“I’ll blame him for the both of us.”
Jett watched me for a beat. “Man, he really got under your skin. You haven’t stopped talking about him since last night.”
I cut him a look. “He insinuated we were beneath him, Jett. He insulted me behind my back and was rude to my face, and now I have to work with the asshole. So maybe I’m not feeling very charitable about him. I think I’m entitled.”
He pulled open the door to Wasted Words and held it for me. “Well, you’d better find a way to put it away so you can work with him. Otherwise, your mouth is gonna get you in trouble.”
“What’s new?” I asked as I passed.
Jett snorted a laugh, but as we walked inside, his stride broke when he saw Georgie sitting next to Cam at the bar.
He recovered quickly, his smile tugging up on one side—the male Bennet survival trait passed down from my father, used regularly to charm their way through literally anything, particularly trouble. I was glad he’d gone for dapper this morning and wondered if he’d known she would be here. I didn’t miss him smoothing the thin navy tie he wore with a sky-blue plaid tailored shirt, the sleeves cuffed to his elbows. The color, along with the contrast of his dark hair, made his irises reflect such intense a shade of blue, they looked illuminated.
Oh, he definitely knew.
This was confirmed by the look on Georgie’s face.
She was so pretty, a wisp of a thing with long blonde hair and a face touched with optimism and hope. Something about her sparked an instinct to protect—I felt it just as much as Jett did, which as far as I could tell from observance was a lot. Begrudgingly, I admitted to myself that Darcy must have felt it tenfold.
Even worse—the realization that he was so protective of her made him infinitely more attractive, that jerk.
“Oh, good, you’re here,” Cam said. “Laney, do you have time for a little impromptu meeting?”
“Sure,” I answered with a smile as we approached.
“Great. Let’s sit in a booth. Greg, will you make Laney a cup of coffee?”
He nodded. Cam gathered her things, and Georgie did the same, but as Georgie slid off her stool, she lost her balance and actually slid.
One step, and Jett caught her with an arm around her waist. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks, her lips parted. His still wore that tilt, but it faded a little as his eyes caught on her mouth, and I realized they were a breath away from kissing.
Cam and I averted our eyes and headed to a booth, the motion snapping the two of them out of their moment. She laughed and made excuses for her clumsiness. He said something clever. It was all very charming, and Cam and I ate it up, lips pursed to keep us from smiling or laughing at the sheer pleasure of seeing a girl under Jett’s spell. A good one, for once.
I felt like I’d been waiting on this forever. I just wanted to see him happy with someone who appreciated him. Who saw his giving heart and protected it rather than taking his love without returning it.
When we’d all moved home, Jett had taken the role no one wanted. With Mom’s hands and joints gnarled from her arthritis, she couldn’t cook or clean, and without even asking, he stepped into the kitchen, donning one of her ridiculous aprons to feed the entirety of the Bennet clan. He kept the house tidy, and helped Mom with anything she needed, and he’d done it all without being asked. He’d never once complained, even under the oppressive teasing from our brothers.
Jett was a giver, and he’d never been with anyone worthy of his affection. But I had an undeniable suspicion that Georgie would see the man in front of her for all he was, even if she didn’t fully realize what she had just yet.
I frowned, wondering if Liam Darcy would get in the way of that.
Subsequently, I wondered exactly how I’d ruin his life if he did.
Georgie slid into the booth next to me, and Cam turned to Jett.
“Come sit with us. Have a cup of coffee.”
But he smiled. “Nah, I’ll leave you to your work. That inventory isn’t going to count itself. But I’ll check back in before you’re finished.” He and Georgie shared a look that indicated exactly who he was speaking to.
Partings were exchanged before he left us, and she watched him walk away.
I thought Cam and I might actually climb out of our skin at the sight of them.
“So,” Cam started, opening a folder, “last night was a huge hit. It was on the higher end of our mixer profits. I’m so glad you were there, Georgie.”
“I’ve been dying to come to one since I first heard about them,” she said. “This launch is going to be a piece of cake. Wasted Words sells itself, but throw in the mixers, and you’ve got yourself a ringer.”
“Your brother didn’t seem to share the sentiment.” I meant to sound light. I really did. But I felt like a jerk when I saw the look on Georgie’s face that said I’d failed.
“I’m sorry. Not only for his lack of enthusiasm, but for what you overheard.”
Now they were both watching me.
I smiled. “Really, it was nothing,” I assured her. “But I’m not convinced he’s interested in working with us.”
“Trust me when I say that although it may appear that’s the case, it’s not. Liam has never been one to show enthusiasm for anything, even though he feels quite deeply.”
“Oh, so he’s not made out of marble and disdain?” I joked.
And thankfully, she laughed. “Oh, he is. But there’s a gooey center deep down that, if given entry to, is the safest place in the entire world. Don’t worry, I won’t make you go looking for it. Just know there’s a reason I’m the liaison and he works with the team. He’s brilliant, so long as he doesn’t have to be social or meet new people.”
“I’m surprised he came last night,” Cam said lightly.
“Only because I made him,” Georgie admitted. “I thought if he saw Wasted Words in action, maybe he’d get it. Somewhere in the labyrinth of his brain, I know he did. Thank you, Laney, for handling him with so much grace.”
A laugh shot out of me. “Grace? I insulted him.”
“Because he insulted you. You could have done much worse. He deserved to be put in his place, and I hope you’ll keep doing it—I could use the backup. It’s been a long, lonely battle.” She offered me a conspiratorial smile.
“I get permission to tell Liam Darcy off when he’s out of line?” I asked. “Well, that certainly changes my perspective on working with him.”
Cam eyed me. “Within reason,” she warned.
I held up my hands in surrender. “I’ll be the picture of grace, by Georgie’s definition.”
Cam shook her head and changed the subject. “So what happens from here, Georgie?”
“Well”—she flipped open her portfolio—“the new locations will be ready for launch in six months. Our team has been working on preliminary plans and proposals, customized for each location by region. Since Laney will continue her social marketing here in the store, we were thinking we would have her two days a week at the firm in addition to relevant meetings. Would that work for you two?”
I didn’t frown or wrinkle my nose at the suggestion, which was a big deal. It’d been my idea to work with the team—how else could I make sure they didn’t botch the whole thing?—but I had all the doubts now.