Cal was one of them. “Yeah, I know,” he murmured but changed the subject. “Hey, it’s hot today. I brought waters and Gatorades—don’t work yourselves to death in here.”
I caught his eye, and he tipped his chin toward the barn door. I pulled a rag from my rear pocket and used it to wipe the sweat from the back of my neck as I followed him outside. I stepped into the sunlight, squinting against the harsh rays.
“You still in for another game?” Cal asked.
I nodded before swiping a light-blue Gatorade from the cooler at my feet. I uncapped it and took a long, deep swallow. “I told you I could cover—for as long as you needed me.”
Cal’s lips pressed together and he nodded. “All right,” he said, “just making sure you were going to follow through.”
I swallowed down a heavy sigh. Cal barely knew me, but people in my past always seemed to think I didn’t measure up. I had no reason to believe Cal was any different. I may be young, but I was getting really fucking tired of the expectation that I was a fuckup.
I was showing up every morning and evening for SeleneandWinnie, then hauling ass in between to bust my balls on the jobsite. Most nights I was too dog-tired to do anything like go out or chase some tail, so I spent my evenings lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, and trying to ignore the muffled sounds I heard coming from the duplex next door.
Sometimes I’d catch her laugh through the open window, soft and low, and I’d have to roll over and bury my face in the pillow just to get her out of my head.
“Yeah.” It was all I could muster through my frustration.
I was used to being underestimated, but lately it was starting to bug me more than I cared to admit.
“So things are working out with your neighbor, I take it?” he asked.
I paused mid-drink to look at Cal. His stance was wide with his arms crossed over his chest and the familiar line creasing between his eyebrows. It was no wonder he and my brother were friends. They had the same grumpy-older-brother routine down pat. It was like they were passing me around like a project they could fix up with enough elbow grease and a few stern lectures.
I stuffed my free hand into my pocket. “The kid’s a lot of fun. I don’t mind helping out.”
He nodded in a way that told me my answer was almost good enough, but not quite up to his standards.
Older-brother speech incoming in three, two, one ...
“You know ...” He cleared his throat. “You seem good with her. Don’t screw it up by pretending it’s all just for laughs.”
My defensiveness reared its ugly head. “What is it about waking up at five a.m. or hanging out after my full-time job that says I’m not willing to go the extra mile? I’m taking it fucking seriously, okay?”
Cal’s wide-eyed shocked expression mirrored my own internal surprise. I hadn’t meant to bite his head off, but his comment had hit something tender beneath my skin.
His palms raised up. “We’re all just looking out for Selene and Winnie. I didn’t mean anything by it. We care about them. That’s all.”
I finished my Gatorade in a single drink and tossed the empty bottle into the trash. “Yeah, well, I care about them too.”
“All right.” Cal nodded. “Noted. I’ll give it a rest then.” His attention flicked over my shoulder before drawing back to me. “Better look alive, kid. Looks like both our bosses are headed this way.”
I turned to find Selene walking next to her sister. The breeze kicked up just enough to rustle the trees along the back field, and then there she was—like some goddamn daydream—walking beside Elodie with her sunglasses pushed into her hair and her sundress catching in the wind. Elodie was practically vibrating with excitement and skipped the last few feet to launch herself into Cal’s arms. He pulled her body against his, kissing her long and deep. Long enough for Selene and me to exchange an awkward glance. We both suddenly found the sky fascinating. Anything to avoid watching Cal suck face with Elodie in broad daylight.
I cleared my throat and Cal put her down.
“Hi,” she said, breathless.
“Good morning,” I greeted Elodie, then shifted to Selene. “Ma’am,” I drawled with a slow grin, tipping my chin toward her. “Well, I better get back to it.” I held out my hand for Cal, and he took it. “Especially now that the bosses are here.” I glancedat Selene and shot her a playful wink. Her lips parted, maybe in surprise, but her chest and neck flushed the prettiest shade of pink before she dragged her gaze away.
The trio stayed outside the barn, chatting about something as Elodie waved her arms around wildly. Cal nodded and Selene stood next to her vibrant sister, looking like the pinnacle of patient grace and sophistication. She was wearing some kind of breezy linen dress that billowed with each small gust of lake wind. On top was a formfitting tank that hugged her curves in a way that made me want to groan out loud.
I already knew exactly how Selene felt under my hands, and I tamped down that memory, stuffing it into a box and trying to forget about it altogether. When I caught her eyes slicing in my direction, I grinned. Her gaze snagged on mine like a hook beneath my skin—sharp, swift, and impossible to ignore. I felt it land, linger, and burn.
Hell if that didn’t make me want to push it just a little bit further.
I grabbed the back of my T-shirt and peeled it up slowly, just to be a dick. Sweat clung to my skin, catching the sunlight as I dragged the fabric over my head and tossed it aside. Out of the corner of my eye, Selene’s jaw went slack. I raked my hand across my chest, pretending not to notice. It was a slightly unfair, yet coordinated, tactic, but I didn’t care. If she was going to keep sneaking glances, the least I could do was give her a good show. If she wanted a peek, I’d give her a memory she could blush over later.
“Showing off again, pretty boy?” Jackson muttered, giving me a backhand to the stomach and dragging my attention again to the crew.
