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“Don’t call me that,” Wade shot back. “As far as I’m concerned, you won’t even last the month. Just because her father seemed to warm up to you doesn’t mean a dang thing. You’ll be respectful, and you’ll keep your hands off her.”
Brielle didn’t know whether to be offended by what Wade was saying or flattered. It was one thing for him to say stuff like this directly to her. It was something else entirely to hear him say it when he didn’t know she was eavesdropping.
She inched closer to the door. Her fingertips traced the worn wood, feeling the lines of the grain.
“You know, when I first met you, I could tell there was something going on between you two.” Tad’s voice lowered so much she almost wasn’t able to hear him. “How does it make you feel that she’s already taken?” His laugh was cut short by a grunt.
“She’s notyours,” Wade said in a voice that sounded like distant thunder. “And she never will be.”
“I’ve got paperwork that says otherwise. And you’d be smart not to lay your hands on me.”
Their voices faded, and Brielle leaned against the wall of the shed. Sounded like her father was willing to hire Tad, but this arrangement with Wade was going to be harder than she thought. She’d have to have a talk with Wade and remind him that this was temporary.
The door flung open, and she let out a shriek. Her father stared at her, his bushy brows furrowed. “What are you doing in here?” He poked his head farther inside. “In the dark?”
Brielle shrugged.
Zeke thumbed over his shoulder. “I hired the last of the crew for the tours. Did you know that Keagan boy has a cousin?”
“He’s hardly a boy, Dad.”
Her father chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. Anyway, I’m going to have you train them next week.”
“Dad!”
“It’s not up for discussion. None of your sisters are available. And you know this property as well as anyone.” He reached for his tool bag that sat on a nearby workbench, then headed out the door.
Brielle followed after him, ready to sling several excuses as to why she wouldn’t be doing such a thing, but then she stopped herself. Maybe this was exactly what she needed—an excuse to spend more time with Tad.
And Wade.
6
Wade
Wade glowered at his coffee. Steam escaped the dark liquid, floating into the air. There was something wrong with him. That was the only logical explanation. No man in their right mind would agree to the things he had done just to make a woman happy.
No.
Anormalman would have called it quits when Brielle told him to leave her alone.
But not Wade. He dug his heels in deeper, unaware of just how messy her life really was.
“You gonna drink that? Or just stare at it?”
Wade’s scowl deepened at the sound of Tad’s voice. He’d expected his family to jump on his side when he announced that Tad would be staying with them. Granted, he hadn’t told them the whole truth. They didn’t know that Tad was married to Brielle, nor had they figured out that Tad was holding said marriage over her head. All they knew was that Tad was a friend she wasn’t proud of, and she didn’t want the town knowing his past.
Welp, unfortunately he’d assumed wrong. His family was quite a bit more accepting than he’d given them credit for.
Tad had a knack for winning people over—evidenced not only by his family but by Zeke Callahan as well. No wonder he’d gotten Brielle to fall for him all those years ago.
Wade’s eyes flicked to Tad, who sat across the table from him. The man had the gall to flash a smile at him.
“Don’t you have shopping to do or something?” Wade asked.
“Why? I brought plenty of clothes.”
A snort escaped Wade’s throat as his eyes swept over Tad’s current outfit. Another pair of shorts and a collared T-shirt. “Those kinds of clothes might suit you in Vegas, but they’re not going to help you fit into Copper Creek. You might want to get something different.”
