Not a Chance(20)

He sat abruptly forward and gripped her chin between to fingers turning her to face him. She was not a fan of this sudden physical treatment. She made a mental note to pay closer attention lest he become a bully. "I was worried about him hurting you," Nick said.

Arden jerked her head away. "Well he didn't," she said.

"You can't possibly blame me for being uncomfortable with the situation?"

She sighed and turned away. "No, I don't blame you. It's just, when this gets out, people are going to gossip about me and I hate having my integrity called into question. I just hope you know me well enough to trust me when I say that nothing happened."

"Of course I do. I know you'd never cheat on me. It's him I don't trust. Be honest. In the five days you two were alone together, did he really not try anything?"

Arden couldn't stop herself turning red and her blush was answer enough for him.

"See? So I do have a right to be concerned."

"You did. But you don't any longer. I'm home. Everything is going to go right back to the way it was."





CHAPTER TWELVE



Dustin Lanier sat on the couch with his head in his hands in the house he shared with his older brother Travis. He stood two inches shorter than Travis, not nearly as broad across the shoulders and lighter of hair and complexion. But they'd both inherited their father's bright blue eyes which was a dead giveaway to anyone contemplating whether these two were actually brothers.

Dustin heard the shower kick on and hoped Duane, their youngest brother, would take plenty of time. He'd been in that jail cell all week and apparently hadn't showered once. On the drive home, Dustin could hardly breathe for the awful smell.

At the sound of tires on gravel, Dustin looked over his shoulder and out the window. Travis pulled in, driving the tow truck. Dustin stood and went to the door to greet his brother who didn't even look at him as he dragged his feet through the door and collapsed into his favorite armchair. Great, Dustin thought, and braced himself for the upcoming confrontation between Travis and Duane. Travis was a man of many moods and today, for some reason, he appeared to be brooding. Dustin wondered if anyone would notice if he slipped quietly out of their lives and let them deal with each other.

He watched as Travis flipped on the television for the morning news and tossed the remote carelessly onto the coffee table. It landed with a dull thud on top of a pile of old car magazines.

Dustin studied him for a moment before closing the door. He sat back down on the edge of the couch and looked from Travis to the television and back again. "So," Dustin began, pausing in case Travis wanted to take control of the conversation. When he didn't, Dustin sighed inwardly. "So, did you get Arden Butler delivered safely home?"

Travis nodded, still staring at the TV. "I guess that's Duane in the bathroom," Travis said. His voice was a couple of shades deeper than the other brothers. Dustin sometimes cringed when he heard Travis get angry because he sounded exactly as their father had.

"Yeah," Dustin answered. "Is there going to be a problem? Or can we talk this out calmly like men?"

Travis dropped his feet from the edge of the coffee table to the floor and sat up straight. "Yes, oh wise one, we can talk this out like men. Jesus, Dustin." Travis buried his face in his hands and groaned in frustration.

Dustin hadn't seen him in this bad of a mood in years. The only cure for it was a good fight. Maybe he could take Travis up to Rowdy's later that night and see if there was anybody up there he could piss off. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Dustin asked.

"Nothing," Travis groaned through his hands. "I just hate my life."

Dustin leaned forward and put his hand on Travis's shoulder. "Hey," he said, and waited for Travis to look up at him. "Do I need to be concerned about you?"

Travis shook his head and looked away. "No. I'm fine. Just tired."

"You look pretty bad, Trav."

Travis shook his head again. "No, really. I'll be okay. I'll stay sober. No worries."

Dustin leaned back and nodded, reluctantly. Then suddenly he grinned. "It must have been torture being cooped up with that girl for five days. I hear she's a real bitch."

Travis looked up at him, then, his eyes narrowed.

Dustin met his gaze, his own eyes narrowing as he studied the vast array of emotions playing beneath the surface of his brother's skin. And then Dustin relaxed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Then again, maybe it wasn't torture after all. She is pretty hot."

"Shut up."

Dustin laughed. "Did you and she...?"

"No," Travis answered sharply. He buried his face in his hands again and massaged his temples with his fingertips. "No," he said, this time a hint of sadness in his voice.