“Yes, but I didn’t come after you to hurt him. My mother mentioned your name before I first arrived in town.” Mason had perfected phony sincerity, and it made Trip want to kick him in the ass. First he had to get Kelsey away from his brother.
“Let’s go, princess.” Trip motioned for Kelsey to follow him.
“But you don’t confide in your stepmom, do you?” Kelsey stood still, waiting for an explanation.
“Hell no!” Trip scowled, then turned on Mason, desperate to end this discussion before his brother repeated the dismissive words Trip had used in Denver to try to throw Deb off his trail. Although it humiliated him to do so, he groveled. “If you need to mess with me, come at me directly. Don’t hurt her to do it.”
But the gleam in Mason’s eye torpedoed any hope Trip might’ve had of calling a truce.
“I’m honestly shocked by your reaction.” Mason held his hands up, shrugging. “You told Mom ‘Boomerang’ wasn’t anyone special, so I assumed you wouldn’t care who she dated.”
Trip squeezed his eyes shut again, heat flashing through his body. When he opened them and turned to Kelsey, her watery eyes pierced his heart, sobering him up a bit. “I only said that to protect you from this ass. I knew if he thought you meant anything to me, he’d pull a stunt like this. You believe me, right?”
“What’s ‘Boomerang’?” The gentle, hurt tone of her voice, coupled with her lifeless expression, twisted his gut.
“Nothing.” He reached toward her but she stepped back.
Mason scoffed. “Liar.”
Kelsey turned on Mason, a bit of fire in her eyes. “Don’t look so self-righteous. How dare you use me just to play out some juvenile sibling rivalry? If this is how you treat people, your wife’s decision to bail makes a lot of sense.”
“I didn’t pretend anything, Kelsey. What’s not to like about you?” Mason’s smooth voice sounded too convincing to Trip. “And besides, I didn’t coin that derogatory nickname.”
She whirled on Trip. “What’s that nickname even mean?”
“It’s just a stupid name Grey came up with last year when you kept chasing after him.” The humiliation in her eyes nearly brought him to his knees. He reached out to embrace her but she shoved him away. “I’m sorry.”
“You shared it with your parents?” Her lower lip trembled when she spoke, and the betrayal in her voice scraped against his skin worse than any rough rock he’d ever climbed. Everything Trip had said in the past five minutes had made things worse instead of better, while Mason had yet another front row seat to witness the damage he’d set out to cause.
“I made an offhand comment to my dad before anything happened between us. It slipped out, but I swear I didn’t use it to be cruel.”
He watched her put on a brave face despite the unflattering and heartless revelations, but she couldn’t hide the tear trailing down her cheek. She squared her shoulders. “I’m going home.”
“I’ll walk you.” Trip started toward her, but she stuck her hand out.
“You stay away from me, Trip Lexington.” Then she spun on Mason. “That goes for you, too. What a pair you two make. Your parents must be so proud.” She looked right at Trip. “You should be glad your mom’s not around to see how you turned out.”
Although she’d hit a bull’s-eye with her last retort, seeing Kelsey’s spirit broken snapped something inside Trip. His hat went flying as he lunged at Mason. His fist connected with his brother’s face, sending him reeling backward. Kelsey yelped and Trip vaguely registered the small crowd that had formed to watch the spectacle, yet nothing would stop him.
He gripped Mason by the shirt and pushed him to the ground, straddled him, and started punching.
“Stop it!” Kelsey cried. “Trip, stop!”
But fury blinded him. Trip rained his fists down on Mason, who tried desperately to shield his face and body from the force of Trip’s blows.
A cop finally pulled Trip off his brother, who lay bloody and beaten on the sidewalk. Trip’s heart was racing, his skin damp with sweat. Red and blue lights reflected off the plate-glass windows of the bar, and a dull murmur from the crowds grew louder. Wooziness gripped him as he struggled to catch his breath and fight against the shock setting in. He’d never lost control of his temper like that.
He glanced around the crowd, but couldn’t find Kelsey in the melee.