Page 48 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
She yawned and stretched. “Yeah, the headache is gone.”
“You look like you’re still tired.”
“I am, but,” she said, rolling her head, “I think I woke up because my neck was hurting.”
Wyatt slid his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his side. “How about resting your head on my shoulder?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He kissed her forehead. “I don’t mind at all.” And he didn’t mind how great it felt to have her tight against him.
Her nose brushed against his neck as she laid her head down. “I really like this cologne you wear.” She took a deep breath. “I always have, but I think I told you that a long time ago.”
“I remember.” He blinked.
Holy smokes.
That’s why he wore it. Now the full memory of the day rushed back with motion-picture quality. He’d been playing football with Bear, and Gabby had come over to meet Carrie Anne before their dates took them to their senior prom. She’d said hello, and he’d done a double-take. Man, she’d been a treat for the eyes.
The dress had been perfect on her, and of course, it had been red. It hugged her curves so well, like a neon sign screaming,Look at me. Wyatt’s concentration on the game had faltered, and he’d taken a ball to the gut. It had laid him out. Next thing he knew, she was hovering over him, asking if he was all right.
He could remember just nodding because he was speechless. The sun had hit her just perfectly, haloing behind her. For a moment, he thought he was looking at an angel. Finally, he’d mustered enough wits and told her she was beautiful. She’d smiled and kissed his cheek before thanking him for the compliment.
Then she’d said she liked his cologne. From that point on, he’d worn it anytime he knew she’d be around. He hadn’t even realized it until now. For just a brief second that year, he’d wondered what it would be like to ask her out. It had been quick, but that peck on the cheek had affected him more than he’d been willing to admit.
The whole thing had shaken him up. His thoughts had run rampant with pictures of Gabby and him together. But she was like his sister, and there was no way he could go there, so he’d shut those thoughts out before they’d had a chance to take root. He’d told himself that if a relationship with Gabby went sour, it could affect their whole family. He’d pushed the thoughts so far down that he was only now remembering them. How would their lives have turned out if he hadn’t rejected those thoughts back then?
She brushed her nose across his skin again as she got comfortable, and goosebumps raced down his arms. “I’ve missed home.”
“I’ve missed you.” He kissed the top of her head and shocked himself. He was sure she didn’t hear it, though, as soon as she breathed out. The way her body relaxed against him said she was asleep again. He tightened his arm around her, enjoying the feel of her next to him. Boy, did she fit. He had missed her. Missed her smile and her laughter and her—all of her.
Again, the thought of what would happen to the family if they dated and something went wrong flitted through his mind. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if things did work. Having someone by his side, wanting the same things he did, and coming home to her smile each day.
It wasn’t that Bandit wasn’t right for her; it was that Wyatt couldn’t let him be. It was why Wyatt’s relationship with Lori never went anywhere. Because somewhere down deep, his soul was screaming that he needed Gabby. He was just too clueless to hear it.
Wyatt’s heart raced as things began to make sense. All the times he’d leaned on her wasn’t because she was his little sister’s best friend. It was because she was his other half. Moments that Gabby leaned on him made him happy because he loved being needed by her. Since she’d been gone, he’d been miserable, and it had just hit him why.
He cared her…maybe more than cared for her.
Carrie Anne’s words were like bricks being set on top of his chest.One of these days, you’re going to figure out the real answer to that question, and she’ll have moved on. You’re going to wake up one day and realize you’ve lost her.
And she was in a relationship with Bandit. She’d moved on, and here Wyatt was, regretting that it had taken too long for him to realize exactly what she meant to him. If he said anything now, it would be a jerk move. As much as he cared about Gabby, Wyatt cared about Bandit too.
Even if Bandit didn’t seem as into Gabby as Wyatt thought he should, that didn’t mean it gave Wyatt permission to try to steal his girlfriend. Maybe the guy was just shy and didn’t like public displays of affection. What if the guy just liked his privacy, and it had nothing to do with how he felt about Gabby?
It was a conundrum for Wyatt. Did he approach Bandit and ask the man if he was serious about Gabby? It was possible they were very serious. They’d known each other a long time. Thinking about it made Wyatt feel disgusting. Barging in on someone’s relationship just because a light bulb had finally gone off didn’t seem right to him. That was Wyatt’s fault for not taking his chance when he had it.
He set his cheek against Gabby’s forehead, and his heart ached at the thought of not being with her. But he wanted her happy more than anything. If Gabby had moved on, Wyatt would just have to accept it. If he really cared about her, he wouldn’t want to mess up her relationship.
Shaking his head, he grumbled to himself. All these weird thoughts and feelings were Carrie Anne’s fault. Planting that suggestion that Gabby had feelings for him had weaseled their way into his subconscious, and now he was all out of sorts. When he got back to the ranch, he was talking to his sister and straightening this whole thing out. She was the one who started the whole thing, and she’d be the one to fix it.
* * *
The entire drive home,Wyatt’s thoughts had gone in circles. By the time he parked the truck, if someone had asked him which way was up, he couldn’t be certain he’d point the right direction. There wasn’t an inch of him that wasn’t at war.
It didn’t help that Gabby was beside him, arm around his neck and breath tickling his skin. She was warm and perfect, and the longer he held her, the more he didn’t want to let go, which was why he was still sitting in his parked truck ten minutes later, debating whether he should carry her to her room or continue watching her sleep. Either option kept her in his arms a little longer.
Before he could think too much about it, she stirred, and he took it as a sign that he should wake her up.
