Chance killed the engine with an exasperated sigh. “Of course not. According to Ruby, I’m corrupting Cordy, remember? I’m guessing you didn’t ask her here either.”
“I told her what we’d be doing today.” Quint cocked his head. “Well, Itextedher.”
Pain vibrated under his brother’s words. Chance doubted anyone but him and maybe Rye would have heard it, but it was there.
Chance slapped his brother on the shoulder. “Well, she got your message. And she came.”
“Yeah,” Quint said slowly. “She did. She likes Cordy, you know.”
Chance didn’t, because Ruby didn’t talk to him much. She’d made some efforts when she’d first married Quint, but she stopped trying once she realized the Kessals weren’t exactly storybook material. She must have thought she could fix Quint by pulling him away from his messed-up dad and brothers, except it hadn’t worked.
Not that Chance blamed Ruby. It had been worth a try. She’d loved Quint at some point, enough to marry him, and of course she would want to make him better. But Ruby didn’t know what she was getting into with a Kessal man. They loved hard, but they never loved smart. Wasn’t any way to change that.
“I’m glad she’s here,” Chance said. “Cordy needs more friends.” He glanced at Quint. “And you’re happier when she’s around.”
“Don’t have to be happy to help move boxes.” Quint’s eyes were shining, though.
“It helps all the same.” Chance climbed out of the truck. “Go talk to her. I’ve got to help Cordy out of the truck.”
“Rye can do it.”
“No,” Chance said darkly, “he can’t. That’s my job.”
Cordy had no idea what to do next.
Most of her stuff was currently sitting in a horse trailer. She was about to move in with Chance Kessal, of all people, while Ruby Kessal, the second-grade teacher, was waiting on his front porch like she was expecting Cordy.
All Cordy could do was sit in the truck and try to breathe. It wasn’t going well, the breathing part.
“Huh,” Rye said.
Cordy didn’t think he’d said a complete sentence all day. She didn’t mind that he was quiet, but more thanhuhwas needed to explain this situation.
“Does… does Ruby visit Chance often?” A nightmare image of Chance hooking up with his brother’s wife flashed through her mind. Cordy was sick and furious all at once.
“No.” Rye got out, slamming the truck door behind him.
Okay, that wasn’t enough explaining, but at least she didn’t have to worry about Chance hooking up with Ruby.
Ruby was still good friends with Hailey, Reed’s sister. If things got awkward with Ruby, Cordy wasn’t sure she could handle it. But what could she do? There was nothing to do but face it, same as she had to do with everything else.
Cordy grit her teeth and reached for the door handle. However, Rye was already opening the door for her and offering her a hand. Good Lord, he was fast—she hadn’t even seen him going around the truck.
She reached out to take his hand. Before she could, Rye was elbowed aside with a rough “Move.”
And then Chance was holding out his hand to her. His mouth was flat, very serious. His gaze burned.
“You shoved your brother,” she said breathlessly. He was almost being… possessive.
“I’ve got you. Rye can start unloading the truck.”
Chance was being rude to his brother and way too bossy to her. Cordy ought to ignore his offer of help and teach Chance a lesson.
She put her hand in his.
His fingers closed tight on hers, so tight she couldn’t slip away. It wasn’t the touch of skin on skin that made her gasp—it was that grip of his. So firm, so assured.
Possessive.
