“Yep.” Lucas added her number to his phoneand with a final look at Preacher, Addison walked away.
Ignoring his urge to stare at her ass, Preacherinstead glared at Lucas. He had Addison’s phone number – Preacher didn’t evenhave her fucking number. His gaze dropped to the two braided bracelets aroundLucas’s wrist. She’d given him two. She’d given him two of her bracelets andPreacher only had one.
For fuck’s sake. Are you twelve? You’reseriously jealous over a goddamn friendship bracelet?
“Addison is great, don’t you think?” Lucassaid with an infuriating grin. “It’s a shame about her and her fiancé.”
“Stay away from her,” Preacher said. “She’snot looking for a relationship with a man-child who plays video games allfucking day.”
“Develops them, actually,” Lucas said, thatannoying grin still planted on his face, “but it’s still a remarkably fair descriptionof me so I’ll give you that.”
“She’s not interested in you,” Preachersaid.
“She’s more into tortured tattoo artists?Is that what you’re saying?” Lucas said.
Preacher could feel his face reddening. Hisurge to punch Lucas was growing by the minute and what the hell was wrong with him?He never got jealous.
“Look, man,” Lucas clapped him on the arm, “inthe interest of not having you punch my face into mincemeat, I’m gonna stopbeing a dickhead and tell you the truth. I’m not interested in Addison. Ilike to flirt, and Addison is a pretty girl, but I like the curvy girls.Okay? It’s not going to go beyond flirting with her. So, you can stop picturinghow it’ll look when you shove my head up my own ass and relax about the wholesituation.”
He fucking hated it, but just hearing Lucassay he wasn’t interested in Addison made the steam cooker in his brain cool offa couple of degrees.
“Friends again?” Lucas held out his hand,the two bracelets around his wrist taunting Preacher.
“If I find out you touched her on Tuesday,even one goddamn time, you’ll regret moving to Harmony Falls.” Preacher said.“You understand?”
Lucas’s laid-back grin didn’t waver. In anexaggerated French accent, he said, “Aye, aye, mon capitaine.”
Preacher rolled his eyes and stalked away.
Chapter Sixteen
“Thanks for inviting Daniel,” Addisonsaid. “I really appreciate it and I know he does too. He’s been lonely withoutus, even if he won’t admit it.”
Kira smiled at her. “It’s going well, Ithink. I talked with Connor about it beforehand and he was good with it. He’snot jealous which I’m grateful for, because he really has nothing to be jealousabout, you know?”
“I do. Daniel said he and Connor had abeer and he apologized.”
“He did. I still don’t know what exactlyDaniel said to make Connor punch him – Connor won’t say – but I know that Connorappreciated the apology.”
“Speaking of, how’s his hand doing?”
“Well, considering how hard your brother’sface apparently is, Connor’s hand is doing better. Obviously still not fullyhealed and the cast isn’t even close to coming off yet, but the fingers are nolonger swollen, there’s no numbness in them, and he can wiggle them. Which thespecialist said is fantastic news. He thinks with even just a few weeks of physicaltherapy, Connor will have enough range of motion to start working on patientsagain. Although he did apparently manage a dental check up one-handed on avery patient client the other day,” Kira said.
“That’s good,” Addison said.
“It is.” She swept the lemon rinds intothe compost bin tucked under the kitchen sink. “Daniel’s had too much to drink.”
“I know,” Addison said. “He’s alreadygiven me his keys. I’ll drive him home.”
“Okay, good. I could see Gideon giving himthe old cop eye.”
“Daniel wouldn’t drive drunk,” Addisonsaid. “He’s not perfect, but he would never do something that stupid.”
“I know,” Kira said quickly. “I just wantto make sure he stays safe. Now, let’s talk about Lucas.”
“What about him?”
“I saw the way you two were flirting up astorm by the food table.” Kira stirred the fresh pitcher of lemonade she’djust made.