Gabe felt his face burning with shame. He couldn't bring himself to look at Shepherd or Asher again, instead keeping his eyes fixed on a scuff mark on the floor. Their words stung, each accusation landing like a physical blow. He hadn't realized how badly the others had hurt Evie, but he knew his own rejection had stung. And it wasn’t like he didn’t want her. She was beautiful, sexy and real, but…
“Miss Iris…” He chose to address the indomitable trio’s unofficial ringleader. “She was drunk. There was no way I could take advantage of her when she was impaired. That wouldn’t have been right.”
It was Marigold who stepped up and patted my cheek. “I know, sweetie. But that didn’t make the humiliation any less.”
“So what? I should have taken her to bed and had my wicked way with her when she wasn’t able to give indisputable consent?” Gabe was annoyed now and said things he would never normally dream of in present company. In any company, in fact.
Iris harrumphed. “Of course not. You did completely the right thing.”
“Then…”
“But you still hurt her.”
“Jesus, I can’t win!” Gabe exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
“Of course not. You’re a man,”
“Men are stupid.”
How the hell did these women ever persuade some poor schmuk to marry them? They’d probably held them at gunpoint. Or kidnapped them.
That wasn’t fair, though. For all their nosy, busybody ways, their hearts were in the right place.
Didn’t mean he had to like being put in my place when he’d handled the very awkward situation with Evie as carefully as he possibly could under the circumstances.
Asher and Shepherd were smirking, the bastards, but nothing, absolutely nothing, got past these old ladies, and as if as one, they turned on the other two men.
“Now you two degenerates don’t have Gabe’s excuse. The pair of you were just assholes.”
Gabe spluttered in shock to hear such an expletive coming out of the mouth of one of the normally prim, diminutive ladies in front of them.
“Hey, I didn’t want Evie to get the wrong idea!” Shepherd raised his palms in front of him as he defended himself.
“Then you should have kept your lips to yourself,” Bee retorted.
“And if that was the case, why did you decide to throw a grenade to blow up her dinner with Asher after avoiding her all week?”
All eyes were on Shepherd now, and Gabe didn’t think he’d ever seen the grumpy barista quite so wrong-footed before.
“You don’t want her, fine! No one is forcing you. There are other very fine gentlemen who are not as stupid as you, who recognize what a catch young Evie is.”
“But to compromise the first date she’s had in almost a decade? The first time she’s dipped her toe in the pool since that idiot husband of hers left her high and dry. That’s unconscionable.”
Gabe half expected Shepherd to stalk off, but he took his dressing down like a man, staring at his feet while the three women said their piece.
“Well? What have you got to say for yourself, young man?” Iris demanded, hands on her bony hips.
Shepherd muttered something unintelligible.
“I beg your pardon?”
They clearly weren’t letting this go.
Shepherd sucked in a breath and raised his head, though he didn’t look anyone in the eye. “I was jealous, okay. Happy now?”
He earned three intimidating glares for his belligerence and ducked his head again.
“Well, hallelujah and praise the lord!” Miss Iris sang, raising her hands towards the sky. “The boy’s had an epiphany; there’s hope for him yet.”
