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Except since Dahlia crashed back into my life, I’ve felt anything but.
She carries on, and my men do everything they can to support her. I take a step away from the team to answer a call, only to come back to the crew laughing at something she said.
“What’s going on?”
Ryder grins. “Dahlia was telling us a story about the difference between real-life home renos and the ones she did on TV.”
“And?”
“Turns out production filmed another construction worker’s hands for certain scenes since her fiancé had no idea what he was doing.”
“Ex-fiancé.” I have no idea why I choose to clarify, but I regret it the moment I say the word.
Dahlia’s hands clench by her sides. “Julian. A word?”
My stomach drops as she storms off toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with my crew.
Ryder winces. “Damn. Was it something we said?”
“Just me being a dumbass. Carry on.” I turn in the direction Dahlia headed. It takes me a minute to find her outside, staring out at the lake with her good arm tucked against her sling.
“What was that back there?”
“A mistake.” I’ve been stumbling my way across a tightrope of emotions, and one mention of Oliver had me tumbling straight into a pit of jealousy.
Her eyes remain focused on the view. “Do you like trying to make me feel small?”
My head rears back. “Of course not.”
Dahlia turns. “If this is your plan to run me out of town, you better try harder than that. I didn’t spend the last five years of my life dealing with internet trolls and a future monster-inlaw to back down at the first sign of adversity. That much I can tell you.”
“I’m not—” I try to center myself. “You’ve got this all wrong.”
Although I want her to leave Lake Wisteria, I wouldn’t embarrass her in front of my team to speed up the process, especially not when I see how much she struggles around people lately.
Her eyes narrow. “Then feel free to explain.”
Thing is, I don’twantto explain because then I would need to admit I’m still jealous of Oliver after spending years convincing myself I was over everything that went down between him, Dahlia, and myself.
So, instead of admitting the truth, I stick to my comfort zone.
I tuck my hands into my pockets. “I could have gotten rid of you weeks ago instead of going through the trouble of working together.”
Her head tilts to the side. “Oh, really?”
“The mayor still has a reward listed for any information about who egged his Jaguar twelve years ago.”
Dahlia’s eyes go wide. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Keep assuming the worst of me and I might.”
Her nostrils flare. “If you don’t want me to assume the worst, keep the blackmail to a minimum. It tends to send the wrong message.”
I fight a laugh. “Fair enough.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Julian
