His “huh” registered. A quick glance his way told me he was anxious. Understandable, considering the situation. Giving him a boon and providing him with a distraction, I bit. “Huh, what?”
A twitch of his lips followed. Yeah, I totally took the bait.
“Alec tried to set Ross up too.”
Again? I wondered if it was with the same guy as before, but recalled Ross mention that had been with a guy he knew from the pub. I tensed a little at this new information. Alec was a good friend to all three of us. The “tried” in Craig’s comment then clicked into place, finally working its way into my tired brain, and my shoulders relaxed a little.
I considered not questioning him, while wondering why he was talking about this now, considering the past couple of months we hadn’t mentioned our conversation about Ross. Three minutes out and with the whitening of Craig’s fingers on the steering wheel, I figured it would be worth it to help keep his anxiety at bay, knowing his focus was really on his parents. “‘Tried’ as in it didn’t work out or Ross said no?” Admittedly I was curious and hoping for the latter. I also wondered why, once again, I hadn’t known, but truth be told, I hadn’t exactly advertised Alec trying to set me up either.
Craig’s grin was quick to form. “Said no. Something about being busy, not being interested in meeting anyonenew.” The emphasis didn’t go unnoticed. “Alec figures he’s got a hard-on for someone we know.”
I clamped my mouth shut, not willing to go there and trusting that Craig hadn’t discussed my feelings for his brother with anyone else. Instead, I looked ahead and exhaled in relief when I saw the gates to his parents’ property, and that while smoke hung low in the area, there was no intensity at the moment.
I eased myself higher in the passenger seat as we pulled into the long drive, both of us glancing around for signs of an immediate threat. As we pulled up close to the house, Harriet stepped out and waved. I threw my hand up in response, giving Craig’s mum a small smile before scanning the area.
And there he was, leading his folks’ two horses out of the stables. He paused, eyes landing on us. His relief was immediate—the smile, the relaxing of his shoulders, the movement of his lips that followed, suggesting he exhaled deeply.
My gaze didn’t stray from him as I exited the car and stepped in his direction. Making sure he was coping was my priority.
