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“Yeah, well, what can I say? I didn’t have a chance after one look.” Chet winked at Lydia who beamed up at him.

“Nice to see that Jason came around.”

Chet intended to comment, but Lydia went stiff beside him. A frown of confusion marred her beautiful face.

“What do you mean?”

Tripp glanced from Chet to Lydia. “Oh, just that Brent and Tate had mentioned that Jason didn’t want you guys dating.”

“Wait.” She shook her head and stepped back, agitated now. “Jason said something to you?” She was looking at Chet now. Tripp caught on that there was a problem, and he offered an apologetic smile, however grim.

“It’s not really a big deal,” Chet assured her. He glanced toward Tripp, but if he thought that the guy was going to come to his aid, he was sorely mistaken. And what did he expect him to say or do? He wasn’t Lydia’s brother. They probably weren’t even friends.

“Not a big deal?” Lydia hissed. She planted her hands on her hips, staring at him expectantly. “You don’t have any right to make that sort of assessment.”

“Sweetheart, it really isn’t. Everything was new. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. So, I asked your brother if he’d give me his blessing to date you. That’s all.”

Her eyes darkened. Immediately, he could tell this was getting out of hand. It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Wasn’t this what women wanted? To know that the man they cared about would also care about their family dynamic? There had been a lot on the line at the time.

Chet dropped to a murmur. “Look, I asked for his blessing. He said it wasn’t a good idea.”

“Why not?”

He threw his hands out to the sides. “Because he’s my partner. We have a business to run and the complications that could come from having a bad breakup wouldn’t be great.”

She scoffed. “And from the sounds of it, he changed his mind.”

It wasn’t a question, but he answered it anyway.

“Yeah. He came around. He saw how happy we were when we were together. So, he pulled me aside and gave me his blessing.”

“I don’t believe this.” Her mutterings got near impossible to make out. “I don’t believe this.” Her eyes that once were so bright with promise and joy had clouded over with what could only be described as betrayal. He had no idea where this was coming from.

Before he could even ask her to explain what the problem was, she stalked off.

Several people at the barbecue watched her hurry out before turning their eyes on him. Then the whispers started. Well, that wasn’t good.

“Sorry, man, I didn’t know,” Tripp murmured.

“Yeah, well, me neither.” Chet shrugged, still confused. He tugged at his hair. “I’ve gotta go after her. Figure this out before it gets any worse.”

“Good luck.”

He was going to need it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Lydia clenched and unclenched her fists as she stormed toward the house. She couldn’t believe her brother would stoop so low as to interfere with her life like this. Both Jason and Tate had been concerned about Faith’s relationship with Brent, but they’d never gotten in the way until Brent had messed up.

But this?

She hadn’t thought either of them capable of being a gatekeeper to her happiness.

“Lydia, wait!”

Ignoring Chet’s call to her, she rushed up the steps and went into the house. The last thing she wanted was for anyone at the party to catch them having an argument. It was none of anyone’s business. She wasn’t even sure she was mad enough to do more than stew at the moment.

Whether she liked it or not, this wasn’t Chet’s fault. Not all of it.