“Smell it.”
He brought it to his nose and immediately shook his head. “Warn a guy next time!”
“Strong, right?”
“The fuck?”
“Look at the edges again. They’re stained.”
He squinted at the scrap for several seconds. “I see it.”
“The soft edges and staining take time. He didn’t pick it up once and set it aside. He had to fiddle with it… a lot.”
“Aw, he was thinking of you.”
“And that’s the problem.”
He set the pieces down, then settled his hands on his hips and glared at me. “Really?”
“What?”
“You’re interested in him.”
“What?”
“You’re interested in him,” he repeated.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’m here.”
“That makes no sense.”
He snorted. “You have no problem shutting down alphas. You play oblivious until they move on, or you’re direct if theydon’t get the hint. If youwantedto tell him to stop, you would have already. Instead, I’m here while you’re freaking out about some weird courting thing.”
“You think he’s courting me?”
“Dude! You said on the phone that you’re airing out the shop, and I think I can guess why. You’ve got pieces of wood that you say he had to have handled over and over—enough that they’re drenched in his scent. Wood that he set aside for you. It’s not wine and flowers, but come on…”
He chuckled. “Hell, it’s probably better that it’s wood.”
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m just having fun now.”
I glared at him.
He shrugged. “Look, man. Like I said, you’re good at shutting down alphas. You’re my best friend, and I love you. But we both know that, deep down, the only reason I’m here is because you don’t want to chase this one off.”
I took a couple steps down the stairs, then sat on the porch.
“What if he gets tired of me, too?”
Kerry took a seat next to me and bumped me with his shoulder. “What if he doesn’t?”
“He’s just a flirt, though.”
“So let him flirt. He’ll move on soon enough if he’s not serious.”
