Page 118 of Dream House
“Giving Grayson a bath. What’s up? You sound pissed.”
“Das a bad wowd, Daddy,” I hear Grayson warn.
I sniff a laugh. “Where’s your lovely wife?”
Bear hesitates. “Um… judging from the way your tone is bleeding sarcasm, I’m not sure I wanna tell you.”
I sigh. Am I that easy to read? I take a deep breath and check my emotions.
“Seriously. Is she sitting right there? Because we need to talk.”
“Naw, man. She’s nursing Lola,” Bear says, now sounding concerned. “What’s wrong?”
Checking my emotions doesn’t do a whole lot of good because when I open my mouth, I unload. “Your wife needs to stay in her lane.”
“Aww, shit,” Bear grumbles low. “What’d she do now?”
I fill him in on the warning she gave Nina and the fact that it got back to me.
Bear stops me. “Wait. Wait. I’m confused. I thought you weren’t into her. You were just trying to help her get distance from her bad boyfriend.”
“Yes. That’s true.”
Pause.
“Then why are you worried about Maggie steering her away if she’s not in your sights?”
Damn. I see I’m trapped now.
“Because,” I flounder, defensive.
Bear doesn’t miss it. His antennae go up. “Because why?”
I say nothing.
“Oh,” Bear says, like he’s solving a mystery. “The brunette.”
“Huh?”
My brother chuckles. “Oh man, you are so predictable.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
His chuckle turns into a full-on belly laugh. “Maggie knows you so well.”
“Bear,” I growl. “You’re lucky I’m not over there, or I’d drown you in Grayson’s bath water.”
He seems to find this equally hilarious.
“Maggie told me she was worried about you and that poor girl until she saw your—ahem—” Bear affects a cough “—landlady.”
I can’t help myself. “Her name is Stella,” I grit through my teeth.
“Oooh,” he purrs into a chuckle. “Okay, bro.”
“And thanks to your wife,” I practically growl, “my roommates think I’m some kind of villain.”
Bear scoffs. “I’m sure Maggie didn’t call you a villain.”
