Tempting Love (Cowboys & Angels 3)

“Go ask Dad.”

I sat there, staring at my older brother. “That’s all you got?”

He shrugged. “That’s all I got.”

“What happened to the ‘I’m older and wiser’ bullshit you always used to say?”

“Yeah, that was all bullshit. Hell, Mitchell, you’ve always been the wise one. The one with your head on right. The thinker. But this time, I guess I was.”

“You were not, you asshole! You told me to go talk to Dad. How is that being a thinker?”

“I thought you should go talk to Dad. Thought is what happens after someone thinks.”

Closing my eyes, I exhaled a frustrated breath before scrubbing my hands over my face. Then I gave him one last look. “You suck, Parker. I hope your skills at being a lawyer are better than your advice.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I hope your cop skills are better than your…your…”

Waiting for his reply, I tilted my head and smirked.

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing.”

Heading toward his front door, I said, “I didn’t think so. Night, Tripp.”

“Honestly though, Mitchell. I know you care about Corina, and I know that no matter how ticked off she is right now, she cares about you. I think you need to take things slow. Prove to her you know you fucked up and you deserve another chance.”

I nodded. “Good advice, bro.”

Starting down the steps, I hit the button to unlock my truck.

“Hey, Mitch!” Tripp yelled after me. “You remember what Corina said about Lane Lewis?”

I stopped walking and looked back over my shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Maybe don’t move too slow with Corina.”

A knot formed in my stomach. “Why?”

Tripp ran his hand behind his neck and frowned. “He sent Corina flowers and said he was looking forward to working with her.”

Anger raced through me.

“Talk to Dad in the morning. Just go home and get some sleep. You look like shit.”

My jaw hurt from clenching as I headed to my truck. I made a mental note to get to my folks’ place first thing in the morning. There was no way I was going to give up now. I’d pushed Corina away, and I wasn’t doing it anymore. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let her run into the arms of the little prick who hated me in high school.

“Fuck that,” I mumbled as I started up my truck and headed to the one place I knew I shouldn’t be going.

Corina’s.

With a clink, I placed my cup on the dish and pushed it to the waitress.

“Thank you,” I said as she took my coffee cup and then Lane’s.

“It was really sweet of you to send the flowers.”

He smiled. “It was nothing.” Motioning between us, Lane laughed. “But what about this? I can’t believe I ran into you here and on a Friday night. I figured you’d be out on a hot date.”

If he thought I was stupid, he was insane. I knew he was fishing to see if I was dating anyone. “I was out earlier but had to call it an early night.”

He nodded like he accepted my answer, but I knew he didn’t. I could see it in his eyes. “Lucky for me you called it an early night.”

“No hot date with the high school crush who got away?” I asked.

He laughed. “Hardly. All the girls in this town were not worth my time.”

My eyes widened.

“I don’t mean it in a vain way. It’s just most of the girls in my high school pined over the Parker brothers. It would have been hard enough to compete with one, but I had three I had to deal with in high school.”

I lifted a brow. “One of my very dearest and best friends is married to Steed Parker, and I dated Tripp for a while. He’s a good friend, so I’d tread lightly.”

He lifted his hands in defense. “Treading lightly.” Glancing down, he played with the fork on the table. “You dated Tripp, huh?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. We both did it for stupid reasons, though. We make better friends than lovers.”

Lane stared at me. Crap. I had made it sound like I’d had a sexual relationship with Tripp.

Glancing at my Apple watch, I cleared my throat. “Well, I should get going.”

“Yeah, sure. You want me to walk you back to your house?”

“I drove over here. I know it’s only a couple of blocks, but you know, it’s still kind of scary being out this late at night. Small town or not.”

“I’m glad you drove. It is safer. Let me pay for this and I’ll walk you to your car.”

We both stood. “You don’t have to pay for mine.”

Lane gave me a wink and a sexy-as-hell smile. “I know I don’t have to. I want to.”

I returned his smile. “Thank you. I’ll meet you outside. My car is parked out front.”

The second I walked out and looked at my car, I groaned.