Then the next morning she’d just walked away.

Focus, Nick!

“Well, she claims to be locked out of her house. Jackson seems to have bought her story and he’s letting her stay with him. She’s been there since yesterday.”

“You think she’s lying about being locked out?”

“I don’t know but if she is I’d rather find out now before she wraps Jackson any further around her little finger. She told Jackson her real name is Ridley. That should help.”

His fingers clenched into a fist. When she’d needed a place to stay, she’d turned to Jackson. She’d confided her real name to Jackson.

Not to Nick.

Their night together clearly hadn’t meant as much to her as it had to him. Not that he didn’t already know that. Her refusal to see or talk to him since had pretty much driven that point home.

As angry as it made him, he couldn’t fault his brother for helping her. What was he supposed to say? I know she’s your neighbor and you knew her first but I claim dibs.

Even though she doesn’t want you.

Just the thought of telling his little brother about her soul-crushing rejection made him feel about two inches tall.

“Anyway, can you check her financials and see if she’s having money problems?”

After Eli’s grunt of assent, he ended the call and closed his eyes. He couldn’t tell his brother to stay away from her but that didn’t mean he wasn’t keeping his eyes open. There was nothing to indicate that Raina would use Jackson to get back at him but he would be prepared just in case.

If she was still the lying bitch he remembered, his brother didn’t stand a chance.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“I KNOW THIS is hard, but you have to get a grip.” Jackson said.

“I’m sorry about your wall, man. I’ll pay for the damage,” Matt mumbled. He stared at something on the ground and kicked at it, looking so miserable that Ridley was suddenly embarrassed to be there.

Ridley had stopped in the middle of the staircase. She’d come down to see what all the commotion was and, of course, her impeccable sense of timing put her right in the middle of a private conversation. At least the guys were facing away from her.

“Come on, Matt. Talk to me. What’s really the deal here? Your sister is getting married, not moving to a foreign country.” Jackson crossed his arms. “You’ve always been so overprotective of her.”

“She’s his family.” Ridley froze when they both looked at her. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to overhear. It’s just, I don’t know. I get it.” She walked down the staircase until she stood next to Matt.

“I’d feel the same way if my sister was getting married. It’s always been just the two of us against the world. When she gets married, suddenly someone else is her next of kin. I’d be happy for her, of course. But I’d be sad, too. It would feel like someone was taking her away from me.”

“You’re right. I’ve always been the one who took care of her and now it’s like…” Matt crossed his arms and glared at the floor.

“Like someone’s taking your place?” she suggested gently.

“I’m being an ass.”

“You’re being human. You’re only an ass if you don’t go apologize so that your sister can stop worrying about you.”

“You’re right.” He looked at Jackson. “I meant what I said about your wall. I’ll fix it tomorrow.” He punched him in the arm and then walked out.

Jackson watched him go and then turned back to her. He stared for so long that Ridley squirmed under his scrutiny. Was he annoyed that she’d butted into his conversation?

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You didn’t. I’m just amazed. It’s not easy to convince Matt to see reason. I feel like I’m watching one of those nature shows when the guy talks to the angry crocodile and manages to tame it. How did you know what to say to him?”

“I’m no crocodile whisperer. Like I said, I get it. I love my sister but we’re very different and I know what it’s like to be the one who’s left behind.”

Jackson went still, a dark look passing over his features.

“I understand loss, too. Believe me,” he whispered.

When he looked up at her, Ridley swallowed. Hard. There was something in his eyes that reflected what she saw in the mirror every day. Sadness. Loneliness.

Longing.

It was almost too intense to witness so she looked away, breaking the spell.

“Still, I apologize. I should have just walked out when I realized you guys were having a private conversation. I’ve been told I’m too nosy.”

A tendril of warmth curled through her as their eyes met.

“I’m glad you didn’t. You managed to get him to admit something that I’ve been trying to force out of him since college. I owe you one.”

“I think saving me from death by grass stain more than makes up for it.”

They laughed together, the earlier tension in the room dissipating. Jackson was quiet for a moment, then clapped his hands together.

“I was actually on my way upstairs to get you. Come join the party. I want you to meet the rest of the gang.”

He led her from the family room, through the kitchen and out the glass doors to the patio. Ridley stopped short when she saw all of the people milling around the backyard.

“Whoa! This is a lot of people. I thought you were just having a family barbecue?”