“Is what Jesse?”
“The reason you two aren’t dating.”
The worst part of this? Jesse hadn’t even been a consideration. Jesus, he was an asshole.
“Because,” Becket continued, “I think my brother would be honored to have his best friend date his sister. And so would I. You’re a great guy.”
His fingers tightened around his glass. “Thanks. But there’s nothing going on between me and Clara. She’s like a sister to me.”
Another fucking lie. They were just rolling off his tongue now.
Becket threw back his head and laughed. “You forget, Claraismy sister, and neither Jesse nor I look at her like that.”
Suddenly, Malcolm took Clara’s hand and led her to the dance floor.
Holden straightened. The fuck? They were dancing now? They barely knew each other.
“Hm,” Becket said softly, “that looks romantic.”
Becket was a shit stirrer, and he was damn good at it. But his words didn’t affect Holden. Whatdidaffect him was the way Malcolm’s hands touched Clara’s waist. The way the doctor held her close to his body like there was slow music playing when there wasn’t.
Gritting his teeth, he turned away. He needed to ignore it. Clara wasn’t his. She could dance with whoever the hell she wanted.
Jesse returned to the table, his brows lifting at the dance floor. “Who’s our sister dancing with?”
“His name’s Malcolm,” Holden said.
Jesse nodded. “And he’s with the hospital crew, so…nurse?”
“Doctor,” Holden corrected.
Becket cringed. “Ouch. That’s not good. For you, I mean. For Clara, it’s great. She always wanted to marry a doctor.”
Jesse frowned. “Since when?”
“Freshman year, she had to write about her dream guy. Hers was a doctor. Brown hair. Six feet tall.”
“And you remember it so specifically?” Holden just about growled.
“I’m good with details.”
He was tempted to tell the guy to fuck off, but the music suddenly changed to something slower.
Becket set his drink on the table. “That’s my cue to find my woman before someone else does.” He crossed to the dance floor and slipped an arm around Sky’s waist. She turned, her smile wide as she pressed her hands to his chest.
Jesse straightened as Aspen began to move through the crowd toward him. The second she reached him, they wrapped their arms around each other.
Holden told himself not to look at the dance floor. He fucking yelled it in his head.
But he looked. And Malcolm was even closer to Clara now, his arms still around her waist, and they were so close there was basically no space between them.
Screw it.
He set his beer on the table and strode to the dance floor.
Clara’s gaze shot up. “Holden.”
“Can I have this dance, Clara?”
