As I consider her question, I’m distracted by Becca’s long blonde hair, the dark strands more prominent now that it’s wintertime and she isn’t getting any natural highlights.
“Maybe,” I offer.
The truth is that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the virtual version of Trent. I was worried about working together after he handed out assignments at the end of our meeting like I workedforhim rather thanwithhim, but that level of arrogance hasn’t been there in our emails.
“I’m a little worried about my mental space right now because I’m starting to kinda like the guy. He’s surprisingly witty in his emails.”
Five sets of eyes all turn toward me, whatever flirting or work they were doing before completely forgotten.
“What?” I ask.
“You know he’s married, right?” Bryn asks.
I roll my eyes. “I said he was witty, not that I wanted to steal him from his wife and have his babies.”
“You probably wouldn’t have to steal him from his wife to have his babies if he’s anything like his dad,” Bryn offers.
“Now who’s being a dick, Bryn?” I ask.
“Um, Wilson Mitchell?” she asks like the smart-ass she is.
“Wait,” JT says, tracking our conversation. “So Carter and Trent are…half brothers? Stepbrothers?”
“Half,” Bryn and I reply at the same time.
“Their dad knocked up two women within a few months of each other their senior year of high school. Ended up marrying the first one—Trent’s mom,” Bryn explains. “Wilson never really claimed Carter and vice versa, but then in high school Carter legally changed his last name to Mitchell and was at least acknowledged by Wilson and the rest of the Mitchells.”
“Damn. Did he know Wilson was his dad the whole time?” JT asks.
“This is Wild Bluffs, JT,” I say. “What do you think?”
“So…he knew?”
“Carter and the rest of the town knew. It was never a secret,” I say.
“But what is less clear is why he changed his last name,” Bryn explains. “The working theory in town is that when Carter started high school sports and it was clear he was at least as good, if not better, at football and basketball than golden-boy Trent, Wilson wanted the Mitchell name on his back as well. Most people think Wilson increased child support or something like that to get him to do it. There has never been any love lost between Carter and his dad.”
“Sperm donor,” I say.
“What?” JT asks.
“I was in both brothers’ class growing up. Carter always referred to Wilson as his sperm donor.”
“And Carter is the one I met last summer at your parents’ house, right?” JT asks. “The one with the huge crush on—”
“JT!” Lila cuts him off before he can finish, clearly trying to avoid the awkward conversation about Carter being interested in her.
Izzy—and the rest of the town, really—were trying to set Lila up with the single men they knew, and Carter happened to be the one Lila was supposed to meet at the party. Somehow, JT managed to worm his way into the game, and Lila ended up partnered with him rather than Carter. I’d like to say the rejection is what caused Carter to be so quiet during the game, but that’s how he’s always been. I’d guess he’s not my biggest fan, but I honestly don’t know what I could’ve done to make him dislike me.
“But, yes. Carter is the one you met,” I reply to JT’s initial question. “Trent is blond and has a twenty-four-year-old wife on his arm.”
“And is there something particularly wrong with having a twenty-four-year-old wife?” JT asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Hey, you’re not married. And you’re not thirty-four.”
“JT’s cradle-robbing aside,” Becca cuts in, earning a glare from both JT and Lila. “Long story short, Carter took the Mitchell name in high school before earning an ROTC scholarship to college, joining the Army Rangers, and never looking back…until his mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a couple years ago. He moved home and started working for Trent at the security firm Papa Mitchell handed off to his golden son about five years ago.”
“And now you’re about to go spend six weeks cozied up next to him at the hottest concert of the year,” JT says.
