Page 26 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

“I’ve got a tray of enchiladas in the oven. Drink your wine and we’ll have some dinner, put on a movie.” Kellan was still trying to erase the last few minutes, and he’d gone through a lot of trouble to make a nice night. I could see his point about Dex ruining things. And what was he up to in Whisper Cove? Last night, he sat through dinner, endlessly charming my sisters, but he never told us why he was down on the dark cove.

“Who is Quinn?” I asked.

Kellan straightened from leaning down to look in the oven. “Who? Oh, him,” he said with disgust. “Declan and Quinn have been best friends since middle school—inseparable. They both joined the army together after high school, and my parents and I thought that might straighten the two of them out. But no, they were still just as wild and reckless as ever. Declan would do anything for Quinn and vice versa.”

“Maybe Quinn was a brother to him, a relationship he didn’t have with his real brother.”

Kellan looked up sharply from pouring a glass of wine. “Sounds like you’re taking his side.”

I sat up defensively. “You told me that yourself, right after I found out that you had a brother. Something it took you six months to mention.”

Kellan drank a few gulps of wine. “I didn’t mention him because Declan and I haven’t been in each other’s lives for a long time.”

“Sounds like he sends you texts, but you don’t bother to respond.”

He put his glass down hard. “So, you are taking his side. Story of my life when it comes to Declan.”

“I’m not taking any sides. There is no side in this discussion. I hardly know your brother. I mostly know him through what you’ve told me about him. So, he’s here to help Quinn?”

“I guess Quinn’s in the hospital.” He smiled, suddenly. “Got beat up in jail. So, what do you think of that?”

“Sounds dreadful. Poor man. Why does it make you smile?”

He pushed the smile down. “I’m sure he was asking for it. Can’t tell you how many times Declan had to step in to keep Quinn from getting beat up because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

He was spilling it all gladly, as if he thought it would help me see how terrible his brother was, but it only put Dex in a better light. Protecting a friend, no matter the reason, was admirable. And it seemed Quinn wasn’t the only person Dex had stepped in to protect. During their heated conversation, something came up that sounded as if it might have been the catalyst to destroy their brotherhood for good.

“Was Breanna a high school sweetheart?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s change the subject. Earlier we were talking about the cook job at your café. I’ve put out a few feelers, and I think I’ve found someone. I talked to the woman in a video chat, and she’s very qualified.”

I stared at him over my glass of wine. “That’s my job, not yours. It’s my café, and believe it or not, I’m good at running my business.”

“Except that you’re running yourself ragged because you can’t fill the cook position. You’re too tired to get together?—”

“I told you I was having dinner with my sisters last night.” I decided it was best to leave out the part about the unexpected dinner guest. “You might not have any interest in being part of your brother’s life, but I’m very much a part of my sisters’ lives.”

“You’ve told me, yourself, they count on you too much. You’re all adults now. Let them take care of their own problems.”

“That was me having a bad day and needing someone to listen to my complaints. That’s what a good partner does, right? I wouldn’t give up being their big sister for anything, and frankly, I’m a pretty darn good problem solver. And I can solve my own business problems, too.”

Kellan put down the wine and walked around the kitchen island to put his arms around me. I didn’t lean into him like I usually did. It felt like what we had was fraying. “I wanted this to be a relaxing night for you, baby. Let’s eat and then we can sit down for a movie. Forget all about this whole conversation.”

“I’m sorry, Kellan. I know you put a lot of work into this evening, but I’m not very hungry.”

He stepped back. There was more anger than hurt in his expression. His short temper was something he’d kept hidden from me the first few months, but I was seeing more of it each time we met. “I don’t understand. Everything was fine until Declan?—”

“No, that’s not it.” I said it with conviction as if I actually believed it. I sighed. “I’m tired.”

He nodded curtly. “Yes, I know. You had a long day. I’ve been hearing about your long days for a month, but you won’t let me help you fill that position.”

“No, don’t you see? It’s my business. I’m the one who has to work with the person every day. I’m the one who has to be their boss and their coworker. I need to know if I’m compatible with the person before I can hire them.” I got up from the stool. “I’m sorry, Kellan. I just need to go home and fall in bed. We’ll talk tomorrow. Thank you for this. I really am sorry.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

He didn’t see me out. I looked back, but he didn’t even look my way. Was it over? Possibly. I got in the elevator, and I pulled my coat close around me as if it was there not just to keep out the cold but to keep me from falling completely apart.

“Leaving so soon?” Roy asked as he opened the door for me.

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