Page 61 of Synced to Us

Dee cups my cheeks, forcing my face back to hers. “You think I can’t handle myself, macho man? You did enough last night. I’ve moved on, and so has Lucy. We’re working on something positive here, so how about you pick up a hammer and make this go faster?”

Her almond-shaped eyes swirl with mirth and kind intent. It blows me away how she can put something like that behind her. It makes me wonder… fuck.

My vision goes blind with red. “How many men have tried to get physical with you before that you had to take care of?”

Dee’s lips part in surprise. “Not—not many.”

She can’t hide the stutter. “You’ve dealt with this too many times, haven’t you?”

“Yes, but it was my choice. I was in a dangerous career, but I learned to handle it. Self-defense, some Krav Maga. McKenna and I took these classes together. It’s okay, Wyn. It’s fine. Calm down.”

My exterior must be showing the rage hurricane going on inside. “No one touches you. No one.”

Dee’s grip tightens on my arms. She says softly, “No one has for a long time. No one but you.”

It takes work to breathe through my mouth and not heave through my nose like a bull as I imagine what Dee must’ve gone through as a young girl. Yes, it was her choice, but it was also the guy’s choice on how he should treat a woman.

But Dee’s strained reasoning grounds me enough not to make a scene. I take another breath and kiss her forehead. “All right. If you say so.”

“We’ll get Brad another way. Send me the details on those accounts.”

I nod, but stare at the shed, as if I could X-ray through it and laser beam my brother with my eyes. “He and I have a lot to sort out.”

“On that, I agree. But until then, let’s bring a smile to your mother’s face.” She hands me the hammer she’s tucked in her…toolbelt?

“What the hell have you two been up to?”

“Enough to light a passioned fire under Lucy’s ass.” Dee winks at me when Lucy has her back turned. “I think we’ve found Lucy’s new project. She wants to keep fixing up May’s house when we leave.”

I raise my brows, watching Lucy move between the truck and the stairs while keeping an eagle eye on her children. Like Dee, she has a bounce to her step and a centralized focus to her gaze. Her brand new toolbelt squeaks and clacks with every stride she takes.

She’s proud.

“That’s great news,” I say, and throw an arm around Dee, pulling her close.

She leans into me, fitting against my side with warm precision. Lucy looks up and catches us.

“Aw, you two are so darned cute. Do you want me to take a photo? This is a perfect memory. May will love it!”

Dee pushes away, brushing her hands like she’s too dirty to be held against my chest, which is a bullshit excuse.

“No time!” she calls to Lucy. “We have to get this done!” She then says to me under her breath, “I doubt you want to cap off this weekend with a photo of our deception for your mother to look back on.”

It only serves as a stark reminder as to why she’s here. Fixing Ma’s steps, allowing me to lose myself in her body last night, encouraging my music writing; it’s all fake.

Believing she was falling for me as much as I was for her is more of a fool’s errand than attempting a solo music career without a singing voice.

I’m just the guy in the background. The dude on the keys. I’m not the lead singer, main guitarist, or a man of means.

As she’s reminded me, Dee’s played the role of the perfect girlfriend plenty of times before and dealt with men like me all the time.

Damn, she’s good at it, though. So good, I nearly forgot our true roles. She still needs me at her firm’s gala. That’s why she’s being so fucking perfect this weekend.

“Dee’s right.” I clear my throat when my voice comes out tight. I raise my hammer. “Let’s get this done so we can all go home.”

Dee glances at me, her brow ticking up, but doesn’t say anything before she gets back to counting the fresh panels of wood Lucy stacked beside the patio. The sun hits the top of her dark head like a halo as she moves.

She’s gorgeous, this girl.

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