shane sighed. “Now you’re starting to sound like a sap.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Shane folded his arms and leaned back in his chair so he could rest his feet on his desk. “It is for you.”
