“I don’t know yet. Maybe. I hope not. I don’t really know how things with Harmony and me are going to play out, which is why I haven’t mentioned it to Drake yet. Or his mother. We’re trying to keep things just between the two of us for now.”
“So you’re keeping this secret from everyone.” Her mother gave him that look, the one he’d gotten hundreds of times as a kid when he’d done something bad. The one that used to make him really uncomfortable.
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Secrets have a tendency to explode in your face at the worst possible time, Barrett.”
“I’ve got this under control, Mom.”
Again, that look. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want Harmony to get hurt.”
Not the first time he’d heard that. “Just trust me to do what’s right.”
“How does Harmony feel about all of this?”
He could have lied to his mother, but she always knew when he did that. “She’s not totally on board with the idea. She’d much prefer we were out in the open, but after Drake’s display last night, she’s agreeable with waiting for the right time to tell him. To tell everyone.”
“And when do you think this supposed perfect time will be?”
“We’re about to start training camp. I don’t want to piss him off right now.”
“Do you really think telling Drake you’re dating his sister is going to make him mad?”
“Yes. He’s very overprotective of Harmony. He always has been. You know what it was like for them as kids. No father around, and Drake felt like he had to step up and help out Mama Diane, act as father figure as well as older brother to Harmony. He hasn’t yet come to grips with the fact she’s a woman.”
“So maybe Harmony needs to be the one to talk to him.”
“She’s tried. I’m hardly the first guy she’s dated. Believe me, I’ve seen his overreaction before. And I don’t want to drive a wedge in my friendship with him. He and I are tight as teammates as well as friends. This isn’t the time to rock the boat.”
“Is that friendship or fear talking?”
Leave it to his mother to dig deep. “Maybe a little of both.”
She went quiet again, sipped her tea, occasionally looked over at him, then finally sighed. “You’re an adult and I’m going to assume you and Harmony know what you’re doing. But be careful. I’d hate to see you lose both your best friend and the woman you care about.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll be careful.”
He ended up hanging out in the kitchen with his mother to help her prepare lunch. Mia wandered in, as well as the rest of the women, and suddenly conversation turned to Katrina’s photos, which she shared with Barrett’s mother. Then his father came in, so he hightailed it out of there to follow his dad and his uncles out to the barn to check out the horses.
He’d escaped one of his mother’s famous inquisitions, coming away mainly unscathed.
But she’d raised some valid concerns, just as his brothers had. He knew he was going to have to talk to Drake sometime.
That time just wasn’t now. And he damn well didn’t have any idea when the right time would be.
But he would figure it out.
They all ate a great lunch. Barrett kept his distance from Harmony, though their gazes occasionally collided, and he couldn’t help but pin her with a smile. He tried to keep it innocuous, but it was getting harder and harder to do that. She looked sexy as hell in her yellow sundress, and all he could think about was her skin, and how he felt when he touched her.
After lunch he went outside on the porch with Drake.
“I’m sorry about last night,” Drake said. “You know I would never do anything to embarrass you or your family.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. I apologized to your parents last night and again this morning. My mama was not happy with me.”
His lips curved. “Which means you got an earful.”
Drake smiled. “Like you would not believe, man. Her lectures are lengthy—and loud.”
“Been there a few times myself. I feel your pain. But don’t worry about it. You were looking out for Harmony.”
Drake took a long swallow of his beer. “Like always.”
“But I have to tell you, Drake—she can look out for herself just fine.”
“Part of me knows that, and the other part of me just feels like I’m always going to have to watch out for her. No matter how independent she is, no matter how grown-up she is, I can’t just walk away from her and let her go. She’s my baby sister and I’d die if someone hurt her.”
How was he supposed to respond to that? “I know. But cut her a little slack, you know? She makes good choices.”
“Does she? What about Levon? What about David? What about Jamal? None of those losers treated her right.”
“Well, maybe someday the right guy will come along, and you’ll have to give her credit for choosing the right man.”
Drake grinned. “Maybe I should choose a man for her.”
“Oh right. And who would that be?”
Drake took a long pull of his beer. “Hell if I know. I don’t think any man is good enough for her.”
“Not even me?”
Drake laughed. “Especially not you.”
Well, shit.
Thirty-One