upset she’d spent time with Joel and not him? Or that Joel hadn’t sought out Caleb’s friendship during his free time? Either way, her best option was to make a joke. Maybe then Caleb would loosen up or let go of whatever was dogging him.
“Aw. I never took you for the jealous type.”
His voice rose a notch. “Could you be serious about this for a minute?”
Wrong thing to say.
“Sorry.” Her mouth went dry. Caleb didn’t get upset with her very often. “I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying or why you’re upset.”
“We don’t know him. Not well. It might be better to keep your distance.”
“I don’t understand. He’s your friend.”
“Fourteen years ago, you’d be correct. Today—” he shrugged “—I have no clue who he is right now, but so far I’m not impressed. He keeps to himself so much, and I know for a fact he skipped church last week. He takes you out on a motorcycle. You know how many people get killed on those machines?”
Shelby crossed her arms. “Perhaps Joel’s not out to impress you.”
“What I know about him isn’t great. He left here without a trace. All I know is he took off to Indiana, and I don’t even know if that’s true. How can we believe what he says?”
“You’re seriously not making any sense. Did you already forget that you’ve invited him to your wedding?”
“That was before he started cozying up to my sister. I have a bad feeling about him that I can’t explain. It’s a gut thing. Besides, even when he lived here before, he might have been my friend, but he was bad news.”
She couldn’t believe what Caleb was saying. It was so out of character for him. Caleb usually spent his time encouraging the best out of people. Not ripping them down. There had to be more to his doubts about Joel than he was voicing. Did she want to know?
No. She’d choose to hope for the best.
“I can’t believe you. If this is how you talk about your old friends, I’d love to see how you talk about people you don’t like.”
Caleb crossed his arms. “Did he or did he not take you out for a ride on his motorcycle?”
Her brother knew about that? Well, of course he did—practically the entire town had seen them at the square. She swallowed hard. “What does that matter?”
“Answer my question.”
“He did.” Shelby raised her chin.
Caleb’s eyes widened. “Do you have any concept of how dangerous that is?”
“Yeah, actually I do. And know what? I loved it. If Joel offers to take me again, I’ll say yes.”
“Don’t.” Caleb shook his head. “Please, don’t.”
“I’m not a child, Caleb. When are you going to see that?”
“When you stop acting like one.” At least he winced after he said that.
Shelby spun away from him.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around. “You’re the only family I have. I don’t want to see you hurt in any way.”
Joel’s challenge in the laundry room came back to her. He’d been right. Because of Caleb’s overprotection, she had never lived life. Not really.
Shelby shrugged away from her brother’s touch. “I’m sick of a safe life. I’m so tired of never taking any risks. I want to get on that bike and take off for Colorado and see the mountains. I want to jump on a plane tomorrow and head to London. I want to live. Is that so bad?”
“Those are nice dreams, but perhaps Joel’s not the man to have them with. Not yet anyway. Let’s wait until we know who he is now better.” He spoke softly, probably trying to calm her down.
“What’s the point? No one will ever live up to what you want them to be.” Her eyes burned with tears she tried to keep in. She gestured behind her, showing no one was waiting around. “I don’t exactly have a string of men hoping to spend time with me. You’ve seen to that most of my life and scared them all away.” She stopped him coming any closer by putting up her hand. “So far from what I can tell, Joel enjoys spending
“Aw. I never took you for the jealous type.”
His voice rose a notch. “Could you be serious about this for a minute?”
Wrong thing to say.
“Sorry.” Her mouth went dry. Caleb didn’t get upset with her very often. “I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying or why you’re upset.”
“We don’t know him. Not well. It might be better to keep your distance.”
“I don’t understand. He’s your friend.”
“Fourteen years ago, you’d be correct. Today—” he shrugged “—I have no clue who he is right now, but so far I’m not impressed. He keeps to himself so much, and I know for a fact he skipped church last week. He takes you out on a motorcycle. You know how many people get killed on those machines?”
Shelby crossed her arms. “Perhaps Joel’s not out to impress you.”
“What I know about him isn’t great. He left here without a trace. All I know is he took off to Indiana, and I don’t even know if that’s true. How can we believe what he says?”
“You’re seriously not making any sense. Did you already forget that you’ve invited him to your wedding?”
“That was before he started cozying up to my sister. I have a bad feeling about him that I can’t explain. It’s a gut thing. Besides, even when he lived here before, he might have been my friend, but he was bad news.”
She couldn’t believe what Caleb was saying. It was so out of character for him. Caleb usually spent his time encouraging the best out of people. Not ripping them down. There had to be more to his doubts about Joel than he was voicing. Did she want to know?
No. She’d choose to hope for the best.
“I can’t believe you. If this is how you talk about your old friends, I’d love to see how you talk about people you don’t like.”
Caleb crossed his arms. “Did he or did he not take you out for a ride on his motorcycle?”
Her brother knew about that? Well, of course he did—practically the entire town had seen them at the square. She swallowed hard. “What does that matter?”
“Answer my question.”
“He did.” Shelby raised her chin.
Caleb’s eyes widened. “Do you have any concept of how dangerous that is?”
“Yeah, actually I do. And know what? I loved it. If Joel offers to take me again, I’ll say yes.”
“Don’t.” Caleb shook his head. “Please, don’t.”
“I’m not a child, Caleb. When are you going to see that?”
“When you stop acting like one.” At least he winced after he said that.
Shelby spun away from him.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around. “You’re the only family I have. I don’t want to see you hurt in any way.”
Joel’s challenge in the laundry room came back to her. He’d been right. Because of Caleb’s overprotection, she had never lived life. Not really.
Shelby shrugged away from her brother’s touch. “I’m sick of a safe life. I’m so tired of never taking any risks. I want to get on that bike and take off for Colorado and see the mountains. I want to jump on a plane tomorrow and head to London. I want to live. Is that so bad?”
“Those are nice dreams, but perhaps Joel’s not the man to have them with. Not yet anyway. Let’s wait until we know who he is now better.” He spoke softly, probably trying to calm her down.
“What’s the point? No one will ever live up to what you want them to be.” Her eyes burned with tears she tried to keep in. She gestured behind her, showing no one was waiting around. “I don’t exactly have a string of men hoping to spend time with me. You’ve seen to that most of my life and scared them all away.” She stopped him coming any closer by putting up her hand. “So far from what I can tell, Joel enjoys spending
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