Waiting On You (Blue Heron #3)(49)

“Bryce is going to break her heart.”

“Funny, how concerned you are about the hearts of women.”

“For God’s sake, look at my uncle,” Lucas said, his voice low. “Bryce has convinced himself Joe will get better, but he won’t. Joe asked me back here so he could see his son settled before he dies. I don’t want to have to tell him that Paulie’s father had Bryce’s body dumped in the lake.”

“How Godfather: Part III. I think the Chicken King is more likely to cut him into pieces and deep-fry him.”

“Bryce needs to grow up. He needs a job, a home, a life.”

“And Paulie could—”

“Colleen, he’s never had a real relationship in his life.”

“Neither has Paulie,” she whispered hotly. “And wouldn’t it be nice to see first love work out for a change?”

He ignored that. “Leave him alone. Don’t manipulate him into a relationship he’s not ready for.”

“But men are simple creatures, Lucas dear, meant to be manipulated into doing what’s best for them.”

“Did you manipulate me into doing what was best?” His eyes were hot.

“No,” she hissed. “You’re my one failure. Ellen Forbes, on the other hand...she had you down cold.”

His eyes shut off, all that heat and anger instantly muted. “You’re wrong about that.”

“Yeah, sure, I’m wrong. You and she are like a Lifetime television movie. Boy from the wrong side of town marries billionaire’s daughter. Very romantic.”

“Don’t talk about her.”

That hurt—Lucas, defending his ex-wife. “Fine,” she muttered. “Either way, you underestimate your cousin. And Paulie, too. And me.”

“Oh, I’ve never underestimated you, hotshot.” He paused. “So you’re barreling ahead with this because you’re mad that I married Ellen?”

“No, Spaniard, your irritation is just a happy byproduct. I have good instincts about people, that’s all.”

“Use your instincts somewhere else.”

“In fact, you were the only man I’ve ever been wrong about. You and my dad.”

His jaw turned to iron, but he didn’t deny the comparison. Turned his eyes back to Joe.

“I have to go,” she said, standing. Yes. Time to make a regal exit.

Unfortunately, she tripped on the leg of the chair, landing on Joe, who woke up with a start (and a yelp). Lucas hauled her off his uncle and set her on her feet.

“Joe, I’m so sorry!” she said. “Are you okay? Did I bruise your kidneys?”

“Well, they don’t work anyway,” he said kindly.

“Any other body parts hurt? Spleen? Liver?”

“Don’t worry. I’m dying as it is.”

She bit her nail, then stopped. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Most fun I’ve had in weeks. I love your perfume.”

Lucas didn’t add his reassurance, she noted. “Feel better,” she said to Joe, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

“I already do.”

She smiled at him; well, she tried to. Hoped to God, she hadn’t hurt the poor guy.

“I’ll call you about dinner,” Lucas said as she left the room.

“The offer has been revoked,” she said. “See you soon, Joe.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE AGE OF twenty-two is not generally celebrated as time of deep wisdom and calm, measured acts.

Almost as soon as she broke up with Lucas, Colleen regretted it.

But the thing about being right most of the time...it was hard to know what to do when you were wrong. If she’d been, that was because Colleen was kind of on the fence.

She knew one thing. Everything felt wrong without him.

At first, she’d just been furious. Life was going to hell on a lightning-speed roller coaster. Dad, Mom, Gail, a baby...and Lucas had lied to her, had played God, deciding what she should and shouldn’t know. What did that say? What if he kept other things from her? What else wasn’t he telling her? Say they did get married and he got a brain tumor. Would he keep that from her, too? Huh? Would he?

“Colleen, enough,” Connor groaned one night. He was done at the CIA and was working at Hugo’s. Colleen was still bartending at the Black Cat, but she’d come over on her dinner break because she wouldn’t eat the food at the Cat with a gun to the back of her head. “I can’t stand to hear this one more time. You broke up with him. If you want him back, call him. Okay? But I can’t listen to you and Mom complaining all the damn day!”

“Men. You disgust me.”

“Really? Is that why you were making out with that guy the other night?”

“Oh, please. That was nothing.” Colleen shifted, guilt squirming in her stomach. The guy in question was some dork from Ithaca and, yes, she’d flirted with him. And kissed him. And then told him that while he was cute and she was positive she’d regret it, she couldn’t go out with him (that is, have sex with him). Because that kiss had been totally meh.

Not like kissing Lucas, when the world seemed to stop, when the world seemed to smile, even, because they were so right together.

Then again, Lucas hadn’t been banging on her door, begging to get back in touch with her. One voice mail. One call to the house. That was it. So they were taking a break. Fine. Maybe it’d get his priorities straight. Maybe he’d miss her.