Page 6 of Just Screwing Around

I wandered through the contractor’s entrance and waved at Shirley, the cashier who always seemed to be on shift when I came in. I grabbed a flat deck cart and was heading for the two by fours when I literally bumped into someone coming around the corner. “Sorry, I didn’t see…oh.”

Derek.

Fantastic.

One sibling already had my head in knots and now I had to face the other.

He smirked in a way that made me want to punch him. I had often wondered if this feud was as exhausting for him as it was for me. Then I’d see him and he’d double down on the whole thing. My pride always got in the way of just letting the whole thing go.

“Attention to detail still your strong suit, I see.”

“Just a little distracted by the recent turn of events. I thought you would have tracked me down by now,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

He furrowed his brows. “Why would I be tracking you down? You steal one of my customers again? Can’t help but notice you guys have barely broken ground on that University townhouse complex.”

I ground my teeth, but didn’t take the bait. We’d had this argument more times than I could count. We’d both bid on a job and if he didn’t get it, he’d accuse me of stealing his customers. The fact that he was right, and I was way behind on the townhouse complex wasn’t something I would admit.

Ever.

“No, I meant because of Charlotte.”

He took a step closer, and his voice came out in a snarl. “The fuck did you do to my sister?”

He didn’t know.

Interesting.

I licked my lips and gave him a smirk of my own. “You didn’t see her car in my driveway this morning?” I was being a total dick but the dance between us was too familiar to stop. I’d long since gotten over the girl we’d fought over. I was sure he had, too. That hardly mattered now. We had two decades of poking at each other behind us and I didn’t think we would ever break the habit. The thought made my stomach sink. We had been close once. Charlotte and I had, too.

His hands clenched at his side so to avoid getting punched, I clarified. “She didn’t tell you she’s my new roommate?”

The surprise on his face was clear, but he quickly covered it with a scowl. I was tall but he was even taller. He took a step forward so we were all but chest to chest. “I’m going to make this simple enough that even you can understand. Touch her and die.”

I flashed him a lazy smile. “I won’t touch her.”

Derek took another step into my space, his chest puffed up in a way that reminded me I did not want to actually get into a fight with this guy. “I’d love to believe that but we both know you always want what’s not yours.”

I exhaled hard. “So, I broke a promise we made when we were what? Sixteen? I apologized for that. We both liked the same girl. We swore we wouldn’t go after her and I asked her out anyway. You really still not over that?”

He stuck his finger in my face. “Not when you started a business that tries to steal all my customers.”

He was exaggerating. We’d had plans to go into business together after trade school, but then I’d fucked up and gone after a girl we both liked. She’d turned me down, but the damage was done. We both still became contractors. We just did it separately. And proceeded to spend the next twenty years getting on each other’s nerves.

“Not my fault if customers like me better.” I took a step back and started walking toward my cart. “Besides, Charlotte’s a big girl. I won’t touch her, but I can’t guarantee she won’t touch me.”

Derek clenched his jaw and flipped me off.

I figured I’d pushed my luck enough for one day, so I got the materials I needed and got the hell out of there. If I wanted to be close to Charlotte, I’d have to learn to get along with Derek again. Instead, the first time I saw him I’d goaded the guy.

I was an idiot.

A very single idiot.

I dropped what was needed at the job site for the guys and grimaced at just how little progress we had made.

Sage Valley University had put out a call for bids on a townhouse complex that they’d own and run as student housing. I didn’t have the capital to fund a project that size myself, but with the University footing the initial bill, I could make a killing.

There was one caveat.

---