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“Nope.”

“Willow?”

I laugh. “You don’t know him.”

“Him?” he asks, his voice instantly shifting to protective brother mode and I roll my eyes, lean back in my seat, and close my eyes.

“Yes, Theo. Him.”

“What’s his name? Where did you meet him? Give me his social security number.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’re insane.”

The little growl on the other end of the line makes me smile even as I roll my eyes again. “I’m serious, T. Who is this guy? You didn’t mention anyone to me when I was there and you’ve got money now. You need to be careful that he’s not using you.”

“Theo!” I shout through my laughter. “I haven’t even spent any of that money so I don’t think men are suddenly looking at me like I’m their sugar mama.”

“I’m worried about you,” he grumbles as the sound of the screen door opening behind me catches my attention. I glance over my shoulder and watch Lincoln as he walks down the steps with a pile of plates and silverware in his hands. “Hey, I gotta go. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Don’t think this is over, Tate!” he yells into the phone as I hang up, giggling at his reaction. Back in high school when I was getting into trouble, Theo was always stressing over where I was and who I was with but it’s not something he’s had to think about in a long time. Not that he has to now anyway. Lincoln and I are just friends.

“You want any help?” I ask as he fumbles with one of the steak knives and he glances up, glaring at me.

“I got it. You just sit your pretty ass there.”

My brow arches. “You better watch it unless you want a repeat of our first meeting.”

“Maybe I do. You’re not as scary as you think you are.”

I scoff and hop up from my chair. “You’d be singing a different tune if you emptied my purse right now.”

He studies me for a moment, trying to decide if I’m telling the truth and I almost want him to do it just so I can see his face when he pulls out the Taser, knife, and pepper spray. Not to mention the pistol I stowed in the glove box of Mia’s car.

“I never know if you’re serious or not about the weapons.”

Crossing my arms behind my back, I flash him an innocent smile. “Why don’t you take a peek?”

My stomach growls again and he shakes his head. “Why don’t you get some food and tell me why you feel like you need to carry around multiple ways to defend yourself?”

Sighing, I take a plate from him and go to the grill where I grab the tongs and put one of the steaks on my plate.

“What’s in the tin foil?” I ask, eyeing the shiny little pouches on the grill.

“Potatoes and veggies.”

I grab one and set it on my plate before walking back over to the table and sitting down as Lincoln passes me. With him behind me at the grill, I take a deep breath, mentally reminding myself that I’ve got this before he walks back over and sits across from me.

“So, how was your Valentine’s Day?” he asks as I cut into my steak and I picture two nights ago when the girls and I went through five bottles of wine and spent hours bashing the men in our lives – including the one staring at me now.

“Uh…uneventful. You.”

He nods, staring at his plate. “Same.”

Something is off with him tonight but I can’t quite place my finger on it. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What?” he asks, his head snapping up.

“You’re being weird. What’s going on?”