Ann’s head swiveled in Caitlyn’s direction. “What?”

“Just that I bet Jenna could date William and he wouldn’t even know they were dating.”

I stiffened. “He’s not dumb.”

“Oh no. Not even close. I just mean that he’s…adorably clueless. For example, one time he brushed me off, and I don’t think he even realized he did it.”

I stacked my cards in the satchel along with the other decks and tucked my earnings from the day into my leather belt pouch. Though I normally might have asked Caitlyn to elaborate on her story, given the subject matter, I refrained.

Ann was still staring at me while I fiddled with the cloth covering on my table. “Why do those two hate each other so much?”

Caitlyn and I both brought our heads up to stare at her.

“Who? Doug and William?” Caitlyn asked.

I’d been curious about that, too. Ann nodded and we both stared at Caitlyn, waiting for the answer. Caitlyn had been a member of the clan for several years and knew all the gossip. She cleared her throat. “William has been one of the clan pillars since nearly the beginning. He’s always supporting clansmen. Practically every member has mad respect for him. But things changed when Doug showed up. He knew how to schmooze and get into people’s good graces quickly.”

Including mine, I thought. Although Doug was a lot more charming and intriguing from a distance than he was up close. He’d been appreciative and extremely flattering, and I had been in a bit of a dark place so I welcomed the attention.

“So did he hate William from the start?” Ann asked.

Caitlyn shook her head. “No…not at all. He actually tried to kiss up to William, if you can believe it. But William doesn’t respond well to schmoozing, and Doug ended up being particularly offended by William’s blunt personality.”

She tucked her art supplies into a cloth bag and stood up, gently tipping the folding table on its side so that it was ready to load onto the truck.

“I’ve always liked William. He’s a great guy.” She was silent for a moment before shrugging and continuing. “I have to admit that I kind of used that clash with Doug to get closer to him, you know? Talk to him, give him some advice. And one night, after one of our meetings, I offered to help him pack up his stuff in exchange for a ride home, which he took me up on. But when we got to my house, he was focused on getting home and not the least bit interested in coming up for a ‘cup of coffee or a beer.’ He said it was too late to drink either and thanked me. Then he drove off.”

Ann snickered. “He really had no idea you were coming on to him?”

Caitlyn smiled ruefully. “I was offended for about five minutes, then I laughed and resolved to be more obvious. That didn’t work either,” she said with a neutral glance in my direction. “He was interested in someone else.”

Ann followed her gaze to look at me, and I busied myself by grabbing a couple of stools. “We should get these out to the truck.”

“Have you ever considered that that’s the reason Doug asked you out?” Ann asked when Caitlyn was out of earshot.

“What?” I asked. She carried the third stool and we headed to the truck.

“A lot of people knew that William had a thing for you. I’m just wondering if Doug wasn’t trying to get back at William by asking you out.”

I raised my brows. “So what am I, chopped liver? He couldn’t like me for me?”

Ann rolled her eyes. “No, that’s not what I meant. Sorry. Of course he’s attracted to you, but…you know how men get.”

I sighed. “Men suffer from testosterone poisoning and it makes them do stupid shit all the time.” Like challenging their arch nemesis to fight a duel when they have a phobia of crowds. Like going into beast protector mode whenever any type of threat to the meeker sex existed in the nearby vicinity. Like turning down perfectly sensible propositions to go to bed with a woman. Okay, maybe not that last one…

 

 

Chapter 14

William

During the ride back to her house, Jenna doesn’t say a word. Perhaps she’s still upset about the confrontation with Doug. He said some really mean things, and I wish there was a way she could unhear them.

But it could also be the things I said to her before the market. I wasn’t mean, just truthful. It’s unfortunate, because I have no idea how to read the subtleties in her mood.

“So…we need to talk about Doug’s tendency to provoke you,” she says, finally breaking the silence.

“What do we need to say?”

“Just that you shouldn’t let him push your buttons like that.” Suddenly, pictures are running through my mind—a control panel with glowing buttons, an elevator with lit numbers to denote the floors— “Oh sorry, that probably wasn’t the best way to state that. What I mean is…it’s obvious Doug is deliberately trying to get to you. You need to shake it off.”

I blink. “I don’t want to shake it off. If he offends someone I care about, I’m going to make him pay for it. Once someone is on my bad side, they are there forever.”

“Forever? Really? You don’t forgive?”

I think about that for a moment. “I see no reason to give a bad person a second chance to hurt me—or someone else I care about.”

“Hmm. That makes you sound kind of stubborn.”

“I am stubborn. And I’m proud of that fact.”

She blows out a breath, muttering as she shakes her head. “Men.”

I frown. “Women say that a lot.”

“It’s because men tend to annoy us quite often.”

I signal and exit the off-ramp on the freeway. “Mia says that same thing.”

“She’s an ally, even though she’s defected to the other side.” She folds her arms across her chest.

“What other side? The man side?” I ask.

Jenna is looking out the window, but I steal a glance at her face. I can see she’s smiling. “The relationship side. When people get into a relationship, they change.”

I think about this for a moment. “Do you think it’s because of the other person? That being with that person changes them?”

She frowns for a minute and her head turns toward me. My eyes are on the road, but I can tell she’s watching my profile. My hands tighten on the wheel, and I’m so distracted that I almost take too long to hit the brakes at the red light.