Lovers at Heart (The Bradens, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Seventeen, Lovers at Heart

Chapter Seventeen

TREAT HAD THOUGHT about calling Max at least a million times since he’d woken up Monday morning, but he’d promised himself that he wouldn’t pressure her into a relationship, and he was sticking to his guns, no matter how hard it was proving to be.

He ate breakfast on the deck and called Savannah as he drank his coffee.

“I’ve left you at least a dozen messages,” she said when she answered the phone.

“Fifteen, to be exact,” he said with a smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t call right away.”

“Sure you are.”

“Vanny, I just needed some time.” He hadn’t called his sister by her nickname since she was a kid, and he had no idea why it had come out of his mouth right then.

“Are you okay? Where are you?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He heard the lie in his own voice. “I’m at the Cape.”

“Did you listen to my messages?”

He hadn’t listened to them because he wasn’t in the mood to hear her begging him to call her, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Yeah.”

“You’re a liar.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, not angry. “Wanna know how I know?”

“Because you know me better than I know myself sometimes?”

“Oh, Treat. You sound so…empty.”

More than you know.

“I know you didn’t listen to my messages because if you had, you’d have been on the first plane back here.”

What is she up to now? Treat had a startling thought. “What happened? Is it Dad?”

“No, it’s not Dad, you idiot. If something happened to Dad, I would have tracked you down instead of sleeping at night. It’s Max.”

Treat sprang to his feet. “Something happened to Max?” No. Please tell me no. He’d never forgive himself for leaving the way he had if something had happened to her.

“No, relax. Jesus, you really are on edge, aren’t you?”

“Just tell me what happened to Max, Savannah.”

“She came to Dad’s looking for you.”

“She what? When? What did she say?” He cringed at what he was about to ask, but couldn’t stop himself. “Was Dane there?” He hated the competitive feeling he had toward Dane, but the idea of Dane flirting with Max for even a second sent fire through his veins.

“We were all here, and she came to see you, so I’m not sure what she really wanted to say to you, but you know Dad. He took her under his wing and had her stay for lunch.”

The thought of Max alone with his family sent conflicting emotions coursing through him. He pictured her sweet face as she might have watched them act like fools, teasing one another and flirting with her. He wondered if she thought any of his brothers were better looking or nicer than he was. Oh no, nicer. Damn it. Of course she thinks they’re nicer. Why did I have to give her that one look, and how can that one look have led to all of this?  

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” he answered. “Just tell me this: Do you think I should stop thinking about her now? Did one of those lugs hit on her?”