Page 59 of Tiny's Law

“You think she slept with him?”

“I don’t want to think it. But her taking off and not saying a damn word and now not answering my fucking phone calls seems pretty damn suspicious.”

He nods. “I’d say that’s guilty behavior. What’s Mama Dukes saying?”

“She knows how I feel about Kourtney and is trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, which is sending Evie into a tailspin. She’s been locked in my guest room since dinner. We all know how Uncle Matt has always been a douche, but Evie loves him, so she’s hurt and believes the girl that told her. Who fucking knows, man.” I shake my head. “Women.”

“This is why I don’t date, brother.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “Oh yeah? Says the bald man who has been seen spending a lot of time at a certain hair salon.”

Ghost shrugs, smirking. “You caught me. Still not dating anyone, though.”

“Whatever, man.”

“Maybe you should go by her house? Corner her, get her to explain herself.”

“It’s looking like that’s what I’ll have to do. She hasn’t answered her phone.”

“How many times have you called her?”

I wince.

“Shit, that bad, huh?”

I nod with a chuckle. “Fucking pathetic.”

“Just go to her house, man,” he says, pushing up from his chair and putting my baseball back. “Quit moping around, go talk to her, and come by the clubhouse this weekend. You haven’t been by all week, and I feel like a party.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, fucker,” I shout at his retreating form.

And that’s how, three hours later, I find myself on Kourtney’s porch, knocking on the front door.

I checked her cameras, so I know she’s home.

A grin pulls at my lips when I hear faint meowing on the other side of the door. “Meatball, hush it,” Kourtney’s muffled voice says.

Hearing the locks click open, I brace myself to see her. When she pulls the door open, and I catch sight of her, I’m thankful I’m not standing on the steps because my ass would probably be on the floor. Even though I knew what she was already wearing from the cameras, seeing her in person takes my breath away.

Her hair is in a messy bun on the top of her head, and a pair of thick, black-framed glasses sit on her face. And an oversized t-shirt covers whatever shorts she may be wearing. A soft smile hits her lips, and I wait for her to let me in.

Momentarily confused when she doesn’t, I settle on acceptance when she takes a step outside instead and sits down on the steps.

Following behind her, I drop down next to her, leaning my back against the rail post and face her.

She looks thoughtfully off in the distance, studying the hell out of her front yard.

“I guess you came for an explanation, right?” Her voice is small, and I hate it. I don't want her to be unsure around me. I want the confident vixen I met a few weeks ago.

She interrupts me before I can answer her. “I never had sex with him.”

Her eyes meet mine, and the sincerity I find in them has me believing her instantly. It’s not that I think she did sleep with him. I’ve just had a hard time calling my aunt a liar.

“What happened?” I ask tentatively.

Kourtney scoffs, turning back to the yard and shaking her head. “I worked my ass off at that company. I mean worked my ass off. I worked damn near hundred-hour weeks. Every week. Took on every single case they put on my desk. That promotion should have been mine.”

I wait patiently as she works through whatever memories flip through her mind. Worrying her fingers together, her eyes get lost in them, and I wait patiently to hear her voice, even if it’s something I’m not going to want to hear.

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