Page 62 of Some Cowboys are Off-Limits

She worried her lower lip, dredging up the confidence needed for this conversation. Then nodded. “It’s your brother.”

The blood drained from Annabel’s face, and she sat back in her seat with a slump. “What?” she said quietly.

“Yeah. It wasn’t really expected, but—”

Annabel’s brows furrowed and she looked away. “But I told you I didn’t want you dating my brothers. They’re… well, you know.”

“I know.” Scarlett stumbled to find an explanation that would make sense, anything that would make her friend not look so stricken. “I didn’t realize it was happening until—”

“Who? Lucas? Because you know how he whips through his relationships with women. I thought you knew better than to let his flirting get to you. Are you so insecure that—”

“Elijah,” Scarlett blurted. “It’s Elijah.” She wrung her hands in her lap and looked away, suddenly feeling more ashamed than she had before. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” Annabel mumbled. “I guess that’s not as bad.”

Scarlett glanced up, but Annabel still looked like she wasn’t ready to handle anything she might say about Elijah, period. She opened her mouth, figuring anything would be better than saying nothing at all, but the waitress interrupted.

“Here are your mimosas, ladies. Have you had a chance to look over the menu?”

Annabel grabbed the flute and downed it in seconds flat, then held the glass out toward the waitress. “Could I get another one of these?”

“Of… course.” The waitress took the flute and then glanced toward Scarlett unsurely.

“We’ll need another minute,” Scarlett said with a smile.

“Keep ’em coming!” Annabel called after the woman the second she’d left their table.

“Annabel,” Scarlett murmured, “you don’t seem like you’re okay with this.”

Her friend shot her a look, not hard or sharp, but blank. “Well, youdidstart dating my brother behind my back. That’s what happened, right? This didn’t just happen this morning or anything? I’m right to assume this has been going on for a few weeks?”

Scarlett nodded numbly.

“When? Since you got back? Before?”

Her eyes widened. “Of course not. We even fought it. I thought hehatedme.”

“Well, clearly not enough.”

Scarlett flinched. “You know what? If you don’t want us dating, then—”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare tell you what to do. You’re Scarlett Perez. You always get what you want.”

She stared hard at Annabel. Hearing this sort of thing from Elijah was one thing, but hearing it from Annabel was something entirely different. “Then why are you even friends with me?” she spat out bitterly.

Annabel’s expression softened, but she didn’t answer the question. She looked away for a few minutes, leaving Scarlett wondering if they should just leave. Turned out she’d been wrong about telling Annabel about this.

The waitress brought over the refilled mimosa and smiled at both of them. “What can I get you two?”

Annabel downed her second glass and then held it up. “Like I said, keep them coming.”

“Annabel…”

She glanced toward Scarlett and gave her a smile that almost seemed normal. “We’re celebrating. You’re dating the least abject of my brothers. I’m happy for you.”

The waitress’s focus shifted from one to the other, probably realizing she’d just walked into a strange sort of argument—one Scarlett wasn’t even sure what was going on.

Scarlett gathered the menus and held them out to their waitress. “We’ll have the yogurt parfaits and the French toast.” She waited for the waitress to leave before she leaned over the table and studied her friend. “I want you to know I’mreallysorry.”

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