Page 116 of Wild in Minnesota

He put his hand up. “I did. I shook everything in him because I know everything he’s been through. I know what he lived through as a kid and an adult, and I twisted the knife.”

My brain felt like a junk drawer that had been dumped onto a trampoline. I couldn’t string two thoughts together as I stared at my brother.

“This morning, he came to my room. He apologized for not being straight with me from the beginning. He told me he’d spent time with you, and things were going well until something from his past showed up, causing you to cut and run.” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to know what the thing was, but he said it was bad.”

I nodded as naked Barbie streaked through my mind. Whore.

“The fact that I took my best friend down like that is horrible. It was you I was worried about, but I knew the things I was saying would break him, and I did it anyway. Gabe has lost more in his life than I’ll ever know in mine, and he’s fought through it all to become a good person.”

I shook my head.

“I need you to hear me. When he came to see me today, he said all he wanted to do was to protect and take care of you.”

My eyes burned as I snatched a napkin from the table.

“Fern, he said he loves you.”

I slammed my hand against the table. “Stop! Don’t say that.”

“He—”

I jumped to my feet. “No!” I pointed to the tall chick in the blue dress. “He doesn’t love me. I heard him planning a weekend hook-up with her!” That was it, the final nail in Gabe’s coffin. Now I was certain Gabe would die tonight. But you know what? I wasn’t even going to try to save him. Nope, let Dave do his thing. Peace out mother trucker!

“Jennifer?” He peeked through some people to see her at the bar.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass who she is. I heard them planning it with my own ears, making everything he said last night and forever a lie!”

“Jennifer’s the team’s equipment manager.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Again, a rat’s ass I don’t give! Now, if you’ll excuse me?—”

“Gabe offered to let her use his cabin for a birthday-get-away with her girlfriend.”

Brandon walked over and handed me a glass of water before putting his arm around me.

Dave pointed. “Cut that out. I know this was a fake date thing.”

Brandon let out an enthusiastic sigh. “Thank God, I’ve been feeling pukey all night.”

I elbowed him. “Hey!” Then my mind wrestled with my brother’s words. “Her girlfriend at his cabin?”

Dave shrugged. “Yes, she’s a lover of the ladies.”

Brandon laughed. “I’m a lover of the ladies.” Brandon gave Dave a high-five. “Happy to be single.”

A fire bolt of life re-entered my body. “So she’s planning a hot weekend with her girlfriend?” OMG.

Dave nodded. “That’s right.”

I was on an out-of-control roller coaster as I gasped for air. “So Gabe wasn’t talking about a hook-up with Jennifer? She’s just using his cabin?”

“What?” Brandon’s nose wrinkled. “Are we still talking about girl-on-girl action?”

Dave laughed. “Nothing wrong with that topic. But Fern was speaking to the fact that Gabe isn’t sneaking around with anybody and told me he loved her.”

Brandon dramatically gasped. “So now I have to un-hate him?” Brandon shook his head as he grinned. “I’ve put so much energy into the whole rage thing.” He whispered to Dave. “We were going to key his truck shortly. I’m a little disappointed in the change of course here.”

My beat-up heart had jumped to its feet and was dusting itself off. “Dave, are you saying you’re okay with this?”

---