Ryder laughs. “She’s not much for thinking in a straight line.”
“That is the fucking understatement of the year.”
He laughs harder. “Your face, it was like you’d been hit by a truck.”
“Glad you found it amusing,” I say dryly. Things are going to be all right. Even if we’re not through it yet, we will be.
He shifts from one foot to the other, crossing his arms. “So basically, you had a one-night stand with my sister, didn’t bother to get her name, and it blew up in your face.”
He doesn’t sugarcoat it, and neither do I. “Pretty much.”
“And you couldn’t tell me because you promised her you wouldn’t.”
“Yes.”
His expression turns sly. “What if I said I wanted you to stay away from her?”
I know what he’s getting at, but I’m not about to give it to him for free. “I’d say she’s not the kind of woman that would appreciate a couple of guys sitting around deciding what’s best for her.”
“True.” He flashes me a smile. “But what would you say if I asked, for the sake of our friendship, because it’s complicated and bound to get messy.”
I contemplate my answer, then say carefully, “I’d say, while I understand, that’s not an option.”
“Why’s that?”
I get it. I’m not a good risk. If I were a big brother, I’d want my sister to stay away from me too. I’m not emotionally available. I’ve been clear that commitment, marriage, and a family are not for me.
I can’t blame the guy for wanting his sister to stay clear.
So, while I can’t promise him anything, I can at least assure him this isn’t about sex either. I look out the window onto my backyard. “I tried staying away from her.”
“Yeah, and you made poor Harold cry because you were in such a shit mood.”
Harold, our newest, greenest deputy, is a work in progress. Ryder has been mentoring him, but he’s like a wholesome, small-town TV show cop. “It’s my job to break them and your job to put them together again.”
“True, but I don’t want you breaking my sister.”
“I understand.”
“But it changes nothing.”
The words stick in my throat because I can barely admit them to myself, let alone him, but he needs to understand and I respect that. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stay away from her if my life depended on it.”
“That’s what I thought.” He’s silent for a few seconds before he says, “I’m sure you’ve figured out Jessica’s going to do whatever the fuck Jessica’s going to do.”
“Some might say to a fault,” I quip.
“I’ll tell her you said so.”
“Go ahead. It’s nothing I wouldn’t say to her face.”
He chuckles, perching his hands on the counter behind him before glancing at me. “Jessica can be very cynical and cold about men and relationships, but that doesn’t mean she’s not protecting a soft middle.”
I am aware, but I’m not about to discuss that with Ryder. “I know who I’m dealing with.”
“If you hurt her, that’s going to be a problem for me.”
“Fair enough.”