Page 3 of Broken Promise

I may be sitting with my brother having abeer, but my focus is at the bar. I watch her full, jean-clad asssway to the song the band is playing. I know I shouldn’t be focusedon her, that I’m being a fucking bastard, but I can’t helpmyself.

Karmen Jones has grown to be a stunningyoung woman. I want to walk over there and wish her a happybirthday, but I know what will happen. She will look at me withthose green eyes and I will have to fight every instinct I have tokeep from kissing her where everyone can see us.

Charlotte says something from beside mewhere she slid in—uninvited—twenty minutes ago, but I ignore her. She knows I’mnot interested, I have made it more than clear, but she insists onhitting on me every chance she gets. My attention is locked on herman-whore little brother.

Severn is a small town, with a population ofless than two thousand people and an hour from the nearest city.That means if you fart too loudly it makes front page news in thelocal paper, and everyone knows Jacob Wilson is a prick who can’tkeep his dick in his pants. He screws any woman who gives him thetime of day before moving on to the next.

And he has his arm around the woman I amobsessed with, pouring a shot down her throat, literally. What thefuck is going on with her tonight? She rarely drinks anythingharder than beer and I know that is her fifth shot in the lasthour.

I swear to Christ if he tries to takeadvantage of her, I’ll kick his ass.

Adam waves his hand in front of my face,drawing my attention. Charlotte has left and I didn’t even realizeit until now.

“He’s going to spontaneously combust if youglare at him any longer,” my brother jokes.

“Fuck off.”

“I will not!” he gasps. “You invited me hereand you clearly need an intervention.”

“Huh?”

“Stop mooning over Karmen. Man the fuck upand tell her you like her already,” he says, pointing his beerbottle at me. “You’re like a bear with a sore paw and it’s drivingeveryone insane.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talkingabout,” I lie, looking him right in the eye. “I’m protective. Ipromised Tommy I would take care of her. It’s the last thing I saidto my dying best friend.” I emphasize the last sentence, makingsure he hears every word.

Adam shakes his head. “It’s been six years,Wes. Are you going to wait until she finds another man before yourealize you’re fucking up? There is a line of guys around the blockwaiting to take her out and eventually she is going to sayyes.”

I glare at him. The idea of her with anyoneelse is enough to have my vision swimming as rage pumps through mysystem.

“Not that it’s any of your damn business,” Isay leaning forward into his space, my anger dictating my actions.“But there is nothing between the two of us. There never has beenand never will be.” The lies fall from my lips, tasting like poisonbut I can’t tell anyone the truth. “Karmen Jones is the littlesister I never had. Thinking of her as anything else isdisgusting.”

I hear the gasp of shock behind me, and Iknow I have fucked up. Slowly, I turn my head to see the woman inquestion standing there with tears swimming in her eyes.

“Karmen,” I start but she cuts me off with awave of her hand.

“Save it, Wesley.” She clears her throatwhile rapidly blinking back the unshed tears. “I wanted to ask youand Adam to join us to celebrate my birthday, but you can consideryourself uninvited.”

“What about me?” Adam asks with a frown.

“I don’t know,” she says with a final glarein my direction before she focuses on my brother. “Do you think I’mdisgusting?”

“Fuck, no! I think you’re hot.” He chuckleswhen she smiles, knowing full well he is pushing all my buttonseven if I won’t admit it.

I growl at him, clenching my fist on thetable.

“Then you can join us. I’ll need your fakecompliments to make me feel better after your asshole big brotherstepped all over my ego.”

“Karmen, you know I didn’t mean it likethat,” I try to explain.

“How else could you have meant it, Wesley?”she asks, tilting her head and examining me. “Never mind. I seeyour date is on her way back.”

She spins on the heel of her cowboy bootsand walks her fine ass across the dance floor. Charlotte glares ather as they pass each other, and I know this situation is going toget worse before it gets better. If it ever does.

“Way to put your foot in it,” Adam says ashe slides out of the booth.

“You could have warned me she was coming,” Icomplain, allowing my head to hit the polished wooden top of thetable.

“You told me it wasn’t my business.”

---