Trust by Design (Colorado Trust 2)

“You’re leaving?”

“I still have work to do tonight,” he said. Which was actually the truth, so there was absolutely no reason to feel bad. “Thank you again for dinner.”

“You more than earned it. Thanks for the help.” She stood with the baby while he shrugged into his coat. As she trailed him to the door with one hand balancing the bottle, she asked, “Did you give any more thought to me helping with the Jackson situation?”

He paused in the foyer as headlights flashed along the driveway. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

That earned him an instant frown. “Why not?”

Not a question he could answer adequately right now. He’d just decided on the fly, but needed time to come up with a couple good reasons to support it. “Because it’s not.”

She huffed out a breath. “But, I can—”

“Leave it, Gina, okay?” he ground out with a sudden flare of impatience. “The answer is no.”

Her mouth snapped shut, but probably only because of the truck that parked next to his SUV. The man and woman who climbed the front steps to the porch were dressed for an evening out, and he guessed who they were even before they came inside. Gina made introductions in a tone that warned their argument was far from over.

He shook Britt’s hand, then reached to shake her husband’s. The man’s firm grip made him flinch before he could control the reaction.

Joel’s gaze dropped to their clasped hands, and as they released, he lifted his gaze, speculation clear in his eyes. He shot a pointed glance toward Gina—whose attention was thankfully focused on the baby and Britt—and then turned a questioning look back to Dean.

Instinctively, he knew exactly what the man was asking. His stomach dropped as he gave a sharp, negative shake of his head. The guy gave a barely perceptible nod before stating, “You don’t have to leave on our account.”

“I was already on my way out.”

“Dean’s got work to do,” Gina stated, not bothering to conceal her resentment as she turned to stalk back toward the living room

without so much as a goodbye.

Well, there ya go, step back accomplished.

Shifting his narrowed gaze from her to the Morgans’, he unclenched his jaw to force a polite smile of goodnight, and left. Before he was halfway down the steps, he heard the door open again.

“Dean, hold up.”

He glanced back to see Joel step outside and ease the door shut behind him. He shot a glance toward the living room windows while turning to face the other man. Hooking his thumbs in his jeans pockets, he leaned against the railing.

Instead of pretending he didn’t know what the guy wanted, he asked, “How’d you know?”

Joel halted at the top of the stairs. “Brittany and I made a little detour on our way to dinner only to find the job already done. Your expression when I shook your hand confirmed my suspicions.”

“Yeah, well, there’s no way in hell I could let that shit slide.”

“Obviously, I agree.”

He nodded. It was good to know Gina had friends watching her back.

“You didn’t tell her, though.”

“No. And I’m going to ask that you and your wife don’t, either.”

“Might help with whatever she’s pissed about right now.”

He gave a short bark of laughter, then shook his head. “No, that’s not going to change.”

Joel shrugged and backed toward the door. “Your call.”

“Thanks.” He turned to go.