“Caden, are you listening to me?”
No, he wasn’t really. But he knew he should. This issue Dalton had with Jules wasn’t good and could cause lots of problems in the long run. “Yes, I’m listening,” he lied. “You were talking about Jules. Let’s look at this logically for a moment, Dalton. Have you considered the possibility that when you did find Jules that you came on a little too strong? That maybe you were too focused on what you expected? You probably walked into her office with a hard-on.” The look that suddenly appeared on Dalton’s face let Caden know he’d guessed correctly.
“So what if I did? Like I said, she knew the score,” Dalton countered.
“And you would have taken her right there in her office.”
Dalton shrugged unashamedly. “I had no problem doing that. It would have saved time.”
Caden shook his head. It was hard to believe the audacity of his brother at times. As the youngest Granger, Dalton had grown up spoiled and pampered...especially by their mother. Things came easily for him, at times too easily. As a result, he often had an air of entitlement about him. “And you assumed she would feel the same way you did?”
“Don’t see why not. She did challenge me to find her. Besides, spontaneity is the spice of life, Caden. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand that. You’ve been living in Shilohville for too long.”
A smile couldn’t help but touch Caden’s lips. “And what does Shiloh have to do with this?”
“Admit it. You’ve loved your wife forever, even when you were kids and didn’t know what love was. Granted, the two of you were apart for a few years, thanks to her bastard of a father, but you never hired anyone to find her. You didn’t go to bed every night dreaming about what you would do to her when you did. You never—”
“Okay, Dalton, I get the picture, although I don’t agree with everything you’re saying. No man should expect a woman to put out on their first date. Hell, it wasn’t even a date. You just showed up at her office. I can just imagine how surprised she was to see you there.”
“She should have known I would eventually find her. She should have expected it, and she should have been ready—definitely more accommodating. Instead, she all but gave me her ass to kiss, and for that reason...”
Caden listened as Dalton continued with his tirade; coming out with crap he hoped like hell his brother would regret saying later. One thing was for certain; Jules Bradford had pissed him off big-time, ruffled a few of those manly feathers. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had been the first woman to do so, definitely to this degree.
“I happen to like Jules,” he broke in to say. When Dalton gave him a look that was sharper than glass, he added, “After all, she did find out who tried to kill me. And it didn’t take her much time to do it.”
“Fine. Shana’s Wonder Woman, your wife is the Wine Lady and Jules is Miss Whirlwind. If she hadn’t figured things out, someone else would have.”
“Not me, for sure,” Caden said, remembering the period of time he was trying like hell to forget.
“Then you owe her. I don’t,” Dalton said, easing out of the chair.
“Shana’s dinner party this weekend should be interesting with both you and Jules there.”
Dalton glanced over at Caden. “No, it won’t be, because I don’t plan to attend.”
Caden frowned. “Why?”
“We just discussed it. I tolerated Jules’s presence at the rehearsal and the wedding, but I’ll be damned if I’ll be in the same room with her again when I don’t have to.”
“But this will be Shana’s first dinner party that she’ll be hosting as a Granger.”
“Won’t be her last. Maybe she should have stayed a Bradford.”
Caden just stared at Dalton. He knew that although Dalton wouldn’t admit it, he liked Shana a lot. And he probably disliked her sister just as much. “At some point, you and Jules need to forget the past and move on. Shana is her sister, and Jace is your brother.”