Page 126 of Things Left Unsaid

“Getting a decade’s worth of love showered on you?”

His cheeks blaze with color and it has nothing to do with the wind. “It’s kinda nice.”

“You have so much female attention, Callan, it’s a wonder you’re not hanging out with Theo and me on the range more to breathe in the testosterone,” I tease.

“Jerk.”

I wink.

“I like her.”

“Who? Mum?”

“I didn’t mean her.”

“Who did you mean?”

“Zee.”

I nod. “You’d know better than me.” If I sound bitter, so be it. It’s my own damn fault.

“We’re going to play a game tonight. You could hang with us. I have three controllers.”

“Why do you have three controllers? Until Zee came along, you only ever played by yourself.”

“What if I need to charge both of them?”

“First world problems. I don’t think Zee would like it if I hung out with you guys. Not yet, anyway. I know she’s still getting used to living here. I don’t want to push her.”

“Push her? Colton, you could be in Nunavut for how much distance you keep putting between you.

“Yesterday, she was staring at you throughout breakfast and you didn’t notice. You were too busy with your damn logic puzzles.”

“They were particularly challenging yesterday. Wait. She was?”

“Uh-huh. It was the first time she came to eat with us too.” He shuffles from one foot to the other. “She’s pretty.”

Great—he has a crush on her.

“Callan,” I warn.

“What?! I’m just saying. I have eyes. I use them, unlike some brothers I know.”

I clear my throat. “Are you still going on those camgirl sites?”

“Maybe. Don’t tell Zee though!”

“Oh, yeah, Callan, I’m going to tell the wife I barely speak to that my kid brother has a crush on her and is obsessed with camgirl sites!”

He gapes at me. “I donothave a crush on her.”

“Sounds like it to me.”

“I do not! She’s my…” He shifts from one foot to the other. “…friend.”

The coil of tension that had been tightening inside me releases with that information.

“Your… friend?”

---