Jace laughed. It was the first time he felt like laughing in two days.
“Remind me why we had to bring him along?”
“He’s our partner, Billy. He’s gotta learn this stuff if he’s going to be any help to us at all. You wanna be out on the road all the time? I sure as hell don’t.”
“Quit bein’ such a pussy.”
“Wait a minute. What? How am I bein’ a pussy? I’m not complainin’ about anything.” Jace couldn’t figure out what had gotten into Billy. Was he pissed at him because of Tucker’s behavior, or was he calling him a pussy because he didn’t want to be out on the road all the time?
“There’s gotta be somethin’ Bree likes about you, even if I can’t figure out what it might be.”
“Where you goin’ with this, Billy?”
“You didn’t have a shit chance with Renie.”
No, he didn’t, because she’d been in love with Billy all her life. “What’s your point?”
“And Blythe, she’s better suited to your idiot brother anyway.”
“Again, Billy, do you have a point? Because if you don’t, I’d rather you just shut the hell up.”
“You scare the shit outta her.”
Why hadn’t he gone to sleep when Tucker did? Billy was rambling, and he wasn’t in the mood for it. What the hell did he know about Bree anyway?
“She’s damn smart, I’ll tell you that much. Too smart for her own good. Brooke, she was just a bitch. Still is. And Blythe, she was a damn pain-in-the-ass, spoiled brat. But Bree? She was the steady one. Even when she was a little girl. She’s just like her mama. Always holdin’ it all together.”
Jace was stunned. Billy wasn’t exactly one to express his opinion about much of anything. If anyone had asked, he would’ve told them Billy didn’t know any of the Cochran girls even existed, for all he seemed to notice.
“I’m tellin’ you, she’s runnin’ scared.”
“Okay, let’s say you’re right. What am I supposed to do about it?”
“Keep right on scarin’ her. Best thing for her really. Look at Mark and Paige.”
“What about them?”
“When ol’ Paige met Mark, he was this bigger-than-life rock star. Travelin’ all over the world. Even after he quit, he still rocked her world, if you follow.”
“Okay, so…”
“I feel damn bad about Zack. That was an awful thing. I didn’t know him real well, but from what I did know, he seemed like a nice enough guy. Can’t say as I ever saw Bree look at him the way she looks at you, though.”
“How’s that?”
“Like she’s about to be lit on fire.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“She’s smolderin’ for ya,” Billy smirked. “And that’s a great thing.”
“Blythe told me she thinks Bree would feel as though she settled if she ended up with me.”
“Don’t agree. I’m bettin’ she thinks you’ll lose interest in her. Protectin’ her heart.”
“When did you get so philosophical?”
“Just because I don’t spend all my time talkin’ about stuff, doesn’t mean I ain’t noticin’ it. In fact, I notice more than all of you put together.”