"No." Bryce runs his hand through his short dark hair. He's got gorgeous blue eyes, like Nash's eyes. They're a brighter blue than Jake's and Austin's. "She's busy. She's taking summer classes, and when she's not doing that she's..." He shakes his head.
"Fucking the professor," Jake says casually.
"Jake, don't be an ass," Nash says.
"She's dating her professor?" I ask, but then regret it because it's clearly a sore topic.
"He's not a professor," Bryce says. "He's a grad student who helps teach a class. But not any of Jen's classes. She's an accounting major. He teaches something else. I don't know what. I don't fucking care. He's not right for her. He's too old and..." He takes a deep breath. "Whatever."
"You should call her," Nash says. "She's your best friend and now you won't talk to her just because she's dating some other guy?"
"I talk to her," he insists. "Just not every day. I told you, she's busy."
"Yeah, with some other guy," Jake says. "You had your chance, man. I don't know why you didn't take it."
"Since when did this turn into a discussion about my love life? Talk about something else." He gets up. "Callie, you got a bathroom I could use?"
Damn. I'm going to have to let them in my house. Nash is the only person I let go in there the past year and now I have to let his brothers in? I don't want more people in my house. What if they ask questions? They won't. They're guys. Guys don't notice things or ask questions, except Nash, but that's only because he takes my no-question rule as a challenge.
"Follow me," I say to Bryce. I take him in the house and show him to the bathroom. I feel like I should wait in here to make sure he doesn't snoop around or touch anything, but I think he's too distracted by the mention of that Jen girl to do any snooping. Plus, he's a guy. He's not going to snoop.
I go back outside to the table, where the guys are still discussing Jen.
"She was over at the house last week," Jake says.
"To see Dad?" Nash asks.
"Yeah. They had dinner. Bryce was over there working in the garage."
"Did he have dinner with them?"
"Hell no." Jake checks that Bryce is still in the house. "You know how he gets when Jen's dating someone. He can't be around her."
"So Bryce never dated her?" I ask.
"No," Nash says. "But he's been in love with her for years. He just won't admit it."
"So now she's going out with some other guy," Jake says, balling up his sandwich wrappers. "All because my idiot brother won't tell her how he feels. He's had plenty of opportunities but then he chickens out."
"Why won't he tell her?"
"Because he's afraid if it doesn't work out, he'll lose her."
"He'll lose her if she ends up with someone else."
"Exactly." He drops his wrappers in the sack. "I told you he's an idiot."
"But she hangs out with your dad?" I shouldn't ask all these questions. It's really none of my business.
"He's like a dad to her," Nash says, "and he treats her like a daughter. She doesn't have much for family. She doesn't know who her father is, and her mom's a loser who spends all her time at the bar trying to pick up guys. After Bryce met Jen, she pretty much lived at our house. My parents took care of her the best they could. Fed her. Made sure she got to school. If it weren't for them, she'd probably be on the streets right now instead of in college."
"Hey, Callie," I hear Bryce say. I turn and see him coming toward me.
"Yeah?"
"Your toilet's leaking. If we go into town later, I can get the part and fix it."
"How do you know it's leaking?"
"I could hear it."
"He's our plumbing expert," Nash says. "Actually, he can fix almost anything. And Jake is good with wiring and anything electrical. Austin's a flooring expert; wood, carpet, tile. He does it all. He's also the fastest painter you've ever seen."
"And Nash is good at bossing people around." Jake laughs.
"Speaking of that," he says, "get your asses back to work."
They all get up and toss their trash in the bag.
"I can make lunch," I offer. "You guys like sloppy Joes?"
Jake, Bryce, and Austin look at each other, then Jake says to me, "You cook?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"She also makes the best cookies I've ever had," Nash says.
"I could make some if you guys want."
"You don't have to," Nash says.
Jake smiles. "But if you want to, we'd be more than happy to eat them."
I smile back. "I'll make some. They're easy."
As the guys go back to work, Nash comes over to me. "Don't worry about lunch. We'll just go grab some burgers."
"I have to do something to thank you guys for helping me out. And really, I don't mind doing it."
"Okay." He smiles. "Thanks."
"I'm going to mow the lawn and then I'll go to the store. We'll have lunch around one."
"Let me help you with the lawn mower," he says, walking to the garage with me.
"I don't need help."
"You might need help starting it. Those things never start." He opens the garage door and as soon as we walk inside, he takes me in his arms and kisses me. I'm surprised by the kiss, but I like it so I let him continue, and when our lips part, he says, "Sorry. I just really wanted to do that."
"Why?"