The fact was, Connor didn’t really know much about what had happened, either, but that didn’t mean he would put up with Jake’s attitude. Connor smacked his brother’s arm. “Whatever happened between Maggie and me is ancient history and none of your business, so stop being such a jerk about this.”
“All right, all right,” Jake said, holding his hands up. “I’ll be nice.”
“You bet your ass you will,” Connor said ominously.
“But here’s an idea,” Jake said, his tone turning derisive. “Maybe you can fill us in on the ancient history one of these days.” He used sarcastic air quotes for ancient history, as if he wasn’t buying Connor’s claim at all.
The sarcasm pissed Connor off to a whole new level and he made a move toward Jake. Ian quickly stepped between his two brothers, ever the peacemaker.
“Easy, there,” Ian said, holding up his hands. “Both of you take a step back.”
“Jackass,” Connor muttered.
“Lamebrain,” Jake countered.
“Don’t sweat it, Connor,” Ian said, then turned and gave Jake a fulminating glare. “We’ll all behave ourselves like gentlemen.”
“You’re damn straight you will.” Connor jabbed his finger at Jake. “And here’s fair warning. I’m bringing Maggie to the Wellstone dinner tomorrow night, so you’d better treat her like a freaking goddess or you’ll be watching the whole deal fall apart like a house of cards.”
* * *
Connor decided to give Maggie some time to herself and, after wandering around the lobby for ten minutes, he stepped outside for some air. Crossing the terrace, he walked down to the boardwalk and headed south.
The sun was still bright, but the wind had come up and turned blustery. Connor didn’t mind the chill after so many hours spent inside the convention center.
He still wasn’t sure why he had defended Maggie so stridently to his brothers, especially since most of what Jake had complained about was exactly how Connor had felt at one time. Didn’t trust her, didn’t understand her, didn’t want to see her again.
But that was before Maggie had walked into his office a week ago. Since then, some of his opinions had shifted a little. And wasn’t that perfectly natural? Especially after he’d found out that she hadn’t exactly lived a charmed life all those years she’d been away. Still, he wasn’t quite willing to cut her too much slack. At least, not until he found out exactly why she left him in the first place
He wouldn’t mention it to his brothers, but he could admit to himself that he liked hanging out with her. Now and then, he caught glimpses of the old Maggie he’d known and loved, and okay, the fact that she was sexier than ever was a major point in her favor. So what was wrong with enjoying himself for a few days?
That didn’t mean he trusted her, of course. There was no way she could ever restore the trust he’d once had in her. Nevertheless, when he heard his brothers talking smack about her, he didn’t like it. Truth be told, their sniping had riled him up so much that he’d been tempted to punch out both of them. Not that Ian deserved it as much as Jake, but hey, Ian could always use a punch in the stomach, too, just on general principle.
The thought made him chuckle as he brushed his windblown hair back from his forehead. He loved his brothers, but sometimes they could be pains in the butt. Jake in particular had always been a hard-ass, especially when it came to trusting people. He was famous for saying that he hated liars, and once his trust was broken, he never looked back.