“Yeah, right. Anyway, I got to get back to work. See you, bro,” he calls to Josh before putting his arms around me. “Love you, sis. Call if you need anything.”
I should let it go, but I’ve never learned to keep my mouth shut. Not when there’s something important to say. “You have to move on eventually. You know that, right?”
His face is stricken. It’s been forever since I’ve mentioned “her,” the one that we never talk about. The one that broke his heart all those years ago.
“I’m over her. I haven’t thought about her in years,” he says.
A part of me believes him, but another part of me knows that even though he’s over her, he’s not over the damage she caused. She’s the one that made him feel like he’s just some small-town guy that isn’t worthy of marriage. It’s the furthest thing from the truth, but there’s no way he’s going to believe his little sister.
“Order’s up,” Eddie the cook hollers from the back before he comes through, his arms loaded with bags and sets them on the counter.
I start to get up and make sure I groan nice and loud. My husband comes running, and my brother turns around and is by my side in an instant. “What’s wrong?”
I put my hand on my back. “Nothing. I’m fine. I just have to take these down to the square where the photoshoot is happening today. I’m supposed to be catering...”
I don’t get to finish before my husband interrupts me. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll take it down there.”
“No! I mean no, you need to stay here and finish the list so I can get home and lie down.”
He eyes me skeptically before putting his hands up, giving a look to my brother and walking away. My new husband already knows me so well, and he knows I’m up to something.
My brother is looking at me skeptically also. “Is this one of your matchmaking schemes, sis?”
I roll my eyes and try my best to look innocent. “What? No, of course not. You know what? Forget it, I’ll just take it.”
But my brother puts his hands on my shoulders and holds me to the seat. “I’ll take it.”
I clap my hands together. “You will?” and then I realize I’m probably being way to excited about this. “I mean, thank you, Tate. I really do want to get home soon.”
He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “I got it, sis. Take care of my nephew in there and don’t worry about a thing.”
I help load his arms with the bags, and he leaves out the front door of the diner. I stare after him excitedly, and my husband comes up and stands behind me as we watch my brother walk down the sidewalk. “What are you up to?”
I shrug. “I may have met the model for the Whiskey Distillery photo shoot the other day.” I turn in Josh’s arms and look up at him. “And she’s perfect for Tate. I know she is.”
But he doesn’t look as excited in return. He grunts. “You mean you are trying to hook your brother up with a model? The man that has hang-ups about being a small-town mechanic? The same man that has sworn off women that are beautiful or from the city?”
My heart drops into my stomach as I watch my brother disappear around the corner. Oh my God, what have I done?