Page 30 of Perfect Scandal
Carly backhands him across the chest, and both Holden and Alana chuckle. But not Tessa. A fine line forms on her forehead instead as her dark eyes survey me in silence.
“I think you’d be a great dad,” Tessa says after a beat. “You’re already like a big brother to these idiots.” She waves blindly over her shoulder, and both of her brothers scoff. “Do you have siblings? I didn’t meet any at the wedding…”
I shake my head and hold up my nearly empty beer, wishing it would miraculously refill so I could gulp it down. I don’t talk about this shit with anyone. Not because I’m ashamed of my plans to stay at the Magnolia Blue as long as Holden and Kaden will let me, but because talking about the future usually requires talking about the past. “No. Just cousins.”
“What about your parents? I bet they—”
“I need another drink,” I interrupt, pushing past her and the rest of our friends. Alana, along with Charlotte, Ben, and Cooper from the ranch, all know the answer to that question. And the answer is that I have no idea what my parents would have wanted for me, because they weren’t around long enough to tell me.
“Hey…” Tessa catches up to me at the bar, tugging at my arm and then wedging herself between me and an empty stool when I don’t turn. “What did I say?” she asks, her dark eyes darting back and forth between mine. “I didn’t mean to overstep by suggesting you’d be a good dad—”
“My parents are dead. Have been for twenty-two years. And I don’t want kids.” End of discussion. “Jake, can I get another beer and a shot of Jameson?” I hold up my empty bottle to the guy behind the bar.
“You never told me that.” Her voice is softer now and full of sympathy I don’t fucking want. I’m thirty-two goddamn years old. She’s not going to swoop in and start making me think about shit I’ve successfully put out of my mind for years… make mewantshit I swore I never would.
“Why would I?” I dig some cash from my wallet and toss it on the bar while Jake grabs the whiskey and a shot glass. “It’s not like you’reactuallymy wife or even interested in that role.”
Her eyes go wide, and I bite back a curse.
“Don’t worry. No one heard,” I mutter under my breath.
“I wouldn’t give a shit if they did.” She reaches up, curls her soft hand around my jaw, and turns my face toward hers.
I slam my eyes shut.
“Dammit, Dean, look at me.”
“Go back to your brothers before one of them comes over and reprimands you for coming after me.”
“Let them.” She strokes a thumb over my stubble. “You’re hurting, and I caused that. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not hurting,” I scoff like a petulant child. “For fuck’s sake, Tessa, just drop it already.”
Jake returns with my beer and the whiskey and pours out the shot on the bar in front of me. I grab it and swallow it down without hesitation.
“Hit me again,” I demand, and he narrows his eyes at me. I never drink more than beer, and he knows it. Still, he pours a second, and I down it just as quickly.
“Give me your keys.” Tessa holds out her hand.
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t care. You’re not driving.” She shoves her hand closer, and I almost laugh at her tough girl act. “If you don’t give them to me, I’ll let Aiden or Wyatt do the honors.”
Bullheaded friggin’ woman. It’s no wonder I like her so damn much—she’s exactly like me in that regard.
“You wouldn’t,” I grumble, hitting her with a glare. “And there’s no way your brothers would let you drive me home anyway.”
One perfectly arched eyebrow lifts above a dark, challenged eye as she reaches into my pocket and removes my keys herself.
“Looks like you’re not the only one I’m about to piss off tonight.”
chapter 12
TESSA
“You’ve driven something this big before, right?” Dean scowls from the passenger seat of his truck an hour and two more shots later.
He’s been pouting about me taking his keys just as long, and my brothers swore to high heavens they’d break in his door if I wasn’t back at the main house within the hour.
