Page 22 of About Time You Noticed

"Sarah’s not going to make the mistake I did and go for the first person who shows interest in her. Not when I can do something about it. She needs to know she has options."

"Do you like her, or is this your mission to stop people from repeating your mistakes?"

"She's a sweet girl—has a calm temperament and a good reputation for being a faithful friend. But I don't know her well. I want to see if she remembers me."

"Oh, she'll remember." Gossip thrived in small towns, and Damien would be remembered for his divorce years ago.

Damien scraped his chair back and stood. "Coming with me?"

"Please, don't."

"Don't you want to protect Sarah?"

"Protect her from who? You or Edward?" He shook his head.

"Both.” He cocked his head. “You know you like her. Come on. A little competition doesn't hurt anyone. Make Edward work harder to win Sarah."

Tommy swallowed the fist in his throat. Watching from a distance? Pure torture. Determination sparked in Damien’s eyes. Tommy stood. " If this goes south, I'm blaming you."

The subtle upward quirk of his lips hinted at a smothered laugh. "I knew you needed a little nudge. Let's do this."

Chapter Seven

EDWARD STOPPED MID-sentence and scowled. "I can't believe this."

Sarah flinched and turned in her seat. Why were Tommy and Damien coming over? Did Tommy think she needed moral support? How ridiculous.

"It’s no coincidence he’s here," Edward mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

Damien made long confident strides while Tommy lagged behind him like a reluctant child. What was going on?

Damien called before he reached her, "Sarah! Long time, no see." He bent at the waist and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Sarah blinked. She was used to church people hugging or offering handshakes, but a kiss on a cheek from someone around her age whom she didn’t know that well, surprised her.

---