Page 59 of Tempting the Heart

“Exactly my point. Here I am, looking all cute and handing you an all-access pass, which you politely decline.” She flashed a wry grin. “And the reason is because you’re stuck on a girl who is incredibly beautiful, smart, a business owner, loyal, and right across the street. But do you take the bull by the horns?”

“No.”

“Yup. Exactly. You run away.”

“I’m not running away.”

“You’re not running toward her.”

“Seriously. Are you sure you’re a physical therapist?”

“I also happened to major in psychology.” She winked at me.

“Fine. Tell me what it is you really want to say.”

She shook her head. “No-uh. That’s not how it works. I don’t tell or reveal. You have to be the one with the revelations, not me.”

I sighed and closed my eyes for a brief moment before opening them and drinking some more Coke.

“Why aren’t you going after the woman you’ve been wanting for all these years? Why aren’t you using this perfect moment to seize the opportunity with Mae? She’s one in a million, and yet here you are, prancing around with the bachelor title while obviously committed.”

“I’m not committed. I’m responsible. I don’t want to break her heart.”

A smirk covered Bethany’s soft features, and she shook her head. “Are you sure it’sherheart you’re worried will get broken?”

Chapter Seventeen

Mae

“Whoa. Slow down, boy.” I looked down at Herman, whose tongue had fallen out of his mouth. I bent down and poured some water in the dog dish out front while Bryce shook his head.

Bryce had grown up with us all, and he always loved to fill us in on the gossip of the island, flirt a little, and pretend that he’d like to marry one of my sisters or me. We knew it was harmless fun and so did he, considering all the dirt we knew about him.

“Are you talking to me or my dog?” Bryce asked, laughing.

“Herman, obviously.”

“You should have seen Bethany with her hands all over him.” Bryce shook his head. “And there was no hiding it. Right in public at Milo’s for the world to see.”

“Who?” I shook my head, not wanting to know the answer.

Bryce stared at me with an incredulous look on his face. “The man you were lucky not to fall for. That’s who.”

I let out a wistful sigh and shrugged. “He’s not mine, Bryce. We both made it clear that our little crushes back when we were kids were just that.”

Bryce stared at me with a blank expression. “I don’t buy it for a minute, Mae. You’ve been crushing on that guy since I’ve been around. Do you know how lucky I’d feel if you even gave me half a look like you do to Tyler?”

I rolled my eyes. “Bryce, you’re so full of it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go inside and check on Dottie.”

The moment I said her name, Herman’s ears perked up and he quit lapping up the water. It was a known island fact that Herman had a crush on our family’s pug. Dottie could have cared less, but Herman took it as a challenge.

Bryce grinned. “You know better than to say her name around Herman.”

“I don’t understand how you could get a horndog of a dog as bad as you.” I chuckled. “Makes no sense.”

“We’re kindred spirits.” He waggled his brows. “And for the record, I’m always here to pick up the pieces. You know, if you need a shoulder to cry on or a bed to crawl into.”

“Bryce, you’re lucky you’re our best friend or we would have slugged you a long time ago.” I smiled, shaking my head. “Each and every one of us.”

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