Page 35 of I Want Crazy (Loco, Texas 3)

“What the hell?”

“I have been talking to you for ten minutes, and I’ve gotten dazed nods and halfhearted ‘mmms.’ What is up with you?” Jake asked.

“Sorry, just got a lot on my mind,” Red said sheepishly.

“The deadline or the hot blonde who wants to play with your stick?” Jake asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You are a pig. How does Rand stand you?”

“Well—”

“If you’re about to talk about your sex life, spare me.” There was no malice behind the words; he just really wasn’t interested in his friend’s sex life. “Fine, so let’s talk about yours. Is this a casual thing?”

“This is a flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of thing.” Red laughed at Jake’s puzzled look. “I didn’t even plan on kissing her until she started going off on a feminist rant, and before I knew what I was doing, I had my tongue in her mouth.”

“Ugh, dude, I’m eating.”

“Sorry, it’s just, she’s kind of spun my head around. She makes me so crazy, it’s like she doesn’t even think before she makes a decision, she just jumps in.”

“Says the guy who just jumped into her mouth.”

“She hired

an ex-con as her chef today.”

“What did he do?”

“He told her he beat the hell out of her sister’s husband for beating her. ” Sounds like a hero to me.”

“But what if he’s lying? Now she’s hired him, alone in the bar with him…”

“Yeah, this definitely isn’t casual.”

“Shut up.”

“What? I’m just saying, you don’t get this bent out of shape about a woman unless you love her.” Jake looked uncomfortable for a half a second. “Or beat the hell out of your best friend because you’re afraid he’ll hurt her.”

Red froze, remembering the morning he’d come by and found Jake and Rand had slept together. He’d lost it, attacking Jake and threatening him.

Red cleared his throat. “Look, Jake—”

“No, just listen, okay? I know the last two years haven’t been a picnic for you, and we’ve all been pretending there isn’t a big elephant in the room, but it needs to be said. I had a feeling you might have had real feelings for Rand, and I’m sorry that my actions hurt you. I know this is coming a little late, but there it is.”

Red shook his head. “I appreciate the sentiment, man, but honestly, you didn’t do anything I wouldn’t have done. You loved her, and you went for it. The great thing about it was she loved you too. Nothing to apologize for.”

“I just feel like there has been this air of tension, and now that Jessie’s in the picture, I feel okay talking about it.”

Red gave Jake a hard look. “I’m not in love with Jessie. It’s been a week, and last time I checked, I wasn’t crazy.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Jake popped a fry in his mouth before continuing, “I’ve always thought you were one flapjack shy of a short stack.”

Laughing, he sat back against the couch and shook his head. “Probably why we’re friends. No one else could handle our quirks.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we’re pretty, then.” Jake tipped the neck of his beer toward Red, waiting for him to agree.

Red clanked his. “I’ll drink to that.”

Chapter Eleven

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