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He nodded. “I think that would be best.”
She’d said too much. Bo came across as so solid and easy to trust, and she’d been so worried about her relationship with Remy and what she’d found that she’d given in to the need to confide in someone and chosen him. But she should’ve chosen Jack or someone else—except Jack was going through enough. She didn’t need to get him worried about her. She didn’t want to poison anyone in her family against Remy, so maybe telling Bo had been the wisest choice.
Except what about her loyalty to Remy? She wasengagedto him, for crying out loud, and Bo worked for his family.
Ismay felt nauseous as she slipped out the back door of Bo’s bungalow and circled around the property so she could approach the cottage from the road. She hated feeling she had to hide where she’d been—she and Bo had done nothing inappropriate—but there was no way she wanted Bastian to learn they’d been together again, especially when she’d turned down his invitation to accompany him to town. She didn’t want that getting back to Remy.
Stop obsessing about it and just get back to the cottage.There’d be plenty of time to kick herself later. She hadn’t answered Bastian’s message, didn’t think she should have to report her whereabouts—and she would tell him so if he complained—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t grill her the moment she stepped into the house. She needed to be prepared. If she gave him any reason to doubt her, he’d keep even a closer watch over her.
As soon as she saw the cottage through the trees, she threw back her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Why is Remy’s twin even here?” she grumbled but forced a smile, just to get herself in the right frame of mind before climbing the stairs to the front door.
“There you are!” he said when she walked in. “Didn’t you get my text?”
Steeling herself against the irritation that immediately reared up, she held her smile firmly in place and spoke as breezily as she could. “I did, but I was already on my way home, so I knew I’d be seeing you shortly.”
“Where’ve you been?”
His imperious tone got under her skin, but still, she smiled. “I went to the beach, like I said.”
“Andthen?”
She felt her jaw tighten. “Then I decided to walk to that restaurant about a mile away—Mariners Grill?—and have a glass of wine.” She’d almost saiddessertbut was afraid he might ask what kind, and she had no idea what they served. Thankfully, she’d caught herself.
“If you’d answered my text, I could’ve picked you up in the Jeep,” he said.
“It wasn’t far.”
When she crossed the room behind him and started up the steps to Remy’s bedroom, he got up off the couch and turned to face her. “Where are you going now?”
“To bed,” she replied. “I’m tired.”
The way he tilted his head and looked at her made her pause. “What is it?” she asked.
“How long have you been dating my brother?”
“Almost three years. We’ve been living together for two. Why?”
He didn’t answer her question. “Then you probably know each other pretty well.”
“I’d like to think so.” But there was certainly some question about that, which was why she was so worried about what she’d found in Remy’s closet—and why she’d finally broken down and told Bo about it.
“And you still want to marry him?” Bastian asked.
“Excuse me?”
A strange expression came over his face—one she could only interpret as...sadness or regret, maybe? “Never mind,” he said and turned back to the TV.
Taking the opportunity to escape him, Ismay hurried up the stairs, grabbed her pajamas, and crossed the hall to the bathroom, where she locked the door behind her. She was going to try to relax in a hot bath. Despite what she’d said to Bastian, she wasn’t quite ready for bed. Too much was going on in her mind, from the argument she’d had with Remy—she still hadn’t called him back—to how much she enjoyed being with Bo even when they weren’t doing anything, and the danger she’d created by sharing some of what she’d found in Remy’s closet with him. What was going on with her? She should be having the time of her life. She’d just graduated from law school and was supposed to be celebrating. Instead, she was obsessing over a stupid duffel bag filled with underwear and jewelry that could mean nothing, arguing with Remy, and trying to avoid her future brother-in-law.
With a sigh, she stacked her clothes on the closed toilet seat while she filled the tub and was about to step in the water when she paused for a second to text Jack.
Are you still coming?
He answered right away.If you’re sure you want me to.
She wanted him to—but Remy had made his reluctance and disappointment plain. Because she didn’t have her fiancé’s support, it wasn’t going to be easy to have her brother on Mariners.
Still, she wrote back with confidence. It wouldn’t serve any purpose to make Jack feel hesitancy on her part.Of course I want you to.
