Page 21 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
“Except, she does. Why else would she go to all your events?”
“Because that’s what friends do. Friends who are more like family. You support each other.”
With another big sigh as she shook her head, she said, “That’s true, but have you asked yourself why she went to all your rodeo events but didn’t even let you know she was there?”
No, he’d not figured that out. He’d wanted to, but how could he when he could never get Gabby alone? “Not yet. Do you know?”
Carrie Anne held his gaze. “Because each time after you rode, she’d go looking for you, only to find girls hanging all over you.”
“What does that have to do with her never letting me know she was there?”
His sister threw her hands up. “You’re hopeless.” She turned to walk away and stopped. “One of these days, you’re going to figure out the real answer to that question, and she’ll have moved on. You’re going to wake up one day and realize you’ve lost her. You should spend some time simmering on that thought for a bit.” With that, she walked to the back of the car to unload gifts, leaving Wyatt with a lot to think about.
Lose Gabby? That wasn’t possible. They were family. Her meeting someone wouldn’t change that. Although, now that he was really chewing on it, it bugged him. A lot more than he cared to admit. Gabby with another man? The thought made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. She had said she was supposedly dating someone in Charleston, but Carrie Anne talked like it wasn’t true.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why was he even going down that road? Carrie Anne and her meddling. That was all this was. She just didn’t understand the nature of his friendship with Gabby. They’d always been there for each other. That’s the way they operated.
Frustrated, he grumbled as he strode back inside the house. Gabby’s laughter filtered from the kitchen, and curiosity propelled him to find the source of it. At the entry, he froze.
Gabby was giggling like a schoolgirl, and Bandit had a huge smile on his face. She touched his arm, and he pulled her into a hug. “Oh, s-s-sweetheart, I m-m-missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
Bandit leaned back, kissed her on the forehead, and hugged her again. “You c-c-can’t stay gone so l-l-long this time.”
Wyatt cast his gaze to the floor, feeling like he’d walked in on something he wasn’t supposed to see. Was there something going on between Gabby and Bandit? And why did it bug him to even think about it? It made him even more frustrated with Carrie Anne.
Lifting his gaze, he cleared his throat, and Gabby and Bandit looked over at him. “Hey, W-W-Wyatt,” Bandit said.
“Hey. I thought you weren’t feeling good.” Wyatt directed the question to Gabby.
“I was just getting something to drink before I went to my room.”
He held her gaze. “I think you were doing more than getting a drink.” Where had that come from, and why was he suddenly mad?
Her eyebrows knitted together. “And if I was, what business is it of yours? I don’t answer to you. I’m just a family friend, right?” She looked at Bandit. “Thank you for the drink.” She kissed his cheek and stormed past Wyatt. Her footsteps could be heard all the way to her room.
Bandit lifted an eyebrow. “S-s-something wrong, Wyatt?”
“No,” he huffed. “Nothing’s wrong. Just…I didn’t know you two were an item.”
“You didn’t?” Carrie Anne asked.
He’d been so caught up in watching Bandit and Gabby that he hadn’t heard Carrie Anne come inside. Turning to her, he said, “They’re an item?” Hadn’t she just made a big deal about Gabby liking him? “I thought she was dating a guy named Tim.”
“She told me they’d just started talking.” Carrie Anne shrugged. “If you snooze, you lose, big brother. I told you that outside. I guess I just didn’t realize how serious they were.”
Wyatt’s stomach dropped to his boots. “You got me all twisted up. I told you Gabby was family, and this just proves it.” Heat rushed up his neck to the tips of his ears.
“Then why are you so mad?” She smiled as she tilted her head.
“I’m not. I’m perfectly fine.” He swore under his breath. His sister was pushing every button he had. It was just like her, too. She’d done it all the time when they were kids. “I’m going to my room. You’re just…just…” He waved her off and stormed to his room.
He stopped as he shut his bedroom door, fuming. He wasn’t mad that Gabby and Bandit were together. He was mad that no one told him. That Carrie Anne was making him think all sorts of things that obviously weren’t true.
Wyatt shook his head, crossed the room, and put his head in his hands as he sat on the edge of his bed.You’re going to wake up one day and realize you’ve lost her.Carrie Anne’s words floated to mind. Would he be upset if Gabby found someone to love? A someone that wasn’t him?
A few minutes ago, he’d had a solid answer, but now he wasn’t so sure. It was all his sister’s fault that he was so mixed up. What could he do? Or the better question was, what was he going to do? His career, his love life, and everything in between seemed so out of control lately. Coming home was supposed to help, not further complicate things.
