“No problem.”
They climbed into his Jeep, and he pointed them toward Bradfordwood, where’d they unmoor the family boat from the family dock, then begin their trip to Whidbey.
Less than two minutes and zero words passed before Britt said, “You’re angry.”
He frowned. Hewasangry. At the same time, he wasn’t sure he had a right to be.
“Why’re you angry?” she asked.
“I heard what happened Saturday night.” He hated to experience fear or fury or possessiveness individually. The thought of her with Reid caused all three to crush down on him at once.
“Saturday night? When Hannah and Mia and I went out?”
He held his tongue.
“Who told you about that?” She paused. “Maddie?”
The best defense was a good offense. “Maddie’s concerned about you. She says that you’ve been acting strangely lately, but that you won’t talk to her about what’s bothering you. Why won’t you?” He cut a glance across the car.
She set her lips together and directed her attention out the side window. His question had shut her up, and he knew why.
She’d been acting strange because of their kiss or his reaction to it or her reaction to it or both. She hadn’t told Maddie about the kiss because she wanted to keep it private. No doubt Britt anticipated that news of their kiss would drop like a bomb on Maddie, Hannah, Mia, and her sisters. He was willing to bet they’d all be happy. Still. They’d respond with lots of questionsand opinions. Britt likely didn’t have the patience to deal with that sort of fallout.
They traveled the rest of the way to Bradfordwood in silence. Britt tapped a button on her phone app to open the enormous ironwork entrance gates. Once they’d parked beside the garage, they skirted around the side of the brick mansion and began walking down the long lawn that led from the terrace to the Hood Canal far below.
“I went to dinner with Hannah and Mia on Saturday night.” Britt’s attention remained trained on the water as she spoke. Irritation lined her forehead. “Then we went to a club, just like I told you. Reid was there, and he and I went out for food afterward. I don’t see why any of that should upset you, Zander.”
“You know why I’m upset.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Because you got into a car with a guy you hardly know.”
“I know Reid way better than some of the guys my friends have set me up with on blind dates.”
“And that’s supposed to put my mind at ease?”
“He’s my friend’s boyfriend’s friend!”
“And you should always trust a friend’s boyfriend’s friend? How long has Kyle known Reid?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. Long enough.”
“How much did Reid have to drink at the club?”
“One beer.”
He gave a grunt of disbelief.
“He had one beer, Zander. He had baseball practice the next morning, so he was taking it easy.”
“Reid threw back shot after shot at your birthday party.”
“He didn’t have any shots on Saturday night.”
“Not that you saw, anyway.” Hehatedthat Britt was taking Reid’s side against him. “You told your friends he was taking you to a diner for pancakes. Is that where he took you?”
“You’re really well informed,” she said dryly, voice brittle. “Yes. That’s where he took me.”
