Page 21 of Sugar Coated Lies
My stomach sinks the moment Easton, my full-of-himself brother, jumps up to greet the pretty woman who looks lost.Well, shit. I’ll have to tell him Everleigh is an employee and off-limits. Although, based on the scowl on Tennie’s face, I may not have to. Ever since we—I—broke things off a few months ago, she’s been sniffing around Easton. He likes the attention, but he’d never date a girl I slept with. Brother-code and all. She’s an old family friend. I shouldn’t have gone out with her, but I hooked up with her when I was drunk and didn’t have the heart to tell her that had I been sober, it wouldn’t have happened.
Next thing I know, she’s making plans for us, family dinners and outings, date nights. The only relief I had was when I went to Atlanta—until she followed me there, too. That’s when I knew I had to call it off. It had gone on for too long. How one night turned into two months, I’m still not sure. She acted cool when I ended things, like we had only been casual, but I sensed otherwise. The next month, she attached herself to Easton’s hip. I’m not sure what she’s up to, but it’s something.
I laugh at the laptop screen as I watch Millie shoo Easton away from Everleigh.Way to go, Mil!
To assure she and Everleigh won’t be interrupted, I text my brother to come to my office.
When he arrives, Tennie is with him.
“What’s up, bro?” Easton sits haphazardly on one of the chairs. “Let me guess, you summoned me to warn me off the new employee?”
I glance at Tennie to gauge her reaction. The glare she gives Easton says it all.
“He’s not interested in her.” Tennie touches his shoulder and sits on the chair beside him.
“What makes you say that?” Eason asks.
“She’s not a blonde,” Tennie says with certainty.
“I don’t only date blondes,” my brother replies and looks at me.
I scratch the light scruff on my chin, trying to recall the many girls he dated and their hair color.
“See?” Tennie says. “I know you both better than you know yourselves.”
Easton raises his brows at her. “You’re saying you foresaw Daire hiring the dark-haired temptress, then?”
“Temptress,” she snorts. “Hardly. More like a crack whore.”
“Whoa.” Easton leans away, feigning fear.
My jaw tightens.
Tennie rolls her eyes. “I’ve heard both of you say far worse things.”
“Not about employees,” Easton retorts. “And we’re guys. We do and say dumb shit sometimes.”
“Well, I didn’t mean it literally. I just meant she looks like she’s had a…rough life.”
“And that gives you the right to talk shit about her behind her back?” I say with more bite than I mean to let loose. Tennie will get suspicious. “Easton is right,” I add. “She’s an employee, and we treat all employees with respect regardless of their background.”
“Why so defensive?” She sneers at me. “Got a crush on the help?”
I work to reign in my anger, even though I could exhale flames. “If anyone heard you talk about an employee like that tous”—I gesture at my brother and myself—“we could end up in deep legal trouble. This is a respectable farm. Think of my father.” I almost slam my hand on the desk. She’s never behaved this way before.
“Ourfather,” Easton chimes in with his spare-to-the-heir carefree demeanor.
“Implied,” I placate him.
“This is why I’m not in charge,” Easton says. “That didn’t even cross my mind.”
“It will one day,” I assure him. My plan is to train him to do what I do, so he can run this place with me one day as a partner.
“I’m sorry.” Tennie folds her hands on her lap and stares down at them. “That was disrespectful of me. I forget you’re like a boss now.”
Easton laughs. “Like a boss.”
This is more like the girl I know. In all fairness, I’m a new boss of sorts, sharing responsibility with my slowly retiring father, and Tennie has known us since we were in elementary school. “It’s okay.”
