Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
But, he’d also wrapped her up in a bubble, trying to keep her safe, to the point of being a helicopter sibling. The surprise of finding out she was dating someone had clearly been triggering for him, even though it was bound to happen at some point.
God, this was not how she wanted her brother to meet Tripp for the first time. She thought she’d have the opportunity to build up Tripp’s character before she introduced them, or announced that he’d fathered her child when the time came.
“Can you please sit down so we can have a civilized conversation—and so the entire lounge isn’t staring at us?” she asked him.
To her relief, Spencer slid into the booth opposite them and set his cellphone on the table. Unfortunately, the furrow between his brows lingered as he glared at Tripp, who remained impressively composed and was letting her handle the situation. Thank God. She didn’t need the two men in her life posturing over her.
“Tripp isn’t a stranger,” she told her brother once he was settled. “I’ve known him since before Jack. Do you remember me telling you about the guy I was dating back then, the one who was in med school? Tripp is that guy.”
The recollection flashed across Spencer’s handsome features. She thought that the fact that Tripp was someone she already knew would soften her brother’s reaction, or gain Tripp a few points, but that knowledge seemed to irritate Spencer even more.
“Wait a minute,” Spencer said, his entire body stiffening. “You mean to tell me this is the guy who ended things because he had commitment issues?”
She almost snorted a laugh, considering her brother was the king of playing the field and avoiding long term relationships.
Up to this point, Tripp had remained quiet, taking her brother’s jabs in stride. But now, he opened his mouth to reply to Spencer’s scathing remark. Skye put a hand on his thigh beneath the table to stop him. Tripp held back his reply and with a quick glance at him, she saw the annoyance in his narrowed eyes.
She needed to handle her brother and despite’s Tripp’s growing irritation, she knew he would be understanding. “Would you mind giving me and Spencer a few minutes alone?”
He gave her a curt nod. “Sure thing,” he said, and slid out of the booth before walking out of the lounge . . . Spencer’s scowl following him all the way.
As soon as Tripp left, she reached across the table and clasped her brother’s hands in hers so she had his complete attention. “I know you mean well and your intentions are good when it comes to protecting me because of everything that happened with Jack, but you have to know that I won’t ever put myself in that kind of situation again. Trust me, I’m a much better judge of character now than I was before marrying Jack.”
She felt the tension ease from Spencer’s hands, and his stiff shoulders relaxed. “I can’t help but worry about you.” He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration obvious.
“I know,” she said, and smiled. “You’ve been an amazing big brother these past few years. More than I can ever repay. And you’re right. I should have told you that I was going out on a date with someone when I saw you last, but I was afraid of you acting just like this if I told you about Tripp. And I didn’t want to have an argument. I’m sorry that you were blind-sided.”
“It’s okay.” Spencer shifted in his seat. “I was an ass to your … friend.”
“Yes, you were,” she said with a shake of her head and an understanding grin.
The situation diffused, this was the point where she should have mentioned the drawing she’d received from Jack in the mail yesterday but she’d just gotten Spencer’s ruffled feathers settled. Hearing about Jack’s reappearance in her life would ramp him right back into over-bearing mode. Without a direct physical threat, there was nothing anyone could do about the fact that Jack had sent her a letter that was most likely his way of trying to scare her and manipulate her emotions. Neither of which she would allow.
Then, there was her current secret. She was trying to conceive a baby with Tripp, instead of going the insemination route as Spencer and the rest of her family believed. This wasn’t the time or the place to explain her arrangement with Tripp or have any kind of embarrassing conversation with her brother. When and if she turned up pregnant, then she’d address the new status quo.
“I just don’t want this Tripp guy to take advantage of you,” Spencer said, huffing out a deep breath. “And most importantly, I don’t want you to end up with another asshole like Jack.”
She gave him a smile. “I appreciate your concern, I really do, but that’s the last thing you have to worry about with Tripp.” That much she knew without a doubt.