Caden rolled his eyes. “We know that, Dalton. We want to know why.”
Dalton slid into the chair in front of Jace’s desk. He had gotten very little sleep last night and was definitely feeling it. “She heard I wasn’t coming to Shana’s dinner party and thought we should discuss it. Of course, it would have been a total waste of her time.”
“And of course you told her that...after you laid that kiss on her. The one Bobby told everyone about,” Jace said, studying his brother.
Dalton’s mouth curved into a frown. “That guy talks too damned much. It was a kiss that wasn’t supposed to happen. She told me to pretend I was kissing her.”
“And of course, you didn’t pretend.”
A slow smile touched Dalton’s lips. “No, I didn’t.” He couldn’t help remembering how kissing Jules had made him feel. After everyone had finally left last night, he’d gone back to bed determined to pick up on his dream where he’d left off. He hadn’t been able to, because his mind had been filled with memories of their kiss...how she’d tasted and how she’d felt in his arms.
Realizing his brothers were watching him, he decided to get them off the subject of him and Jules. “Now I have a question for you, Jace.”
“What?”
“How on Earth did you know Carson had a thing for Dad?”
Jace chuckled softly. “She doesn’t have a thing for him, Dalton. She’s in love with him. There’s a difference. One day, you’ll realize the difference when you come to know love for yourself, and then you can easily recognize it in someone else.”
“I agree,” Caden chimed in. “I caught on when I noticed the look in her eyes whenever she said Dad’s name. I don’t know what his feelings are for her, but I can say she has very deep feelings for him.”
“I can’t believe you called her out on it,” Dalton said, grinning. “Surprised the hell out of me when you did.”
Jace took a sip of the water sitting on his desk. “I surprised myself. I was out of line in doing that, and I apologized to her before she left last night.” Jace rubbed the back of his neck. “My only excuse is that there were so many shockers revealed last night—Carson being a woman, the fact we’ve had bodyguards for over a month now and that one even went on my honeymoon, and our very professional and business-minded father’s close relationship with Stonewall, Quasar and Striker. I guess I had one of those moments when I felt the need to reveal something for a change.”
Dalton didn’t say anything for a moment, thinking that last night definitely had been one big surprise after another. Carson Boyett was definitely a looker, and he could see his father falling for her. He stood up. “So what do we do about Dad? I think we should just get in the car and drive over to Delvers right now.”
“Oh, so now you want to go see Dad when you haven’t gone to see him in over a month?”
“Stay off my ass, Caden. I had planned to go see Dad this week, but now I’ll do it sooner. Especially since Stonewall, Quasar and Striker won’t let up until Dad gives the word. I was followed to work this morning.”
“So were we,” Jace said, “so stop whining. We need to let Dad work this out for himself. But regardless, we will reopen the case, and I think he knows it. He’s worried, and he has every right to be. Let’s give him the rest of the day, and if we don’t hear from him by then, we’ll go to Delvers tomorrow.”
Both Dalton and Caden nodded their agreement.
*
“Well, I must say, Jules, it sounds like you and Shana had a very interesting night,” Ben Bradford said, leaning back in his chair at the kitchen table.