Chapter 15 Egg on His Face
Sleep had been nearly impossible. Andrea had tossed and turned all night, thinking about her poor grandpa, what it meant to be home, all the work she had to do—oh, and Case. He’d hardly spoken to her after she’d mentioned Sarah again, and while she’d intended to put some distance between them, she didn’t like upsetting him. Perhaps she could make it up to him with a nice breakfast.
As soon as the sun was up, Andrea put on her robe and went downstairs to make a big breakfast for everyone. She wasn’t much of a cook, but she knew how to make scrambled eggs, bacon, and homemade waffles better than anyone else in her family. She turned on some Christmas music and was really enjoying herself, thinking she should apologize to Case when she saw him. Then, she heard footsteps close behind her.
Hoping it was him, she turned around with smile. But it wasn’t. “Brent? What are you doing up so early?”
He was wearing pajama pants and T-shirt, his hair slightly messy. “I’m an early riser, Andrea. You sure do look pretty this morning. Pink is a good color on you.” His smile showed his teeth, and for a moment, Andrea thought he looked like a wolf. “Can I help you?”
“No, thank you,” she said, turning back around to stir the eggs, hoping he’d leave. “I prefer to make breakfast for my family on my own.”
He stepped even closer so that he was right behind her, and Andrea felt the hairs on her arms stand up. She’d been in situations like this one before—both in the movies and in real life—and she never liked it. She took in a deep breath, trying to decide how she could get him to back off without being rude. Even if they argued a lot, Leslie seemed to like him. She didn’t want to offend him. Yet, he was bordering on getting out of line.
His breath on the back of her neck made Andrea’s stomach tighten up, and when he lightly touched her arm, she froze. “You know, Andrea, I’ve always been a really big fan of yours. It’s so nice to meet someone who gets acting the way that I do. I feel like we really understand each other.”
“Brent....” Andrea turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed. “You’re standing way too close to me.” She hoped that would be enough to get him to back off.
The man was determined. With a cocky grin, he said, “I don’t think I’m close enough.”
Andrea took a large step to the side, secretly wishing the bacon would pop about now and burn him. “You’re making me uncomfortable. You’re my sister’s boyfriend.”
“You’re sister’s a nice girl. She’s totally into me, which is cool. We both know her singing career is never gonna pan out, though. She knows that, too. That’s why she’s hanging on to me for dear life.” He took a step toward her as the eggs sizzled and the bacon crisped. “What do you say, Andrea? Why don’t you and I get to know each other a little better? I see the way you look at me. Leslie doesn’t need to know.”
“The way I look at you?” She couldn’t believe her ears. What—was he crazy? “Brent, I’m sorry, but I think you’ve misinterpreted something. I....”
“Is everything okay?”
Case’s voice at the doorway had both of their heads turning. Andrea had never been so happy to see another person in her life. She could tell by his expression he knew he’d walked in on something, but she wasn’t sure if he knew exactly what had been happening.
Quickly, Brent picked up a spatula and started turning the bacon. “Yeah, everything’s fine, buddy. We were just... making breakfast.” Brent looked at her, the expression in his eyes insisting she go along with the story.
Andrea had no intention of doing that, but she also didn’t want to cause a scene at the moment. Instead, she decided to talk to Leslie about it later, just to finish breakfast. “Actually, I’ve got this handled. Why don’t the two of you set the table?” The more space she could put between herself and Brent the better.
He looked reluctant to move, so Case said, “Yes, Brent. That’s a great idea. Why don’t you and I set the table?”
Case had to weigh at least twenty pounds more than Brent and was a head taller than him. Not to mention Case was a professional athlete with the muscles to prove it while Brent looked like he hadn’t lifted weights in forever. Knowing what was best for him, Brent stepped away, and Andrea took some deep breaths, hoping to calm her racing heart.
Having Case in the room with them made her feel a thousand times better, but she dreaded the conversation she’d have to have with Leslie later. It was clear now that Brent was only using Leslie to get to her, and Andrea hated that for her sister. But it was better if she found out now before they got too involved and moved in together or something of that nature. Brent was not a nice guy—he’d made that clear. She caught Case’s eyes over her shoulder and knew he had her back, that he was on to Brent.
With a small smile on her face, she turned back to finish breakfast. Brent might be a jerk, but the idea that Case was there to protect her, to keep her safe, made her feel warm inside. Maybe the fact that he’d used to date Sarah Lockton wasn’t that much of a problem after all. She’d have to sort all of that out, but for now, she definitely liked the idea of having Case around.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
