Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bryan rechecked his watch and frowned. He took out his phone to see if he got any texts.
“What’s the matter?” Samantha asked as she rocked the baby.
“Allie promised to meet us here. It’s way past the time we discussed.” He sighed.
Whiskey nodded. “Maybe Hemsworth kept her late. He’s known to do that now and again.”
“Who’s Hemsworth? She said she planned to meet with Tess,” Bryan replied as he glanced up at Whiskey.
“Oh, he’s—” Samantha started, but Whiskey touched her arm.
“Hemsworth’s attached to her hip. With you here, he hasn’t spent much time with her one-on-one since she’s acted as your tour guide. I bet he caught her alone and refused to keep his paws off her.”
Bryan straightened in his chair. His hands clenched into fists and he took a deep breath.
“Whiskey, I don’t think?—”
“Now, Samantha, he deserves to know. Ya kin Bryan’s growing sweet on our Allie? It’s only fair he knows he’s got a bit of competition.”
“But—"
Whiskey placed his hand on his wife’s lap, halting her from saying anything. “I know how ya feel. He has a right to know.”
Bryan felt the blood pounding in his head. “She’s with a guy named Hemsworth? What kind of name is that? He sounds like a stuck-up snob,” Bryan bit out. “Why haven’t I met him?”
“Oh, ya have,” Whiskey admitted. “His first name is Chris. He hates going by it for obvious reasons. With all that blonde hair, outgoing personality and good looks, he always gets confused with the actor. He stays quiet unless you rile him up a bit, especially concerning Allie. The way he pants after her, she’ll never be rid of him. I swear his tongue hangs out his mouth at the sight of her.”
Bryan’s gaze seemed to blur as the waiter approached and set down their meals. Suddenly, the delicious aroma made his stomach sour and his gut twisted. He reached for his wallet and threw down a few bills. “I’m sorry. I just remembered a meeting I set up with my brother. If you’ll excuse me.” Bryan rose and headed toward the door. When he reached his car, fury ran through him at Allie’s deceit. Determined to confront her, he turned his vehicle toward the mountain. Everyone in Serenity knew he dated Samantha until he realized she still loved her ex-husband. Bryan refused to act as an angle in yet another love triangle. If Allie Parker thought she could have her cake and eat it, too, he planned to make it clear he wanted no part in her little game.
Samantha shoved Whiskey as she attempted to rise and go after her friend. “You’re terrible. You know dang well what Bryan thought and you continued to let him believe it,” she scolded.
Whiskey chuckled. “Yes, I did. Those two have circled each other for weeks. Bryan appears like a lost pup whenever she’s not around. He’s under the impression Allie’s training Hemi for a patient. It appears she’s stayed mum about her condition.”
Samantha shook her head. “Why do you think it’s fair for you to stick your nose in Bryan and Allie’s business?”
Whiskey turned to his furious wife and kissed her gently. “Because he talked my lass into giving me another chance not so long ago. Allie and Bryan deserve one, too. They can’t start a relationship built on shaky ground. If I don’t say anything, she’ll never admit her medical condition. You know Bryan, he’ll play the nice guy. We know they always finish last. He helped me and now I’m only returning the favor.”
“You’re one sly devil sometimes,” Samantha admitted as she smiled widely. “What if Allie doesn’t tell him?”
“Have you seen the way Bryan moons over the lass? He’s gonna find her and make a fool out of himself like the rest of us. Like all the Serenity women around here, she’ll put him back in place.”
Samantha giggled as Whiskey handed her a fork. “Let’s enjoy our meal. Bryan may not feel so keen toward me when he figures out what I did. I might want to relish this food before it’s too hard to chew.”