Chapter 30
My decision making skills are as good as a seal sleeping on the street.
Flynn
I wait for the door to shut behind Sophia before I speak. “Your sister was never in any danger.”
Weston’s nostrils flare. “You stole a live raccoon with her and she was never in danger?”
“We didn’t steal a raccoon.”
“How the hell did the mascot for Rogue’s Landing end up in your car if you didn’t steal him?”
“Sarah, the wife of the man who’s supposed to be guarding him, gave him to us.”
“Are you serious?”
“Sarah opened the back gate and handed Rogue’s cage to us.”
Weston pounds his fist on the table. “I’m not talking about the fucking raccoon.”
Damn. I knew this was coming. He couldn’t miss how swollen Sophia’s lips were from my kisses when he walked in. What the hell was I thinking? Kissing her while we’re in the police station where her brother works.
But I couldn’t help myself. She was smiling as I told her stories about my mom and I couldn’t resist my little temptress. My inability to resist her is what got me into this mess in the first place.
“I was planning to tell you.”
“You were planning to tell me?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I didn’t want you to hear about us from someone else.”
“But you didn’t tell me. I had to find out about you running around with my little sister from Lucas.”
Damn, Lucas and his big mouth. He couldn’t keep his big mouth shut until I had a chance to tell Weston myself? He had to bring Weston in on his night off?
“How long has this been going on?” Weston demands. “How long have you been lying to me and carrying on behind my back?”
“I haven’t been lying to you.”
“Omitting the truth is the same as a lie.”
It’s what his father, Jack, always says. I don’t agree with him. Not everyone needs to know the truth. Weston sure as hell doesn’t need to know about the things I want to do to his little sister.
“I was trying to find the right moment to tell you.”
“The right moment? The right moment?” He explodes. “You think there’s a right moment for you to tell your best friend you defiled his little sister?”
“You make it sound dirty.”
“What do you call it when the brother I trust with my life uses my sister?”
What the hell? Use his sister? I stalk toward him. “I’m not using your sister.”
“But you are treating her like a dirty little secret.”
I fist my hands before I deck him. No matter how tempting it is, I can’t hit my best friend who happens to be a cop while we’re in the police station.
“Sophia is not a dirty little secret.”
“If she isn’t, why haven’t you told me or Dad about your relationship? Why are you sneaking around to Rogue’s Landing with her?”
Sneaking around makes it sound as if Sophia is my dirty little secret. Keeping things quiet is not the same as sneaking around. But try to explain the difference to anyone on the island.
“I wasn’t sneaking around with Sophia. I was sneaking around because it’s my year to steal the mascot from Rogue’s Landing.”
“You are not making this better for yourself,” he grits out.
“What do you want me to say?” I shout.
The door opens and Lucas strolls inside. “You need to keep it down. Or do you want everyone in the station to hear you?”
“Fuck yeah, I do,” Weston says.
“What the hell? Don’t you value your sister’s privacy?” Anger swirls in my stomach. Maybe I should deck him after all. Screw the consequences. “Don’t you remember what happened the last time you opened your big mouth about Sophia and me?”
“What are you talking about?”
Is he serious? He’s playing the innocent card?
“I told you Sophia kissed me at her high school graduation and you blabbed to everyone about how she threw herself at me. She was embarrassed. Why do you think she left for college two months early?”
“She didn’t leave because she was embarrassed.”
I can’t believe him. He’s running around pretending to be this big brother who protects his little sister from everything, and he doesn’t even know Sophia and what she needs protection from.
“Have you actually asked her? Talked to her about what happened?”
He grimaces. “She’s my sister. I’m not discussing her kissing you with her.”
“Thanks for proving my point. You don’t know Sophia as well as you think you do.”
His eyes narrow and he prowls toward me. “Who the hell do you think you are? You do not know my sister better than me!”
“Weston,” Lucas hollers. “You need to keep your voice down.”
“I’m not keeping my voice down. I want everyone on Smuggler’s Hideaway to know to stay away from my little sister.”
“She’s not a teenager anymore,” I say. “She’s a grown woman. Are you going to chase away every man from her forever?”
“Until the right man comes along.”
Ouch. His words feel like a slap. He doesn’t think I’m the man for Sophia.
“Sophia is her own person. She gets to decide who the right man for her is. Not you. Being her big brother doesn’t give you the right to make decisions for her.”
He stabs me in the chest with his finger. “You’re not the man for my sister. You’re not good enough for Sophia.”
“I’m good enough to be your best friend, but I’m not good enough for your sister?”
He nods. “Exactly.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I’m not an asshole. I want the best for my sister.”
“And I’m not it?”
“I’m glad you’re finally figuring things out. But in case this isn’t clear, stay away from Sophia or our friendship is over.”
I rear back as if he punched me. “You’re making me choose between the two of you?”
“I’m making you choose.”
“Weston,” Lucas says. “Dial it down. You don’t want to lose your best friend and your sister in one night.”
“Sophia will forgive me.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You sure? The last time she was pissed at you, she replaced your instant coffee with protein powder and you had the shits for a week before you figured out what happened.”
Lucas chuckles and Weston glares at him. “Sorry, man. But your sister’s a hoot.”
“You better not think about dating her.”
Lucas holds up his hands. “She’s safe with me. And she’s not interested in me anyway. She only has eyes for one man.”
“I can’t believe you.” Weston scowls at me. “You know Sophia’s crushed on you since she was in junior high and you used her.”
“For the last fucking time. I didn’t use Sophia.”
I would never use her. I’m falling in love with her. I don’t have any interest in using her and throwing her away. I want her in my life until my dying day.
“I’m out of here.” I push past Weston to the door.
“You’re still under arrest.”
Lucas clears his throat. “I didn’t book them.”
“Figures,” Weston mutters. As if he doesn’t damn well know there’s an understanding on the island about the pranks to steal the mascots. As long as no one gets hurt and the mascot is unharmed, no charges are filed.
I open the door. “I need to get Sophia home.”
“She already left. I rang Chloe to pick her up.”
“Thanks, Lucas. I owe you.”
“I’m serious, Flynn,” Weston hollers after me. “Me or her. You can’t have both.”
I flick my hand at him but don’t stop until I’m outside the police station. Shit. I forgot my truck is parked in the middle of the road somewhere between Rogue’s Landing and Smuggler’s Rest.
The door opens behind me.
“I’m done talking about this, Weston.”
“Not Weston,” Lucas says and dangles a set of keys at me. “I had another officer drive your truck over here.”
I snatch the keys. “Thanks.” I start down the stairs.
“Don’t let Weston’s words get to you. You are good enough for Sophia. He’ll get over it eventually.”
I keep going and climb into my truck. I switch on the engine but I don’t drive. Fuck. Weston’s right. I’m not good enough for Sophia.
Sophia’s warmth and happiness and sunshine and rainbows. And I’m not important enough for my dad to stay. He couldn’t leave fast enough when Mom died and I haven’t heard from him once since then.
Sophia deserves a man who can give her everything. Including a mother and father-in-law who will be her kid’s grandparents.
Fuck. I bang my head on the steering wheel. I can’t choose between my best friend and the woman I’m falling for.
If I choose Sophia, I lose the only family I have.
If I choose Weston, I lose the woman I’m falling in love with.
I never should have tasted Sophia. I never should have experienced her warmth. Now I don’t know how I can live without it.