“Out back,” Sloane said, already helping herself to a cupcake.
Elias grabbed a beer and headed out the door.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Why are they outside?”
She shrugged as she chewed. “Jace insisted on barbecuing even though it’s below zero and dumping snow.”
I laughed. “Sounds like my brother.”
She nodded. She was clearly gone over the guy. I hadn’t known until after they got together that they’d both been crushing on each other since we were teenagers.
“Wine?”
I snorted. “As if you have to ask.”
She frowned. “Is it not going well with Teddy?”
She poured us each a glass, and we settled onto the sofa. I filled her in on how things had been going with separating Teddy’s life from mine.
“Hold on, so Elias has been pretending to be your boyfriend?” She nudged my shoulder with hers.
My cheeks heated, and I told myself it was the glass of red that was already half gone.
“It’s not as exciting as it sounds. He literally just talked to Teddy on the phone and showed up when we met.”
“Did you want him to do more?” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I giggled. “We’re co-workers. He’s my brother’s employee. There can be nomore.”
Sloane pulled her legs up under her on the couch. She wore leggings and a slouchy sweatshirt, looking casual and comfortable in the home she shared with my brother. A stark contrast to the high-powered lawyer she was at her job.
“Look, I can’t talk about my sex life since it involves your brother.”
“Eww. Mental block.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, you don’t have to take a vow of celibacy just because Teddy didn’t turn out to be the one. Elias is cute, and he wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to be your fake boyfriend if he didn’t think of you that way.”
I glanced over my shoulder toward the window. The guys were standing out on the deck, drinking cold beer despite the frigid temperature. My gaze found Elias easily; the light catching on his glasses.
He was exactly the kind of person Teddy loved to demean. Blue collar. Made his living with his hands. Honest, hardworking, not scheming or manipulative. Just doing what needed to be done.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t watched him on the job site more than I should have. He was hot. Sloane wasn’t wrong.
“He’s a helpful guy; I don’t think it’s any deeper than that.”
“You don’t have to punish yourself for Teddy’s sins forever,” Sloane said, refilling my glass from the bottle. “Just think about it.”
Little did she know that was all I had been thinking about.
Chapter Eight
Elias
Jace looked over his shoulder through the window into the house, then back at me. “How’s this shit with Teddy going? I didn’t want to ask Layne in case it upset her.”
I snorted. “You don’t know your sister very well if you’re worried about that. If you haven’t been called to post bail, she’s fine.”
He laughed. “Okay, fair. Just tell me if something happens, alright?” He flipped a burger on the grill. It was fucking freezing out, but we were all used to it. Cold that made your lungs sting was just part of being Canadian.
