“Yeah, not good for me. Did you hear what I said? He kicked me out.”
Wyatt’s brow pinches, and he runs a hand through his hair. “He probably freaked out.”
“From a kiss? The guy’s forty-something. He’s not a virgin,” I say. How can he possibly be freaked out from one simple kiss? I didn’t even get to explore his mouth with my tongue.
“He’s been married since he was nineteen to the same woman. His first and only love. The man doesn’t have much experience outside his ex-wife.” Wyatt chuckles. “And he’d murder me if he knew I was telling you this.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” I down the rest of my drink and gesture to the bartender for another. “He acts like it’s a crime for me to have feelings for him. I shouldn’t like him. I want to hate him,” I say, and my nose twitches.
“But?”
“But he’s gorgeous. Have you seen your brother? Not to mention how kind and caring he can be when he’s not acting like a jerk. He carried me to dinner the other night when I hurt my ankle, and earlier today, he carried me to the in-house physician.”
“That doesn’t sound like Logan, carrying guests around the lodge.” Wyatt chuckles and sips his beer. “Don’t get me wrong. My brother likes you. It’s obvious. He doesn’t invite anyone up into his home, ever. He’s just not great with getting in touch with his feelings and shit.”
I don’t believe Wyatt. “He doesn’t like me.”
“I'll bet the next round that he likes you,” Wyatt says.
“How are you going to prove it?”
Wyatt smirks and waves at Logan as he storms into the bar. His eyes widen when he sees me, and then he glances at Wyatt.
Heat emanates from Logan like he’s a fierce inferno raging and about ready to burst. Logan snarls and lunges at Wyatt, grabbing him by the lapels and yanking him off the barstool. “You haven’t changed one bit,” Logan seethes between clenched teeth.
“Neither have you,” Wyatt says, remaining far calmer than one should be, given the fact he’s about to be assaulted.
But they’re brothers, and maybe Wyatt knows how to calm his hot-headed brother down.
“I can’t believe you, trying to steal Cali like you tried to steal Jess all those years ago!” Logan’s eyes are wide. He doesn’t even notice that I’m on the stool, right next to him.
I rest my hand on his arm, trying to soothe his insecurities and reassure him that whatever he thinks this is, it isn’t.
You can’t cheat on someone when you’re not in a relationship with them.
“Your brother didn’t steal me,” I interject. “I’m not an object to be owned.” I grab my drink and toss it in Logan’s face to cool him off.
He growls and spins around, coming face-to-face with me.
“Have you had your fun yet?” He lifts me from the ground, putting me over his shoulder and carrying me out of the bar, caveman style.
“Logan, put me down!” I shriek, and he relents outside of the lodge’s bar.
“What was that?” He folds his arms across his chest. His biceps bulge and flex. He’s pissed, and I didn’t even do anything wrong.
“Me, having a nice conversation with your brother. Stop acting like an ass.” I walk away from him, but he grabs my arm and spins me around in his grasp to face him.
“We’re not done,Sunshine.”
“Okay, but if we’re giving nicknames, you’re aMountain Grump.”
“Real mature,” Logan says. He glances me over, his lips pressed together, but he doesn’t say anything. His silence is overwhelming.
“Listen, I don’t know what happened between you and your ex-wife,” I say, although I have a pretty good idea of what Wyatt told me and what Logan is looking for in a partner. “But I’m not her. I don’t cheat. I never have and never will. Wyatt, your brother, was having a drink with me because I sat alone at the bar.”
“He was hitting on you,” Logan says. “He hits on all the pretty girls who come to the bar alone.”
It doesn’t matter whether he was hitting on me or not. I wasn’t going home with him. “Even if you don’t trust your brother, at least give me a little more credit.”