The Naked Truth (The Honeybrook Hamdens)

“What else do you want from me? It is great.”

"It's not just that, it's huge. Did you call her? I mean, she's totally turned her life around. This is incredible. She's like a real success." He thought back to the blonde, careless Julie he'd known before. The one who used to spend time with him in the woodshop after school and accidentally spill stain onto the workbenches.

The one who used to sneak out of her bedroom window and meet him behind the convenience store. She used to drive her brother--and everyone else, for that matter--batty. But now?

She was a success.

And she'd done it all on her own.

His chest tightened with pride,

Maybe the girl he'd cared for was gone for good.

His mouth tightened, but then he looked over at Luke to find that his friend had apparently stopped listening.

"Hello?" Chase leaned on the bar and his friend looked up at him, his expression blank as ever.

"What?" Luke blinked.

"Nothing. I'm just saying Julie's almost as successful as us."

Luke made a sound somewhere between a guffaw and a snort.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Nothing."

"Are we not successful?" Chase cocked an eyebrow.

"Sure, sure. An ex-army guy and a carpenter owning a hole-in-the-wall bar on the dodgy side of town. We're practically sheiks."

"What's going on with you, man? Ever since we finished this place you've been..." Chase searched for the word, but coming up with nothing particularly kind, he said, "Different. Is this about Karen or--"

"Karen? Who said anything about Karen?"

"Nobody. Which might be the problem. What the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing. Karen's not a problem. We're finished, I'm fine, and I don't need relationship advice from a guy who can hardly keep his own love life together."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You get weird every time Julie is mentioned. Dude, it was ten years ago. Let it go."

"That's what this is about? You think I have a thing for your sister?"

Luke let out another little burst of breath. "Think?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't."

"Good, maybe I'll go over there right now and ask her out," Chase baited him.

"Knock yourself out, but don't come sniffing around me asking for advice about my sister or complaining that she's not the same as she was ten years ago."

"I wasn't with her ten years ago."

"I've let you get away with a lot of things, but lying to my face isn't one of them."