"They never should've been there to begin with."
"You're right, but I'm not some damsel in distress who needs saving. One time is all it took for me to know I needed to get out of there, and that's what I did. End of story."
"Nice try." Owen crosses his large arms over his chest. "But from what I gather, Jeremy is still bothering you."
Now I'm going to be the one killing someone, and it isn't going to be my ex. No, it's going to be my current boyfriend who can't keep his mouth shut.
"I've got it handled," I insist.
"Is that so?" I want to slap the cocky grin from my brother's face. "How many times has your phone buzzed since we've been standing here?" He raises an eyebrow when I refuse to answer. "In case you weren't counting, I was. Eight times."
Damn it all to hell. I really hate his supersonic hearing some days.
"And that will be resolved when I change my phone number.” Which I'm going to do sooner rather than later. Because he isn't wrong—it has gone off eight times since I walked in. Add that to the number of times it went off after Ang left to go to work, or even just since I left to come here, and it’s definitely a problem.
"Give me the phone," my brother demands when it starts ringing again.
A large part of me wants to tell him to go to hell, but I know better. Owen can handle these types of things better than I can. And if I'm being honest, Jeremy has always been a little afraid of Owen.
I pull the phone out of my pocket and slap it into my brother's waiting hand just as it stops ringing. And just as I think I'm going to get a reprieve, it starts to ring again.
Owen answers the call with a growling, "Hello."
I take a step back so I don't have to hear Jeremy's nasally voice. I don't know what I ever saw in that man. He's puny compared to my brother and Ang. Not that size matters, but . . . okay, I lied. Size absolutely matters. Especially when a man is self-conscious about it like Jeremy is.
"I'm only going to say this once. Leave my sister the hell alone, or deal with me."
I don't hear what Jeremy says, and honestly, I'm pretty sure Owen cuts him off, but before I know it, I'm getting my phone back.
"That should take care of the problem."
I'm not sure I agree, but I don't argue either. I have more important things to take care of. "Well, thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I’ll be going. I have a bone to pick with Ang." I don't wait to see what Owen is going to say before I turn around and storm out of the office.
"Annalee, can you keep Everly for just a little longer?" I ask as soon as I'm back in the reception area.
"Absolutely. The two of us are having a blast." Based on the number of crayons and papers littering Annalee's desk, I can see that.
I push through the door and stomp down the sidewalk like a woman on a mission. And that's exactly what I am. A womanwho doesn't care that she's about to interrupt some meeting. Ang had no right going to my brother after I explicitly said it isn't what I wanted.
I'm furious, and the man is about to see my wrath.
I walk straight into a construction zone and find Ang across the place. His back is to me as he speaks to someone I can only assume is his foreman based on his phone call earlier today.
"Angelo Creek," I shout. "I have a bone to pick with you.”
Ang turns around but it isn't him that I'm currently staring at.
"Hello, Gracie," a voice I very much recognize, but never thought I would hear in Willow Creek, says from across the room.
Chapter Twenty-Six
ANNIE
I look at my little sister and cringe when she backs away from me.
"Annie?" I can hear the disbelief in her tone. "What are you doing here?"
This probably doesn't look good to her, so I quickly start to explain. "This is my pub. Ang's construction company is remodeling it for me."
