"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Long story. But just so you know. Those girls? They're both engaged."
That made me pause. "Both of them? To who?"
"My brothers, actually."
"Oh." My heart suddenly felt ten times lighter. "Really?"
"Yeah. They came up with Jake and Bishop, who supposedly had to take care of something."
"Supposedly?"
"It sounded like bull to me. But the deal was, I had to keep the girls company."
"You mean because they're not from around here?"
"No." Joel paused. "I mean, yeah, that was the story Bishop gave. But you wanna know what I think?"
"What?"
"It was just a ploy to smooth things over." He gave a humorless laugh. "Like, we'd have a drink, they'd sing my brothers' praises, and we'd all be one happy family again." He made a scoffing sound. "Like we ever were."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, it's a long story. And trust me, you don't wanna hear it."
"You're wrong," I said. "I do." I hesitated. "Unless you'd rather not?"
"Forget them." His voice warmed. "Let's talk about us."
Chapter 46
I met his gaze. "Us?" Technically, there was no us, but I really liked the sounds of that.
He leaned a fraction closer. "Before I showed up last night, do you know how ticked I was, knowing I had to stay away?"
His words sent a thrill up my spine. And yet, they didn't quite make sense. "Sorry, I'm not following. Why would you need to stay away?"
"Because I didn't want them anywhere near you, that's why." His jaw tightened. "They fucking ruin everything." He glanced away. "Sorry."
I almost wanted to smile. "That's alright."
"Nah," he said, "it's not. It's just one of those things, you know? They make me crazy, the whole lot of them." His voice softened. "And then, there's you."
My hand was resting on the center console. He reached out and closed his hand over mine. Soon, our fingers were intertwined, and I felt some of the tension slip away. I said, "There's me? What about me?"
"You're so sweet, it makes me forget."
"Forget what?"
He gave a rueful laugh. "Everything." And then, as if shaking off a lingering gloom, he said, "The good news is, they're gone. And they're not coming back."
"How do you know?"
Joel smiled. "Because I bribed them."
"With what?"
