Page 5 of Sheltering You

The compliment surprised him.

Before he could respond, Michael stepped in and looked between them. “I’m trying to escape the estrogen. Seems like I walked into more.”

Grant dropped his arm. “Say that again. It’s been a while since I’ve thumped someone.”

Michael laughed. “I would, but I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with your wife.”

Grinning, Grant nodded to the cooler. “You two see if you can wrestle that into my truck. Let me know if you need my help carrying it.” He walked out, chuckling.

“Idiot,” Michael called after him.

“Putz.” Grant turned the corner toward the women, whose voices were fading.

“Are they finally leaving?” Derrick asked.

Michael glanced at his watch. “Only an hour late.”

“What was the problem?”

“Mom had her plan. Summer had different plans. I guess she knows people. There were some tense negotiations.” He crossed the kitchen to the cooler Grant had left and grabbed one of the handles.

Derrick gripped the other. “Does Leila have any say in the matter?”

“She doesn’t know one store from another, so she doesn’t care. She’s just excited to try on wedding gowns, wherever they take her. Ready?”

They carried the cooler into the dark garage and set it by the door. Grant’s truck was outside. The women’s conversation carried from the driveway, along with the slamming of car doors. Derrick strained to hear Jasmine, but of course she wouldn’t be talking, not in such a big crowd.

“Let’s not open the door until they leave,” Michael said. “I don’t want to get sucked in.” He headed back to the kitchen. “Anything new with Jasmine?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Derrick slammed the door.

Michael gave him a don’t be an idiot look but said nothing.

“Grant told me to take it slow.”

“Grant’s right.” Michael leaned a shoulder on the fridge and crossed his arms. “There’s a lot about Jasmine you don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” He was careful not to let irritation seep into his tone. “Like what?”

“Her life hasn’t been easy.”

“I know that. She’s told me a lot about her past.” Well, not a lot, but enough that he understood she’d been imprisoned by her family. “Maybe she’s already told me everything.”

“She hasn’t.”

Michael’s confidence ticked him off. He clamped his lips shut to keep his annoyance from escaping.

“Don’t push her,” Michael added. “She needs to heal.”

“From?”

“If she wants to tell you, she will. If she does”—Michael’s head dipped from side to side—“it’s possible your feelings for her will change. I just want you to be prepared. She’s great—I’m not saying she’s not. Only that there are things you don’t know. Until you do, you need to…hold back a little. Don’t hand your heart over.”

It was too late for that, and his feelings weren’t going to change. But Derrick didn’t say those things because…because Michael knew something he didn’t.

Whatever Jasmine hadn’t told him wouldn’t matter. Derrick had never been in love before, but the feelings he had for her weren’t fleeting or disposable. He loved her. Ridiculous as it was, he loved her, and nothing—including whatever secret she’d yet to share—was going to change that.

CHAPTER THREE