“What?”
“You might be out of prison, Brooks, but you’re still living like you’re in one.” I looked out the window and finished the rest of my coffee. It was cold now.
“Well, aren’t you insightful as hell,” he muttered. “Doyouread psychology books?”
“No.”
There was another stretch of quiet.
“What are you considering?” he asked finally.
“Hmm?”
“The phone call I walked in on,” he said. “It was your grandfather, right?”
“It was.” I glanced at him. “He invited me to travel with him around Europe. After the baby shower, I mean. I said I’d think about it.”
“You can’t go.”
I raised my brows. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t go, because if you do, you’re going to meet a man with an accent and perfect English hair that looks good in rainy drizzle, and you’re going to fall head over heels in love with him. And I can’t let that happen.”
The anger in my chest evaporated. “You can’t let that happen, hmm?”
“No. You’d always be thinking about me anyway, so it wouldn’t work out long term. You’d be thinking about the cowboy who made you come with his tongue. It’s not fair for another man to live in my shadow. In a way, I’m saving you.”
“Oh, I see. You’re worried about the nameless, faceless man. I feel like we need to name him.”
“Angus.”
“Angus? You see me with a man named Angus?” I asked with a laugh.
Brooks’ smile dimmed ever so slightly when he looked at me. “No. I see you with a man named Brooks.”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
My phone rang, breaking the spell between us. I leaned down and grabbed my cell. I pressed the answer button.
“Hey,” I greeted.
“We’ll be home tomorrow night,” Salem said. “If I don’t see you at my house for dinner, Hadley and I will kidnap you.”
I sniggered. “I’ll be there.”
“So, word on Silver Street is you and Brooks have been hanging out,” she fished.
“Uh, yeah. Kinda.” I glanced at Brooks. “I can’t really talk about it.”
“You’re with him right now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay. I gotchya. Can’t wait to hear about everything.”
“Tomorrow night we’ll catch up. You, me, Hadley and we’ll call Wyn,” I said. “I’ll text her a heads up. Safe travels.”
“Bye.”
