Knowing his brother would follow, Logan went into his bedroom. The walls here were sturdy, but still he kept his voice low. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone today, but don’t let her out of your sight.”
“God Almighty, Logan, that’s going to be tough.” One hand in his hair, Dash dropped to sit on the bed. He pinned Logan with a desperate look. “What if she skinny-dips again? In broad daylight? I already saw too much last night, you know, even when I was trying not to, but—”
“You looked?”
Dash grinned. “It was shadowy, but you know how it is. A naked woman just sort of draws my eye.”
Damn it. His Lothario brother would have to learn to avert his gaze. “I’ll talk to her before I leave.”
Dash gave a mocking laugh. “Yeah, right, good luck with that.”
“I don’t need luck. I need leverage—and I have it.” He had to make sure Dash understood. “Pepper is unpredictable. Everything I thought I knew—”
“Yeah. From what Reese said, she did a major about-face on you, huh?”
“Not entirely.” There were many facets to Pepper Yates. Sensitive, as Rowdy claimed. Also proud and independent. Cautious out of necessity, but also bighearted.
Deep down, he believed her to be the same person he’d connected with. And there had been a definite connection. He realized it, and sooner or later she would, too.
“Be as nice as you can be, but if that doesn’t work, if she tries to leave or get out of your sight…” Logan hated to think it, much less say it, but he had no choice. “Do what you have to do.”
That stalled Dash. “You mean…like restrain her?”
Logan pulled on his shirt. “Without hurting her.” If only he could stay…
“Damn, make this a little more challenging, why don’t you?”
Temper breaking, Logan barked, “Can you do it or not?”
“Yeah, I can. Somehow I’ll figure it out.” Dash stretched as if he didn’t have a care. “You don’t actually think she’ll try to run off, do you? I mean, where would she go? On foot, it’d take her over an hour just to get to town.”
Logan found his shoes and sat beside Dash to pull them on. He had one irrefutable fact on his side. “She’s here because this is where her brother wants her to be.”
“You’re saying for him, she’ll stay put?”
Praying he was right, Logan gave one firm nod. “But keep an eye on her just to be extra safe.”
“Got it covered. Anything else?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck but couldn’t put it off any longer. “Rowdy doesn’t trust Reese. I promised him that I wouldn’t leave Pepper alone with him, so—”
“Fuck me sideways.” Incredulous, Dash half turned to glare at Logan. “Let me get this straight. While you’re gone for this indeterminate amount of time today, I might have to wrangle with a naked woman—”
“No!”
“—while fending off a partner you’ve trusted for years?” Dash lifted a brow. “Am I to make sure I don’t hurt Reese, either?”
Rather than let Dash continue annoying him, Logan took the question seriously. They had been friends for years, and it felt traitorous, but Rowdy’s concern chipped away at his trust in Reese. “I can’t see it happening, but if he gets out of line, then do whatever you have to.”
Mimicking Logan’s mood, Dash sobered. “C’mon, Logan. You don’t seriously think Reese would hurt her?”
“No.” He didn’t want to think it. “But I can’t ignore Rowdy’s gut feeling, either. He says Reese is hiding something.” And given Rowdy’s street smarts, he had to respect his instincts.
Dash waited.
“The more I think about it, the more I…agree. Until I know what’s going on, I’m not taking any chances.”
Done dressing, he stuffed his wallet into his pocket, grabbed up his keys and left the bedroom.
Pepper came out of her room at almost the same time. Tendrils of damp hair clung to her face, so she must’ve washed up.
She looked at him and lifted her chin. “I used your mouthwash, but I need a toothbrush.”
That stalled Logan.
Dash moved around them, opened the hall closet, and offered a new-in-the-package toothbrush. “Here you go.”
She accepted it with an offhand “Thanks,” then thrust a paper toward Logan. “I have a list.”
“A list?” He looked at the paper.
“Of things that I need you to pick up for me.” She leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, watching him.
Condoms were listed as number one.
So she hadn’t changed her mind about that? She waited for his reaction.
He nodded and went back to the list.
Bathing suit, size six; a certain type of lotion, shampoo and conditioner; sunglasses; running shoes…
Dash started to look over his shoulder, so Logan folded the note and put it in his pocket. “If you think of anything else, call me on the cell Rowdy gave me. You have the number.”
“How long will you be?”
“Let’s talk about that.” To Reese, who still waited in the kitchen, he said, “Give us just a minute.” He took Pepper’s hand and urged her out the side door toward the truck.
As soon as they were out of sight of the others, she pulled away.
“God Almighty, Logan, that’s going to be tough.” One hand in his hair, Dash dropped to sit on the bed. He pinned Logan with a desperate look. “What if she skinny-dips again? In broad daylight? I already saw too much last night, you know, even when I was trying not to, but—”
“You looked?”
Dash grinned. “It was shadowy, but you know how it is. A naked woman just sort of draws my eye.”
Damn it. His Lothario brother would have to learn to avert his gaze. “I’ll talk to her before I leave.”
Dash gave a mocking laugh. “Yeah, right, good luck with that.”
“I don’t need luck. I need leverage—and I have it.” He had to make sure Dash understood. “Pepper is unpredictable. Everything I thought I knew—”
“Yeah. From what Reese said, she did a major about-face on you, huh?”
“Not entirely.” There were many facets to Pepper Yates. Sensitive, as Rowdy claimed. Also proud and independent. Cautious out of necessity, but also bighearted.
Deep down, he believed her to be the same person he’d connected with. And there had been a definite connection. He realized it, and sooner or later she would, too.
“Be as nice as you can be, but if that doesn’t work, if she tries to leave or get out of your sight…” Logan hated to think it, much less say it, but he had no choice. “Do what you have to do.”
That stalled Dash. “You mean…like restrain her?”
Logan pulled on his shirt. “Without hurting her.” If only he could stay…
“Damn, make this a little more challenging, why don’t you?”
Temper breaking, Logan barked, “Can you do it or not?”
“Yeah, I can. Somehow I’ll figure it out.” Dash stretched as if he didn’t have a care. “You don’t actually think she’ll try to run off, do you? I mean, where would she go? On foot, it’d take her over an hour just to get to town.”
Logan found his shoes and sat beside Dash to pull them on. He had one irrefutable fact on his side. “She’s here because this is where her brother wants her to be.”
“You’re saying for him, she’ll stay put?”
Praying he was right, Logan gave one firm nod. “But keep an eye on her just to be extra safe.”
“Got it covered. Anything else?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck but couldn’t put it off any longer. “Rowdy doesn’t trust Reese. I promised him that I wouldn’t leave Pepper alone with him, so—”
“Fuck me sideways.” Incredulous, Dash half turned to glare at Logan. “Let me get this straight. While you’re gone for this indeterminate amount of time today, I might have to wrangle with a naked woman—”
“No!”
“—while fending off a partner you’ve trusted for years?” Dash lifted a brow. “Am I to make sure I don’t hurt Reese, either?”
Rather than let Dash continue annoying him, Logan took the question seriously. They had been friends for years, and it felt traitorous, but Rowdy’s concern chipped away at his trust in Reese. “I can’t see it happening, but if he gets out of line, then do whatever you have to.”
Mimicking Logan’s mood, Dash sobered. “C’mon, Logan. You don’t seriously think Reese would hurt her?”
“No.” He didn’t want to think it. “But I can’t ignore Rowdy’s gut feeling, either. He says Reese is hiding something.” And given Rowdy’s street smarts, he had to respect his instincts.
Dash waited.
“The more I think about it, the more I…agree. Until I know what’s going on, I’m not taking any chances.”
Done dressing, he stuffed his wallet into his pocket, grabbed up his keys and left the bedroom.
Pepper came out of her room at almost the same time. Tendrils of damp hair clung to her face, so she must’ve washed up.
She looked at him and lifted her chin. “I used your mouthwash, but I need a toothbrush.”
That stalled Logan.
Dash moved around them, opened the hall closet, and offered a new-in-the-package toothbrush. “Here you go.”
She accepted it with an offhand “Thanks,” then thrust a paper toward Logan. “I have a list.”
“A list?” He looked at the paper.
“Of things that I need you to pick up for me.” She leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, watching him.
Condoms were listed as number one.
So she hadn’t changed her mind about that? She waited for his reaction.
He nodded and went back to the list.
Bathing suit, size six; a certain type of lotion, shampoo and conditioner; sunglasses; running shoes…
Dash started to look over his shoulder, so Logan folded the note and put it in his pocket. “If you think of anything else, call me on the cell Rowdy gave me. You have the number.”
“How long will you be?”
“Let’s talk about that.” To Reese, who still waited in the kitchen, he said, “Give us just a minute.” He took Pepper’s hand and urged her out the side door toward the truck.
As soon as they were out of sight of the others, she pulled away.
