She stormed off to the stairs and stomped away.
“That’s it? You’re just gonna take off?” he shouted. The fury was evident in his voice.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
****
Bogs had barely slept. The couch was shit and the cold draft through the windows was making it impossible to get comfortable. He thought about asking Kenzie to borrow a blanket but when he went upstairs to find the door locked, he knew he’d needed to give her time. He spent half the night angry and the other half regretful. He’d done nothing to help the situation when she came in the house. What he shouldhave done was kept his temper in check. Instead, he let his own jealousy escalate and he snapped. Then she said it.
The guy I’m falling in love with.
Those words played over in his head. Did she even realize she let that slip? He’d fucked up, not purposely, but he had. He rolled over to his side and slowly sat up on the couch. The sound of a truck pulling into the driveway had his anger from last night rising to the surface again.Jonah.
Bogs leaned back on the couch, fixed on the door. It was only minutes before the key unlocked the door and the handle turned. Jonah walked in, glancing around the room and stopped on Bogs.
“Sleeping on the couch? That ain’t good.”
“Yeah, and I got you to thank, asshole.”
Jonah shook his head and smiled. “That’s your problem, Bogs. You haven’t figured out that where you slept last night was all on you, brother?”
Given the time to think last night, he did understand where she was coming from. Bogs leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His shoulders sagged in defeat.
“Look, man, nothing happened, I was just trying to help her out,” Jonah said. It was the truth. With Kenzie admitting to be in love with him and Jonah feeling indebted to him and his brothers, he knew deep down nothing happened once his jealous anger subsided. And of course, there was Rox.
Bogs shrugged. “I know nothing happened. You spent all of last night with your eyes glued to my sister, mainly her ass. I’m thinking Kenzie isn’t who I need to be worried about alone with you.” Bogs was baiting him but he wasn’t taking it.
“Got no interest in your little sister,” Jonah said, passing by the couch.
Bogs got up from the couch and followed him. “There a reason you were staring at her all night?” That may have been an exaggeration, Bogs only caught it once but the way Jonah’sshoulders tensed from the comment, he knew Jonah’s denial of interest in Roxanne was complete bullshit.
Jonah walked to the closet and Bogs was sure he was going to ignore him, which he did. Jonah rifled through the closet without answering.
“Gonna dodge my question?”
Jonah pulled away from the closet, grabbing a large tool that Bogs wasn’t familiar with and a toolbox, placing them on the counter near the sink.
“Not dodging shit.”
Bogs smirked. “Then why were you staring at her?”
Jonah turned around and leaned back on the counter. “She’s beautiful. Can’t tell me I’m the first guy to look at her, Bogs.”
“No, she gets it all the time, though being her brother, I don’t really get the appeal.” Bogs watched Jonah seeing something in his eyes. He was hiding something. “Just curious, why didn’t you make a move? Didn’t see you talk to her all night.”
Jonah stared back at him as if bored with the conversation. He wasn’t fooling anyone. There was definitely interest. Why he was staying in denial mode, Bogs wasn’t sure. He had no issue with Jonah and Roxanne. In fact, he kind of like the idea of his sister being with a man like Jonah. Stone had called it. Jonah was a good guy.
Jonah crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Maybe I did but you were too busy with her friend to notice.”
Turning it back on him, nice try, dick. Bogs smiled. Jonah was putting a lot of effort into evading his questions about Roxanne. “No, I would have noticed. Hell, I noticed you hanging with my girl most of the night.”
“Yeah, well somebody had to. She still pissed at you?”
Bogs cocked an eyebrow. “You saw where I was sleeping, what do you think?”
Jonah snorted. “Yeah, well, she’ll forgive ya but I suggestyou spend less time down here with me and more time up there with her.”
Bogs nodded and stared up at the ceiling. He hadn’t heard her moving around. He turned and headed toward the doorway. “And Jonah, just so we’re clear.” He glanced over his shoulder, slowly smiling and shrugged. “Got no problem with you and Rox. Just sayin’.”
