Those were his priorities.
It was probably the reason his relationship with Celine had gone south.
He didn’t have time for a woman.
He had a sister he financially supported and a restaurant to run.
“Got it, big guy. I’m just saying, you don’t want to push her away.” Cannon shrugged.
“Well, I hope you won’t be pushing me away, because I plan on taking this bull rider home with me tonight,” Bree said as she leaned down and kissed him.
He pulled back and winked at me, but I didn’t miss the way his gaze kept moving to the dance floor, because mine was doing the same thing.
We were clearly both keeping our eyes on someone, and I had a feeling it wasn’t the same person.
Gracie was moving to the left and the right as they danced to Chris Stapleton, and the dance floor was packed as they all sang along, moving in sync.
I laughed when her hands went over her head, and she got everyone to follow her movements.
Justin moved up behind her, one hand snaking around her waist, and I shifted in my seat, ready to pounce if I needed to. But she turned in his arms, head falling back with laughter as they started dancing all on their own.
My chest tightened, and I didn’t know what the hell it meant.
I’d always been protective of her, but this was different.
I didn’t like the way he was looking at her.
I didn’t like that she was smiling up at him either.
And it was fucked up. This is what she wanted, and I was supposed to support her.
Why am I having such a hard time with this?
“Hello, earth to Cutler.” Sydney waved her hand in front of my face, and I startled.
“Hey, sorry. I was caught up in the song,” I lied.
She tipped her head back as she downed the whiskey and then reached for her tall fruity blended drink. “So are you ever going to call me?”
“We’re friends, right?” I asked, trying to keep things easy.
“Of course we are. But I’ve also got needs, and I’m guessing you do too? So how about we turn this into a little friends-with-benefits deal, huh?” she asked, her hand finding my knee now.
But my gaze moved back to the dance floor again, just as Justin leaned down to kiss Gracie, and I swear my grip tightened so hard on my beer bottle, I was certain it would shatter.
It took everything in me not to storm out there and haul his ass away from her, which made no sense.
So I forced myself to swallow down my anger. This streak of jealousy was so foreign to me that I didn’t know how to process it.
I was being irrational, and I knew it.
She’s your best friend. She’s your best friend. She’s your best friend.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
So I shifted in my seat, and it felt like time came to a stop as I watched everything play out in front of me.
Sydney’s voice was a blur of words beside me that I couldn’t make out, which she didn’t appear to notice because she kept on talking.
