Jed stood up at the same time Ty did, ready for trouble. I couldn’t say whether they were going to put a stop to it or looking to get some started. I took a deep breath, already thrown off my guard even with such support on my side. I stood to face Bret, flanked by my brother and Ty.
Bret stepped in front of us but hesitated. He glanced from Ty, whose rancher’s muscles stood out beneath his pale blue button-down, to Jed, who hadn’t lost any of the lean hardness he’d gained from twelve years in the Army. Finally, he looked at me. I didn’t cut the same imposing figure as either of the men beside me, but I could still glare daggers at my ex.
“June.” Bret said my name with the same shade of affection he’d used when we dated. Even he must have realized how fake that sounded now. He shifted his weight on his feet with another quick glance at my companions. “Ty. Jed.”
“Dickface,” Jed said. “How’s it going?”
Bret’s façade slipped. Half a second later, his confidence kicked back on, as bright as ever. “How have you been, June?”
“I’ve been great.” I kept my words flat so he wouldn’t think I was happy at all to see him.
“That’s good to hear.” He swallowed hard, casting brief glances at the men beside me. “Work going well?”
“The best. I’m starting my own design business.”
Ty shifted at my side. Maybe it made me petty to throw that out there, but I didn’t have a lot to toss in Bret’s face right now.I’ve been kissing your brotherwas one, but I wasn’t feelingthatpetty.
“That sounds great.” Bret glanced around the crowded yard. When his eyes landed on me again, I caught a glimpse of nerves behind his composed veneer. “Would you talk to me alone for a few minutes? Please?”
Ty moved as though he might put himself between me and his brother, but he didn’t quite do it. Neither he nor Jed said anything—they just made their presence undeniable as they stared Bret down in the middle of the party.
“Sure.” My fake friendliness needed work, but I tried.
He gestured for me to go first, so I walked toward the little grove of peach trees that stood on one side of the Robinsons’ house.
“I’ll watch for your signal,” Jed called after us, reminding me of his willingness to throw a punch if needed.
I clenched my hands together as I reached the stand of trees. We stood far enough away from the wedding guests to be out of earshot, but still somewhat in sight of them. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be completely alone with Bret. I had no fear of falling for his garbage again, but I didn’t want to give him the perfect opportunity to peddle it, either.
In classic Bret style, he smiled at me as if nothing at all could be strange about seeing each other again after so many months. “It’s been a while.”
Seeing him brought back memories, but probably not the ones he hoped. All I could think about was our last day together, and how long it had taken him to get around to telling me he’d started seeing someone else. We’d had dinner, walked through my favorite park and up to my apartment door before he finally started in on the real conversation. Even in the moment of telling me our relationship was over, it took him way too long to do it.
When he didn’t come right out and speak up, I considered going straight back to my table. This was so like him, to have something to say and not actually say it. “Well?”
“You look gorgeous.”
“You could have told me that in front of Jed and Ty.”
“I’m not sure about that.” He flashed a cheeky smile, but it faded when I didn’t budge.
Still the Bret I’d known last year, more comfortable with the shine of a confident exterior than exposing anything real. He looked so much like Ty, with the same broad forehead and strong jawline, and hints of similarity around the mouth. But where Ty’s eyes reflected his heart, however conflicted it might be, Bret’s eyes didn't let me in at all. He was all flirt and charm, with nothing underneath. I kicked myself for never recognizing his lack of sincerity when we were together.
“June, I owe you an apology.”
He looked so contrite all of a sudden, I almost laughed at the change. This, too, seemed more like a show than a glimpse of true regret. He was sorry now?
“You already apologized.”
“No, I didn’t. Not really.” He took a deep breath that felt like another stalling tactic. He ate up plenty of time just making a show out of everything. “June, I didn’t treat you right. I never should have—” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I thought you knew we were just casual.”
He had no idea how close he was to getting slapped. Only the sight of the wedding guests over his shoulder stopped me from giving that remark the answer it deserved. “Was that seriously your apology?”
He winced, but what could he have expected? Gratitude?
“I’m sorry. I screwed up. I was a complete and total jackass, I know that now.”
I didn’t have anything to say. Hurt and anger swam through me all over again, and I tucked my hands beneath my elbows so he couldn’t see them tremble. When he broke things off with me I’d been so surprised, everything had seemed to happen all at once. Now, time slowed so I could memorize every word of this pointless conversation.
