“Come on,” he said, forcing a laugh. “I don’t have to tell you about bro code. Dyl’s one of my best friends. No way would he mess around with a girl I had feelings for.” He thought about the hell they’d gone through the last time Dylan had agreed to walk away from Carly rather than risk their friendship. Brett had been selfish to ask, but he couldn’t handle the sight of them together—then or now.
Sophie couldn’t contain her grin when she said, “You have feelings for her, huh? You didn’t mention that.”
Brett knew there was no point in trying to hide it. Since they’d slept together, he felt as if he was wearing a flashing neon sign whenever he and Carly were in the same room. “Yeah, well, now you know.”
“So tell Dylan what happened. What other choice do you have?”
Brett had considered it, but the last thing he wanted was to break Carly’s trust again. “Don’t you think I owe it to her to keep my mouth shut?”
“That depends.” Sophie drew her knees up to her chin. “What have you got to lose?”
“Nothing. She already hates me.” Just saying it aloud made his heart ache. He couldn’t stand the thought of Carly hating him.
Sophie wrapped her arms around her legs. “I’m sure she doesn’t hate you. She’s just mad at you. And me. Thank you very much.”
“I’m sorry, okay?” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m sorry I screwed everything up.” He felt as though he’d been apologizing non-stop lately, not that it helped his cause. Everyone was still mad at him—or at least the only person who mattered was.
“Quit whining, and let’s figure out how to fix it.”
“I honestly don’t think telling Dylan about us is the answer.”
“Look, Carly’s my best friend. I know her, and I know how she feels about you. Given the choice between you and Dylan, I still think she’d choose you.” She nudged his leg with her foot. “Not that I get it. Dylan is seriously hot.”
“Thanks a lot.”
Sophie laughed. “Seriously, no one knows better than I do how much Carly loves you.”
Brett’s eyebrows gathered. “Why the hell didn’t you knock some sense into me before it was too late, Soph? She’s done with me. You know what she said to me tonight? That she hasn’t been in love with me for a long time.”
“I don’t know if I believe that. Maybe she was just angry?”
“Carly said she doesn’t like the man I’ve become.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” When silence stretched on, Brett’s gaze hit the floor. “Am I really that bad? Tell me the truth. Do I even deserve a shot with a girl like Carly?”
Sophie opened and closed her mouth. “Honestly? I don’t know. You’re a player. You’ve always been a player. I thought you’d outgrow it, but since y’all started High Rollers, you’ve gotten worse instead of better.”
He wanted to defend himself, but how could he? She was right.
“It’s not that I don’t get it,” Sophie said. “I do. You’re young, single, rich, successful, some might even say good-looking…” She giggled when he raised an eyebrow. “But that doesn’t mean the party has to last forever. Lord knows you’ve sowed enough oats to last a lifetime. Maybe it’s time to think about settling down with someone like Carly.”
“Someone like Carly or Carly?” He knew what he wanted her to say, but if he were Carly’s best friend, he wouldn’t want her mixed up with the likes of him.
“I don’t know.” She cleared her throat. “You know how much I love you, but that doesn’t mean I think you’re the right guy for my best friend. She deserves someone who will appreciate her, who will recognize what an incredible woman she is. No offense, but you’ve been ignoring that fact for a long time.”
“But I get it now, Soph. I do. I want a chance with her, a chance to prove to her that I can be the kind of guy she needs.”
“She seems pretty serious about this whole baby thing. How do you feel about that?”
He considered his answer carefully before he said, “I love being Uncle Brett to Zach’s and Matt’s kids. But am I ready to be a father?” He thought about how he’d felt when he learned Carly had taken the morning-after pill. He’d been almost… disappointed. “Maybe.”
“I think that’s something you should get clear about before you decide whether to pursue Carly. She’s been thinking about becoming a mama for a while now. She’s obviously decided to do it with or without a man in her life, so if you decide you want her, you’ll have to be on board with her decision.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Brett had so much to consider that he felt as if his head might explode. “Let me ask you something—do you think I’m a bad son?”
“No, why?”
“Carly said some things tonight that made me feel kind of bad. I don’t think that was her intent. She just wanted me to see things from her perspective.” For the first time in a long time, he thought about how his decisions and actions impacted those around him, and he didn’t feel good about the realizations he was coming to. “Have the folks said anything to you about me being distant or self-absorbed?”
Sophie chuckled. “You’ve always been self-absorbed. That’s nothing new.”
He knew she was teasing him, but he needed to hear the truth even if it hurt. “Come on, I’m serious. Am I a lousy son and brother?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” she said hesitantly. “Have you always been there when we needed you? Ah, no. But you’ve been busy building your own life. No one can blame you for that.”
He thought about the different facets of his life. He had a business he was proud of, lots of money in the bank, a large circle of friends, and nothing more. “Maybe it’s time to make some changes.”
She shrugged. “If you say so. Just make sure you’re making them for the right reasons.”
***
Carly was sitting at the drawing board in her office the next morning when Dylan popped his head through the open door.
“Hey, is this a bad time?” he asked.
She looked up, grinning when she saw the coffee and paper bag bearing the logo of her favorite café. “No, your timing is perfect. I was just thinking I could use a break. Come on in.”
“I thought since you had to run out before coffee and dessert last night I’d bring it to you.” He held out the bag. “How does a pecan Danish sound?”
She rubbed her flat tummy. “Mmm... My mouth is watering already. You’re my hero.”
He smiled as he extracted a sweet treat for himself and handed her the bag and coffee. “It’s my pleasure.” He stood behind her, eyeing the drawings over her shoulder. “Hey, this is amazing. I knew we were right to hold out for you. It would have taken a lot longer to convey our ideas to another designer, but you know us all so well that you get our concept.”
Carly still felt guilty about making them wait so long for a response when dozens of other firms were bidding for the project. “Thanks for having so much faith in me. It means a lot.” She smiled before she took a sip of coffee.
Dylan pulled up a stool so they were at the same height. “Something’s been bothering me. I wanted to mention it at dinner last night, but I didn’t want to spoil our evening.”
“Okay…” She’d tossed and turned half the night, thinking about her conversation with Brett. The last thing she needed was another heavy interaction to ponder. “What is it?”
“You and Brett.” He peeled back the plastic lid on his drink before taking a sip. “It’s no secret you were into him once upon a time, and the last thing I want is to step on Brett’s toes or get caught up in some—”
“Don’t give it another thought. Whatever feelings I may have had for Brett…” Her gaze wandered, looking for a place to land. Thinking about Brett without thinking about their intimate encounter the other night was difficult, and the last thing she wanted was for Dylan to misread her signals. She’d already wasted enough time on Brett and was more certain than ever that she was ready to pu
rsue the possibility of a relationship with Dylan. “It’s ancient history.” If a few days can be considered ancient history. She popped a bite of the pastry in her mouth, hoping it would save her from having to explain further.
“You know he’s very protective of you, right?”
She shrugged. “Maybe he just feels guilty because he didn’t reciprocate my feelings for him. Not that I blame him. You can’t force something, right?”
“Tell me about it.”
They shared a cynical smile that only people who’d been beaten up by love would understand.
“But I’ve known Brett a long time, and I get the feeling there’s more to it than that,” Dylan said.
“How so?” I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me!
“Maybe he finally recognizes that he was a fool to let you go.”
Her choked laugh revealed far more disbelief than her words could. “He never had me in the first place.”
Dylan reached for her hand. “I know better than most how hard it is to love someone who doesn’t love you back. Maybe that’s why we connect—because we understand what that’s like.”
That seemed like the perfect segue into a topic that had been at the forefront of Carly’s mind since Dylan had asked her out. “About Sabrina… Are you sure you’re over her?”
He tapped his fingertips against his knee as though he was suddenly restless. “Are you sure you’re over Brett?”
“I just said I was.”
“But I’m not sure I believe you.” He tipped his head back as his lips thinned into a hard line. “I like you. I think you’re an amazing girl. But I don’t want to be your second choice, and I don’t want you to be mine. I’d like to think we’ve grown up some in the past ten years.”
“So what do you propose?” she asked, feeling her muscles tense. She liked Dylan and wasn’t naïve enough to believe guys like him came along every day. If he walked away because he believed she still had feelings for Brett, she would never forgive herself.
“That we take it slow. Be honest with each other. Continue building our friendship and see if it can evolve into more.”
She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad I stopped by. I feel better about this.”
“Me too.”
“Dinner tonight?”
“Can I call you later?” She glared at her cell phone when it vibrated and Brett’s name popped up. Of all the inopportune times for him to call. “My team is trying to wrap up some of our smaller projects so we can devote all our resources to High Rollers. That means I have a few meetings scheduled for later today, and I may have a late night depending on how they go.”
“No problem.” Dylan glanced at her phone when it stopped ringing and started again a few seconds later. “Aren’t you going to get that?”
“I’ve said everything I have to say to him. It’s over and done.”
“If you say so.” He gripped her chin and looked her in the eye before kissing her forehead. “You’re amazing, Carly. If Brett didn’t realize that, he’s even dumber than I thought.”
Chapter Five
Brett was walking into their office building when Dylan’s black Jaguar pulled into his reserved spot by the front doors.
“Hey, wait up!” Dylan yelled, slamming his car door. He jogged toward the entrance. “I want a word with you.”
Brett could tell by Dylan’s tone that his partner was irritated with him, but he had bigger problems and little patience. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Too bad.”
“What’s your problem?” Brett asked, stopping abruptly as he turned to face Dylan.
“Carly.”
Every time he thought of Carly and Dylan together, it made his skin crawl. “I’m not talkin’ to you about Carly, so get out of my face.” Brett nudged Dylan with his shoulder, trying to pass him, but Dylan stepped into his path. “I’m not playin’, Dyl. I’m not having this conversation with you right now.” Or ever.
“You need to tell me what the hell’s goin’ on ‘cause none of this makes sense. You and Carly have been friends forever. Suddenly she wants nothing to do with you, and you’re treating me like the enemy. Why?”
The parking lot was the last place they should have been having that conversation. Employees passed by, offering tight smiles as they tried to pretend they weren’t hoping to catch snippets of their bosses’ conversation.
“Inside,” Brett said, stepping past Dylan and reaching for the door. “My office.”
They rode the elevator in silence. A few employees were between them, so it was easy to resist the urge to pick up where they’d left off in the parking lot, but Brett knew hell would break loose when they were behind closed doors. He and Dylan had Type-A personalities, and they both believed in confronting problems head on. Brett’s frustration was mounting instead of waning, so he had to deal with it or risk an outburst that would compromise his friendship with Dylan.
Once they were in Brett’s office, he pointed at the couch, ordering Dylan to sit. Brett paced the length of the room with his hands on his hips, searching for the right words. He wanted to tell Dylan the whole truth, but that would mean betraying Carly again. “You know Carly and I have a lot of history. I’ve known her forever. She’s like family to—”
“I don’t want to hear that shit again,” Dylan said, his tone deepening as his nostrils flared. “This isn’t because you feel protective of poor, sweet Carly. We both know that girl is more resilient and self-sufficient than anyone. I want the truth. You owe me that.”
Dylan was right, but Brett was torn. Carly had asked one favor of him: to keep their night together a secret. How could he reveal the truth without sealing his own fate with Carly?
“Speak,” Dylan said.
Brett glared at his partner, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw ached. “My urge to protect Carly has nothing to do with the fact that she’s my sister’s best friend. It’s because…” He tried to roll the tension from his shoulders. “I hurt her.”
“What do you mean you hurt her?”
“I knew she had feelings for me.”
“Well, duh. I think everyone who’d ever seen the two of you together knew that.”
Dylan’s comment just drove home what Brett already knew—he’d made the biggest mistake of his life by playing hard and fast with Carly’s feelings. “She was a kid when she first told me. It was easy to brush her off back then.”
Dylan didn’t look pleased about sitting through Brett’s story, but he waited. “I’m listening.”
“I didn’t give her a second thought when I went off to college.” Brett thought back to the day they’d said good-bye. She’d had tears in her eyes, and he’d barely spared her a glance after giving her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead. “I was having too much fun to think about what was happening back home. When I came back to Texas after college, I hooked up with you guys and well… You remember what it was like in the beginning. We were all business. We made time for sex, but relationships were an afterthought.”
“I remember.”
“When she came home that summer before her graduation… well, I was a little stunned. She wasn’t a little girl anymore.”
“No, she was a gorgeous woman.” Dylan chuckled. “I remember we were all circling her like dogs in heat when she showed up at the bar that night.”
That night. The night Dylan took her virginity. “Yeah. She came on to me in the parking lot that night. I told her she was wasting her time because I already had a date lined up.” His throat closed up when he realized that was the night everything changed.
Dylan looked annoyed, probably because it’d dawned on him he’d been her second choice. “Huh, how did she take that?”
“Carly told me recently she hasn’t been in love with me for a long time. I think that night changed things between us. She started to see me as a waste of her time.”
“You can’t expect a girl like Car
ly to wait forever, man. She’s got her shit together. She knows who she is, what she wants, and she’s not waiting for a man to make her life better. That’s what I love about her.”
That word pierced Brett’s head and heart. “Don’t use that word. You can’t say that.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve known Carly a long time too. We’ve been friends for years. Sure, it was just casual, but I’ve been spending a lot more time with her lately, and I meant what I said. She makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Brett knew if he told Dylan that he and Carly had been intimate recently, that would put the kibosh on his friend’s plans to pursue her, but for once, he put someone else’s feelings ahead of his own. He didn’t want to be the selfish, self-absorbed guy Carly had described. He wanted to be the man she remembered, the one who would do anything for the people he loved.
“I’m sorry, Dyl.” The heaviness that pervaded Brett’s body made it difficult for him to stay standing, much less force a smile. “I’ve been a jerk. I’ve been letting my ego get in the way of your happiness and Carly’s. I had my shot with her, and I blew it. She’s clearly ready to move on, with you…” He cleared his throat when the words got caught. “Not that you need it, but you have my blessing.”
Dylan crossed the room, offering Brett his hand. “Thanks, man. That means a lot to me.” He pulled Brett into a back-slapping hug. “Hey, you’re like a brother to me. I wouldn’t let anything or anyone come between us. You know that, right?”
Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, especially for someone used to coming out on top, but Brett had no choice. “I do.”
***
Carly was stepping out of her office building to grab a quick lunch when she saw Sophie crossing the parking lot. She thought about ducking back inside, but she wasn’t one to run away from her problems.
“Hey,” Sophie said with a tentative smile. “I was hoping I could buy you lunch? I know you said you needed time, but I need my best friend.”
Carly felt the distance between them as acutely as Sophie did, and she hated it just as much. Sophie was the person she’d turned to when her father died, her mother left, her boyfriends dumped her, and Brett’s rejection broke her heart. Sophie had helped her evolve into a woman who could face any challenge. Without her, Carly may still have been the same insecure girl whose mother cast her aside.
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