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with long legs he couldn t have when he was here with someone else.
That wasn t the kind of guy he wanted to be.
 Colleen? he answered back, keeping his voice low. He didn t normally bring dates to the
Montgomery family gatherings, and as such, he didn t want everyone to hear everything he said. They
were all nosy in the we-are-family-and-we-can-be-nosy-if-want-to sort of way, and he d learned to
deal with it. He hadn t planned on bringing her at all, but when she d called to ask him to dinner, he d
mentioned he had plans, and she d sort of invited herself along. It hadn t bothered him too much then,
but now he felt kind of like an awkward ass about it. Since this was the first time he d brought
Colleen to any type of function with the Montgomerys, he d been prepared to have the family question
the two of them until they pecked them to death.
So far, that hadn t happened, and frankly, that was more telling about what the others in his life
thought of the relationship. Their politeness and lack of prodding meant they didn t see a future.
Considering Colleen hadn t wanted a future to begin with when it came to her and Decker, that was
just fine with him. He didn t see himself marrying the woman anyway. They were friends. Sort of.
 You re thinking too hard. She rubbed the little spot between his eyebrows, and he frowned.
She wasn t usually so touchy-feely or attentive. Weird.
He pulled back, uncomfortable with the display of affection or whatever it was in front of the
family that had taken him in so long ago.
 Just tired. Hauling a total of a half-ton of porcelain up and down stairs all day makes for a long
workday. We also punched out our other project the day before. So I m ready for a nap. Or another
beer.
She wrinkled her nose, probably at the mention of his work. Another reason he d never get too
serious with her. She hated the fact he was a blue-collar worker and not some suit-wearing
businessman who could keep her in diamonds and silks. She worked her butt off at her job and wore
the expensive clothes that came with her world. That wasn t something he wanted in the long run. He
worked for Montgomery Inc., the construction arm of the family businesses. He was the project
manager right under Wes and Storm, the Montgomery twins who had taken over the family business
when their parents, Harry and Marie, retired.
Wes was the OCD planner of the company and got his hands dirty daily with the bump and grind
that came with being one of the top privately owned construction companies in Denver. Storm was the
lead architect and a genius when it came to finding the right flow for a refurbished building or how to
start from scratch with a piece of land that could be used carefully.
Decker had started out as a teenager working under Harry doing every kind of grunt work he
could get his hands on. He d gone to college only because the Montgomery twins had, as had his best
friend, Griffin another Montgomery and because the state had helped him out. He wouldn t have
been able to afford it otherwise. He d gone to the local university, busted his ass for his degree, then
went right back to working for the family that had raised him when his own blood family had failed.
He ground his teeth.
Best not think about the others right then. Not if he wanted to stay civil he looked down at the
beer in his hand and sober.
 Must you talk about those matters with me? Colleen asked, breaking through his thoughts.
He shrugged. He honestly didn t know why he d brought her that evening other than because he
was in a rut, and he hadn t thought to say no. They liked each other well enough, but they weren t in
love. He hadn t slept with her in months either. Despite the fact that his balls were so blue from lack
of sex his right hand could only do so much he hadn t wanted to sleep with one woman when his
mind was on the other. Sure, he d been trying to date to get those thoughts out of his head, but he
wasn t about to use another woman fully like that.
 I work with everything that goes in a house or building, Decker said, his voice low. He had a
deep, growly voice according to the-woman-who-shall-not-be-named, and when he got annoyed or
emotional, his voice just got deeper.
Colleen didn t care for it.
 Yes, dear, but you don t have to talk about it. She raised her chin and looked out at the yard.
He d helped with the initial landscaping years ago when he was trying to find his place within the
business. He d been better at digging the holes and lifting bags of mulch, rather than doing the actual
planning. Marie was the brains behind that. She d told them what to do, and he and her boys had
hopped to it.
In the end, the place looked great with tons of vegetation that looked as though it was natural,
rather than lines and perfectly square things that made no sense.
 Did you hear me, Decker? What is going on with you? I said don t talk about things like that, not
to stop talking at all.
He barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  Sorry to bother you, he mumbled, not sorry in the
least.  Why don t you go talk to, uh, the girls over there while I get another drink? He couldn t
remember the two girls who worked with Sierra, the newly engaged woman and star of the party, but
they seemed to get along with anyone. Hopefully, they d make friends with Coleen so this evening
wouldn t be a total waste.
She raised a brow and looked pointedly at his hand. Seriously? Jesus Christ. He shouldn t have
brought her here. Or rather, he shouldn t have let her invite herself in the first place. She didn t
belong, and he didn t know why he was kidding himself by trying to make it work when neither of
them truly wanted it.
 I ve had one beer, and I ll have one more since we have a couple hours left. I won t drink more
than that. He wouldn t have had to explain himself to the Montgomerys. They knew enough about
where he d come from that him getting behind the wheel, even slightly buzzed, wasn t an option.
 If you say so, she clipped then strutted off to the girls on the other side of the backyard.
His shoulders relaxed marginally, and he cursed himself for it. He liked Colleen. He really did. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]