“So…tell me about…Jace.”
Oh, he liked this girl, very much. This was going to be fun.
“Why would I spend the precious time I have with you, talking about my brother?”
“Because I asked, and I’m interested.”
“Interested in him? And yet, you’re here with me.”
“What went on between Jace and Renie?”
Tucker didn’t want to talk about Jace, for obvious reasons. But more, he didn’t want to talk about Jace and Irene. It wasn’t his story to tell.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you tell me what went on between you and…Renie. Is that what you call her?”
“What makes you think anything went on between us?”
He liked the way her cheeks turned pink when he brought it up. She was uncomfortable, not as confident as she had been when she came in from outside.
Watching her switch back and forth was fascinating. She was haughty one minute, and then the next, unsure of herself. He longed to paint her. His fingers itched with his need.
When Chris returned to the table with their bottle of wine, Blythe breathed an audible sigh. She might think she’d gotten a reprieve, but Tucker was nowhere near finished rattling the beautiful Miss Cochran.
He watched as Chris’ eyes lit up with amusement as he and Blythe chatted. His friend wasn’t giving much away, but Tucker doubted he’d hesitate to share his opinion the next time they saw each other. Would Kate also be paying their table a visit soon?
“Chris and his wife are two of my closest friends,” Tucker told Blythe.
“How do you know each other?”
Chris gave him a look Tucker wished he hadn’t. He didn’t want to spend his time with Blythe talking about the things that had happened when he was a teenager.
“Tuck and I grew up together.”
“In Aspen?”
“Yes, in Aspen.” Tucker couldn’t help but smile when Blythe did. She’d caught the look between Chris and him and wasn’t about to let it go.
“Was Jace part of your youthful antics
?”
Chris laughed out loud and excused himself from their table. “It was nice meeting you, Blythe. I look forward to many amusing conversations with you in the future.”
Tucker took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I thought we agreed not to bring Jace with us tonight.”
“You know Jace,” she answered. “He pushes his way in.”
Again, her charm made him laugh. He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. When he opened his mouth and kissed it again, he felt her shudder.
Jace sat at the table in Ben and Liv’s house, listening to the uneasy banter taking place between his cousin and Irene’s fiancé. He got the impression Ben wasn’t a fan of Billy’s. The feeling appeared to be mutual, and Jace wondered what was behind it. He looked over at Irene, who stood in the kitchen with the baby in her arms. She nipped playfully at the baby’s fingers when she tugged on her necklace.
He’d seen her interact with kids at the ranch, and she was always good with them. He wouldn’t expect her to be any different with a baby than she was with them.
Jace shifted his gaze from her, back to the table and caught Billy’s eye. He hadn’t missed Jace’s lingering look at his fiancée.
“Where’d your brother go?” Billy asked rather than call him out.
“He and Blythe went for a drive.”