TYLER

 

The next morning I’m in a foul mood. I could blame it on my lack of sleep, business stress, or even the cold, wet walk I took with Luther this morning. But I know the source of my ire is the unexpected visit from Brenna last night.

Unexpected, my ass. I’ve been bracing myself for weeks. But between my busy work schedule and all the arrangements she’d had to make after the accident, we haven’t run into each other. I’m not even sure she’s left the apartment in the past month. Not that I’ve been keeping tabs.

Even with the knowledge that I was going to have to face her eventually, I wasn’t fully prepared for the force of my emotions. Sure, I was angry at first. But as I sat in bed last night, the anger passed and curiosity and desire took hold.

Even with the complete makeover, I’m still just as attracted to her now as I was before. There’s a deep connection between us that time couldn’t break. My body still wants her, but my brain can’t get past the fact she left me once already. Am I really the idiot that keeps going back for more?

“You should consider getting a dog walker,” Dean says when I get back to the apartment.

“You like swimming. I like my morning walks,” I say as Luther shakes, splattering water all over the entry. Even on mornings like this one, I like the quiet solitude of walking my dog.

I peel off my soaked sweater, leaving it in a sodden pile on the floor, and seek out a cup of coffee.

“So you’re not even curious about the meeting last night?” Dean asks as he refills his cup.

The warmth of the mug seeps into my cold fingers. My mood improves slightly, and I lean back against the counter. “I figured it went well, or you would have bitched about it,” I say only half listening.

“We got a decent deal on the property, but not what I was pushing for,” Dean says and pulls a thick folder from his bag. “I know for a fact we paid three times what Lash Equity bought it for.”

“That was four years ago. No one would have lived in that part of town. Now, after renovations, we’ll be able to sell the units for four hundred thousand, easy. God bless gentrification.” I take a long drag of my coffee and sigh. “Leo always had a good eye for investments.”

“I know you’re right, but I was still kind of hoping marriage would soften them up a bit. The two of them were bad enough, now that Rose is in the mix it’s worse than ever. If possible, I think their wife is more aggressive.”

I laugh, shaking my head. I can’t believe our business associates are involved in a crazy polyamorous relationship. “So how’s that triad thing working out for them?” I ask, a little curious. I mean, I’ve tried the whole threesome thing before, but nothing past a night. I can’t even imagine how they’re making it work long term. “I’d heard the rumors about them, but I figured it was just something they did for fun. But marriage? That’s a bit permanent.”

Dean shrugs. “I guess it’s working for them. They have a daughter. They all seem to be happy. And I do mean everyone. I saw Asher smile at his wife.”

“Really? I didn’t think that man was capable of any other emotion outside of scowls and frowns.”

“Kind of like you,” he says, kicking my foot. “What was up last night?”

I don’t know what to tell him. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about Brenna. Dean was away at college when we were together, and he didn’t know her. Hell, he didn’t even know me. We were both grown when our parents got married, and it wasn’t until dad started his treatment that we really got to know each other. But now he’s not only my step-brother, he’s also one of my best friends.

Screw it. I’m going around in circles. Maybe Dean will have some solid advice.

I set my mug down and cross my arms. “Brenna came up last night looking for Landon,” I start. “It brought back a lot of old memories. I don’t know if you remember, but things weren’t great between Dad and me when he married your mom.”

Dean sighed and nodded his head slightly. “No, I remember. Mom used to call me all the time asking for advice. I didn’t know what to tell her. She was really trying to reach you. I’m glad you finally gave her a chance.”

“Me, too. I like Lynda, and she’s good to Dad. But back then, not so much.” I scrub my hand over my face, feeling exhausted—as if the memories themselves are taxing. “Brenna’s mom had recently remarried after her dad died. It wasn’t just that. Her mom cheated while her dad was sick and Brenna was pissed. You might say we had a lot in common, and like a lot of teens, bonded over a mutual hate of our parents.”

“That explains a lot,” Dean says, perking up. “I thought there was something off about her last night. God, she was just as upset as you were.”

I frown, not following his logic. “You saw her last night? Did she come back up to talk?”

“Nah, she was down in the gym. But man, there was something off.” Dean rubs the back of his neck and quirks up an eyebrow. “Is there still anything going on between the two of you?”

“No,” I say, a little too quickly. “She’s been gone for over eight years.”

“I asked her out. We have a date tonight.” Dean’s frown deepens. “If you want me to back off—”

“No,” I interrupt. “That was a million years ago. We’re both different people now. Go on the date. Have fun. I’m fine with it.”

The gentleman doth protest too much. I’m so not fine with it. What if she’s into Dean? What if she’s using him to get back at me? What if he fucks her? I want to smash my fist into the wall—or Dean’s face. Instead, I dump the rest of my coffee out in the sink and collect my wet sweater.

“Are you sure?” he asks again.

“Yeah,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. If she wants to go out with my brother, fine. I’m an adult. I can deal. “I’m going to be swamped now that the deal’s closed. The permits and work crews. I’m not sure I’ll be home for dinner.” I make a show of glancing at the clock, even though I don’t see the time. “Speaking of work, we should head out. Come on, Luther.”