Chapter 12 #2
“I didn’t mean to. But it was honest. And what is she doing looking for a man right now, anyway?
Em’s far too young for the decent guys around here to even look at.
And the ones near her own age are losers, anyway.
She’s better off waiting until she’s older.
The right guy will be there, then. He’ll treat her the way she deserves to be treated. ”
Cal got the feeling his brother was going to make sure that happened or something. Cal just watched his sister and her best friend as they headed through the crowd again, talking furiously. Probably about Cadell being a jerk to Em again.
“You think guys don’t look at her already? I’m not so sure. Check it out for yourself.”
Two men he knew well stopped Em and his baby sister as they headed toward their own table where Junie waited.
Next thing he knew, those idiots were leading the two women to the dance floor instead.
Cal watched for a moment, making certain Dane Masterson kept his hands in the proper places on Clancy, then looked at Cadell.
His brother had storms in his eyes. “Cadell? What?”
“What does Dane Masterson think he’s doing right now?”
“That’s Gabe with Clancy.” Dane and Gabe were cousins, around three or four years younger than Cal. Both were doctors now. He thought they were friends of Cadell’s from high school, though.
“I know which damned Masterson is which.”
So why was Cadell so angry at the man holding Em and not the one getting too wrapped up around Clancy? Which…Gabe had better behave himself. Or Cal would take a page out of the Tylers’ book and reeducate him.
But had Cadell just growled?
He watched his brother watch Auggie’s maddeningly fascinating younger sister. Cadell just kept watching. Getting more and more riled up as Dane pulled Em closer still.
Cadell’s fists were even balled. His brother was beyond pissed right now. Why would a man act like that over another man dancing with a woman? A young, beautiful woman like her? Well, hell. That was what Cadell was doing tonight, wasn’t it? He was stewing.
That’s when it sank in. Cadell had a thing for Em. As young as she was. Cadell was definitely not the kind of man she needed right now. Em and Cadell? They’d shred each other to pieces. One of them would be bound to get hurt, and he knew it would be Em. She was just too open-hearted.
“Stay away from her, Cadell, unless you are thinking permanent. You are no good for her. You’ll just end up hurting her.
” He loved his brother, no doubt about that.
But Cadell had a reputation with women—and Cadell preferred a different kind of woman than Em would ever be.
He hoped Cadell realized that. “She’s too important to Clancy for you to do anything to hurt her. ”
Cadell cursed, then pressed his hands to his eyes. Hell, his brother really did look upset. Just how deep were his feelings for that girl?
“You think I don’t know that? I’m not stupid.
I’m too much like Dad to even look at a decent woman like Em without hurting her.
The things he’s done…I’m not going to be like him.
I’m not going to hurt her like he hurt Mom.
I’m never going to do that to her. I care about her far too much to even touch her. I know that. Hell, I know it.”
The pain in his brother’s words were real.
Damn it. Cal didn’t know how to fix it. He would have no problem with Cadell and Em together—if Cadell was ready for long-term.
But his brother had told him repeatedly that he wasn’t looking for a permanent relationship any time soon.
Cal had just thought his brother liked his life the way it was, but maybe it was more than that?
Cadell didn’t exactly look all that happy right now.
No. His brother looked beyond miserable.
Hurting.
Now…it was because of their father, damn it. Why hadn’t Cal figure that out before?
“She doesn’t think she’s attractive? I’ve never heard anything more untrue in my life. And I can’t do a damned thing about it. But I’m not going to just sit here and watch that damned playboy make her his next target.”
Cal sat there after his brother stormed off, watching the crowd, wondering why things had gotten so damned complicated. He wanted his brother happy. He just didn’t know what to do about this now.
And what was it about those Tyler women that captured unsuspecting men and lured them right off a cliff to their doom? Tyler women were dangerous. Far too dangerous for mere mortal men like him and his brother.
He just hoped his younger brother wasn’t going to be next.
But…maybe…Em would be exactly the kind of woman Cadell needed? His brother was one of the best men he knew. He was good-hearted and wouldn’t deliberately hurt anyone. Cadell deserved to be loved for exactly who he was.
By a woman who would challenge him and not let him steamroll her or just give in to him to avoid conflict.
Cadell needed a woman who respected him exactly as he was.
Intense. Hell, Cadell was just as intense as Em was, in his own way.
They could balance each other very well, when he thought about it.
They’d understand the passions in each other, too.
He’d seen his brother’s failed relationships before—Cadell always dated more timid women, like their mother had been. But he really needed a woman with more fire. Like Em. One who could understand the fire in him, as well. Encourage him to try new things, too.
Em also needed a man who saw her for who she was, too. They probably would be really good for each other. He hated that his brother didn’t see that. But how could he help the two of them figure it out?
Cal stayed where he was and…planned. Schemed, actually. He just wanted his brother—and Em—to be happy. And now that he thought about it, they could probably be very happy with each other. When the time was right.