We watch in silence until a few men join them—one with a hand on Betty’s hip and the other reaching for River. Gray’s out of his seat in seconds, leveling the guys with his stare. River’s laughter is silent but somehow resonates in my chest as she wraps her arms around Gray’s neck and kisses him.
Rubbing the heel of my palm over my sternum, I wonder if I’m having my first heart attack at the ripe old age of forty.
The moment reminds me so much of when Katherine and I first met. We were two people having the time of our lives. The laughter never stopped, and the adventures seemed endless.
That trip down memory lane is quickly forgotten as the music changes and the guy who’d touched Betty spins her into his chest. The slow rhythm allows him to hold her close, her eyes trained on his face as they move together.
“That guy is way too close to her,” I grunt, expecting Beckett to be on my side.
He only shrugs, taking another swallow of his drink. “She’ll always be my baby sister, but honestly, I’m glad she quit workinghere—mostly. She needs to get out more. Have more fun. Meet someone who is going to take the time to treat her right.”
“Has she not been?”
He shakes his head, leaning in a bit closer. “No. She claims the men who take her out are fine, but that’s my baby sister. She’ll find a way to give it a positive spin because that’s what she’s always done for everyone around her. To me, they should worship the ground she walks on. Shower her in the love she deserves. They stick around for a few months, maybe a year, and then they bolt.”
Somehow, I don’t believe the last part, but Beckett’s words are the nail in my coffin. If any part of me was thinking I could ever give Betty what she needs now, I know I can’t. She needs a heartfelt man. A tender one. One who will make love to her and show up with flowers.
Katherine always told me I wasn’t the type for hearts and roses. That I showed love in my own way, but not the fairytale kind that women dreamed about. She was okay with it because she loved me as I was, but looking at the way Betty stares up into the eyes of that stranger, I know I’ll never be that for her.
“I need to go,” I slam a twenty on the table, though I hadn’t even ordered a drink yet.
“What? Why?” Beckett sits upright, his drink sloshing over the rim of his glass.
“I’m exhausted, and tomorrow is another long day.” It’s the truth, but really it’s an excuse. Because if I sit here for one more minute watching another man with his hands on her, I don’t know what I’ll do. I haven’t had such trouble controlling these types of impulses since my college years. Now is not the time to become a possessive man over a woman who can never be mine.
“Okay, well, at least come to the house for Sunday night dinner. I’m sure my parents would love to see you,” Beckett adds, relaxing back into his chair.
My chin drops to my chest as I inhale deeply. “Yeah. Fine.”
In my heart, I know I’m going to regret this.
Chapter 5
Nash
The soft patter of rain hits my shoulders and the exposed skin of my arms as I bolt from the bar.
Why the hell did I say yes to a family dinner at the Hughes house?
I’ve been there countless times, especially during senior year, and even in the first few years of college, when Beckett and I remained close. He’d been my little protégé back then. A kid himself, he looked up to me, and I was proud to be that role model.
Then, life just changed. Katherine and I moved in together. I was finishing college and then building my consulting business. I still saw the Hughes family around town while I was visiting. They still asked after me to my family, but damn, I don’t know the last time I saw them. For years, they were such a fixture in my life, and only now am I realizing that they’re not.
How am I going to look into Georgia Hughes’s eyes and smile, knowing I’ve thought about fucking their daughter so hard she won’t be able to walk after?
I’ll come up with an excuse. I’m needed in Montana, or I’m not feeling well. Too tired. Not hungry.
Mumbling to myself as I climb into my truck, a damp hand on my forearm stops me. I’m half-seated as I look over at those beautiful doe-brown eyes. “Uh, Beckett said you were going to bed.” Betty’s wide eyes look up at me through her lashes, her fingers flexing slightly against my bare skin, searing my flesh.
“Yeah, tomorrow is a big day. I’m tired.” Averting my gaze, I focus on climbing all the way into the truck and starting the engine, ignoring the raindrops hitting the interior door. Ignoring the way she still grips my arm, every muscle flexing as if trying to expose more of me to her touch.
As if burned, she quickly yanks her hand away. “Right. Well, uh, some of the guys were planning to bring the party back to the cabins. You can take my room in the main house.”
“Don’t you stay there?” I ask, shifting my body in her direction.
The rain starts to fall faster, large droplets hitting her cheeks. Her damp lashes flutter as I reach out to touch her jaw, my thumb stroking the moisture across her skin.
Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t pull away.
