“He’s going to get attached to you.”
“Maybe.” Luke shrugged. “Look, the guy had a job. And from what he says, he took care of himself. Sounds like all he needs is a little supervision. Since I’m not going anyplace, what’s it hurt if he just hangs out here?”
Art stuck his head in the door. “Sean? Can I have some more OJT?”
Luke looked at his brother. “He’s going to get attached to you.”
“I won’t be here long enough.”
Between the three of them, they managed to get a lot done. At the end of the day, Luke fixed Art a grilled cheese and some soup and then, at Luke’s insistence, he took Sean to Jack’s for dinner again. Shelby and her uncle, as well as Muriel, the Booths’ new neighbor, were there. Before leaving, he was briefly and wonderfully in possession of her lips. But Sean, unfortunately, had nothing to do with his lips but talk.
The next day Sean said, “Tonight we’re going over to the coast or at least Fortuna. I’m only here another day and I’m tired of entertaining your girlfriend for you.”
“She’s not my girlfriend, but I’m tired of you doing that, too.”
“I bet you’ve already got a girl someplace else—a girl with girlfriends. Do a brother a favor and make a call.”
“I’m not doing that, man. You go. Knock yourself out.”
“What is your deal, Luke?”
He took a deep breath. They had managed not to talk about this, though it was as obvious as a punch to the gut. “You know what my deal is, Sean. And I don’t need you to jam me up right now.”
“Come on, Luke. You can pick up your threads when I’m gone.”
“Not interested. I have things on my mind.”
“Yeah—Shelby things. Since we can’t share the girl, let’s go find some action. Besides, her uncle is watching her like a hawk.”
“I’m working that angle,” Luke said. “Brother, you have to get out of my way here. I have things to do with the girl.”
“You are heading for something not so good,” Sean said. “She’s young and innocent, anyone can see that. She’s sweet. And she’s got that look—like she’d bruise easily. You’d better think about this.”
“It’s under control,” he said. But it wasn’t. He felt about as far from control as he ever had. There was just no way in hell he could stop this now. He was like a runaway train where Shelby was concerned.
“She’s vulnerable. Maybe needy,” Sean stressed.
Luke knew this. Ordinarily twenty-five wasn’t too young, but Shelby, despite everything, seemed much more tender than the average twenty-five-year-old woman. Maybe it was the fact that she’d spent the years from nineteen to twenty-four held hostage, taking care of her mother, and had limited worldly experience. And he was more than a little aware of her vulnerability, that soft underside that a man like Luke, with his careless ways, could damage. And yet, even knowing all that, he wasn’t having any success at cooling himself down.
“I’m going to have to go pick up some supplies,” Luke said. “I’m going to get a hot-water heater and new sink for Art’s cabin. You do whatever you want and tonight I’ll take you out to a nice dinner, not at Jack’s,” Luke said, because he wasn’t in the mood for any more of Sean’s interaction with Shelby. “But I’m not interested in women. We’ll take two cars.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Sean said. “A pathetic plan, but a plan…”
It was executed in exactly that way. They had a steak dinner at the Brookstone in Ferndale and while Sean retired to the bar, Luke headed home. Sean returned to Luke’s in the early morning. He was smiling privately and there was no question he was more relaxed than when Luke left the bar the night before. The Riordan men carried the tension of abstinence in their necks and shoulders.
Luke was surprised he could still turn his head.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, I’ve never seen you like this,” Sean said.
“Like what?”
Sean rolled his eyes. “Oh, brother. You’re going after the baby and you are so tight you’re going to grind your molars flat. Not only isn’t she good for you, you’re poison for her.”
It occurred to Luke to try to explain that he hadn’t been able to think of anything else for weeks, and he couldn’t remember when that had happened to him last. That when he got his arms around her, he was out of his head. But he’d been running with his brothers a long time and they were all the same with women—fast and loose. They didn’t get like this.