“Have you tried seeing her face to face?” Dylan asked from the open doorway.
“Shit. Don’t you have patients to screw with? I have a business to run. And shut the door. You’re letting all the cold air in.” Warren Construction Company was his baby—well, his and Gage’s. Derrick designed the homes that Gage and their crew built. Their small trailer currently sat on the lot of the new complex he and Gage had commissioned.
Dylan closed the door behind him. “Well, have you?”
“Have I what?”
Dylan sighed. “Have you seen her in person, Derrick?”
“Not yet. Don’t look at me like that. Hell, the way she threw that wine, I’m sure a punch or two is next. I figure if I can get her to talk to me on the phone, she might be more receptive to a second date.”
Both of his brothers regarded him with amusement.
“This isn’t funny.”
Dylan had the nerve to laugh. “It sure is. You haven’t had a woman turn you down since, well, never. Nice to know there’s one out there who’s immune.”
“Bullshit. I’ve had plenty of women turn me down.”
Gage shook his head. “You and Dylan never have a problem with the opposite sex.” He glanced at Dylan. “Or even the same sex. Which is it this week, Dylan? You doing dudes or chicks?”
“I’m notdoinganyone. Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m between partners at the moment. You know, it still amazes me Hailey puts up with you. You sure she said yes and nottake your proposal and shove it up your ass?”
Derrick snorted.
“Say what you want, but I have a hot fiancée. Prince Charming over there can’t even get Sydney to return his calls.” Gage nodded at Derrick.
Dylan shook his head, eyeing Derrick with pity. “Derrick, you’re giving us a bad name. The Warren twins have a reputation to uphold.”
Derrick swore. “What the hell do I do? She won’t take my calls, and she sounded way too nice to someone in her office. No doubt some guy trying to charm his way into her pants.” Jealousy reared its head as he imagined all the men after her. He wished to hell he’d never seen Sydney Fields. He didn’t do jealousy, rage or frustration when dating. Sydney was tying him in knots.
“You’re bothering her at work?” Dylan asked as he sat next to Gage.
Derrick didn’t want to answer, wondering why today of all days his brothers seemed to have nothing at all to do. “I’m not bothering her. I’m trying to open achannel of communication,” he said, quoting his mother’s favorite line.
Dylan gaped. “You must be desperate if you’re asking Mom for advice. Did she sit you down on the couch?”
“I’m not a patient of hers, asswipe. I’m her favorite son.” Derrick ignored Gage’s huff. The little snot. Just because he’d snagged a woman first, their mother thought he could do no wrong. Of course, it helped that Hailey had brains, beauty and a heart under that killer rack.
“Favorite, my ass. She pities you. Gage is nothing more than a baby-maker.I’mthe favorite.” Dylan preened, pulling at the cuffs on his designer shirt. “Culture, charm, good looks and a real occupation. What’s not to love?”
Gage flipped him off.
Derrick had come to the end of his rope. “You going to help me or not?”
“I guess. My advice would be to surprise Sydney at home. Force her to listen to you.”
“No, no, no,” Barbara Warren said from where she leaned in the doorway.
The three of them jumped as if they’d been scalded. They needed to put a goddamn bell on the door.
“Mom, when did you get here?” Derrick asked. The woman moved around like a friggin’ cat. And she had a way of looking at him that made him want to run in the other direction. Despite his thirty-six years, he felt all of five again.
Barbara didn’t look pleased. “I had an interesting talk with Hailey and rescheduled my appointments for this morning. You, Derrick Christian Warren, are coming with me.”
“Mom, I have a business to run. I can’t—”
“With. Me.”
