Tommy tapped the bill of his cap. “Maybe Brody would like to know where you got this hat, Julie? Pretty cool, isn’t it? She gave it to me for Valentine’s Day.”
The man’s lips cracked into a huge grin as Julie stared wide-eyed between the two of them. “I actually don’t think either one of you is interested.”
Brody held his gaze. “Oh, you have no idea how interested I am. In fact, this is about the most interesting conversation I’ve had in months.”
Tommy scowled. What was he talking about? Honestly, he didn’t care. He just wanted to get Julie and go home. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride home.”
She blinked at him. “Uh…I came with Brody. I plan to leave with him.”
He stared down at her. He wanted her away from this asshole, and she was choosing to stay with him. Mac’s warning whispered through his head, and what felt like a hundred-pound dumbbell formed in Tommy’s gut. “I don’t think Brody will mind.”
“Oh, no. Brody definitely minds,” came the smug rejoinder.
He shot a murderous glare at the asshole. Anyone else, and the man would’ve cowered. But he wasn’t anyone else, he was fucking Brody “The Iron” Minton, and he didn’t cower. He winked.
Fury encased Tommy and squeezed like a vise. Tommy fervently wished Julie were with a pansy, so he could simply say, “Boo!” and scare him off. But intimidation wasn’t going to work.
One damn thing was for sure, though. Something wasn’t adding up with that man. He was acting just plain weird. And Julie was spending time with him. Way too much time.
Tommy didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
So until further notice, his house hunting was on hold. He definitely needed to play chaperone.
Chapter 6
Julie strolled up the path toward her front door. Brody still hadn’t kissed her.
Correction—he had, but only on the cheek. A grazing that hadn’t even warmed her skin. Gah.
But she enjoyed the man’s presence immensely. There was something comforting about not having one iota of attraction and being able to simply enjoy a friendship with a man.
That was something she’d never had on her side of her friendship with Tommy. The insight gave her a peek into his side of their relationship. She envied it, wished she’d been able to feel as relaxed and unaware of him as he’d always been with her. What would their relationship be like if she had truly thought of him as just a friend?
She couldn’t go around thinking about how the past—or present—would’ve changed. All she really cared about was the future. Was Brody it? She didn’t think so. But was it possible he might help direct her to the path that would lead to her future? Quite possibly.
And right now she was okay with continuing to let things play out.
After she opened the front door to her house and her dog didn’t come yapping, she called, “Lucy?”
Nothing.
“Warrior?”
Silence.
“Tommy?” she finally said.
Crickets.
What the hell?
She hurried into the kitchen and opened the back door, then stumbled to a stop. Tommy was rolling around on the ground, Warrior and Lucy hopping around him. Paws landed on his stomach, shoulders, and head as he laughed out loud. He jumped to his feet, crouching low. The dogs immediately lowered their front legs, barking, and when they sprang forward, Tommy lunged at them, which sent both dogs sprinting into a circle around the yard.
Tommy stood straight, hands on his hips, a grin making his already handsome face even more attractive. Mischief and humor brightened his green eyes. Head high, gaze meeting the world, he looked invincible. Dominating. And so incredibly sexy her heart crashed against her breast.
So, why did she have a sudden sense of doom?
Because no other man made her feel like this. Because no matter what damn road she took, her heart always led back to a man who called her sister. Because she was seriously beginning to fear that she really would end up a spinster.
No!
Did she not get any say in this at all? Why did her heart get all the control?
She didn’t want Tommy.
When he spotted her, he jogged to her side and kissed her cheek. Unlike the kiss Brody had given her, this light peck scorched her skin. She did everything she could not to flinch away.
Thankfully, she succeeded.
“How was your date?” There was an edge to his voice that confused her.
She frowned. “What is your problem with Brody?”
“I don’t like him.”
“You don’t— Jeez, Tommy, you don’t even know him. How can you not like him?”
He took another step forward, crowding her personal space. As his body came within inches, where just a slight lean forward and their chests would touch, her throat tightened. The scent of his musky cologne enveloped her, and she inhaled, ensnared by the spell of Tommy Sparks—the spell she’d been under since she was ten.
He brought his face closer. “I know enough that I don’t like him with you, and I want you to stay the hell away from him.”