Read Online That Summer Night (Callaways #6) by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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a genius. That they could relate to. They treated him like a little adult."
"And you?"
He shrugged. "I'm sure they loved me in their own way. But we had nothing in common." As he finished speaking, he headed back to the couch.
Shayla followed him, but once again settled herself on the very uncomfortable-looking chair by the fake fireplace.
"There's room for you here," he said, patting the soft cushions next to him. Her eyes sparkled at his suggestive words, and he smiled. "Unless you don't think you can control yourself when you're sitting this close to me?"
"Maybe you can't control yourself."
"I'm always in control." While his words were meant to be teasing, they were in fact the truth. He'd taken control of his life a long time ago, and he liked calling the shots. The one time he'd let himself get too caught up in what someone else wanted had ended in disaster.
"So let's get back to your family," Shayla said. "Your dad is a teacher, right?"
He let her change the subject, because he thought keeping Shayla on the other side of the coffee table was a better idea than putting her within arm's reach. "Yes. He teaches economics at Stanford. My mother runs the music program at a private school."
"How often do you see them?"
"I never see them."
"Why not?" she asked in surprise.
He shrugged. "I told you, we have little interest in each other. Robert is their favorite son, the one they understand and respect."
"Even after what he did to you?"
He stiffened, her question taking him back to a place he didn't want to go. "Yes," he said tersely. "Even after that."
"I don't understand."
"Join the club."
"They must have been angry with Robert. They must have realized that he hurt you."
"Who the hell knows what they thought? It was a long time ago. I'm over it."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe you."
"Well, what you believe doesn't really matter to me."
He didn't usually speak so harshly to a woman he barely knew, but she'd touched a nerve. It wasn't just Robert's betrayal that had hurt, it was also the way his parents had tried to make excuses for his brother that had told him just where he stood in the family.
"You like to say that a lot," Shayla said. "That things don't matter to you. That you don't care about anyone or anything and that no one cares about you in return. You even bought a boat called the Lone Wolf. I don't think that was a coincidence."
"I did like the name."
"Where did you and Lisa meet? What brought you together? What made you fall in love with her?" Shayla asked.
He could see her curiosity growing with each question. "I don't want to talk about Lisa."
"Did you have a long engagement or one of those whirlwind romances?"
"What part of I don't want to talk about Lisa don't you understand?" he asked with annoyance.
She brushed off his question. "I know Lisa and Robert got married seven years ago, because I went to their anniversary party, which took place about a month before they separated. So I'm guessing you were with her at least eight years ago. That would have made you how old?"
"Twenty-six," he bit out.
Surprise flashed in her eyes. "Twenty-six?" she echoed. "Really?"
Her gaze narrowed as if he'd presented her with an equation that didn't add up.
"Yes. Why so surprised?"
"How old are you now?"
"Thirty-four."
"But Robert is thirty-four. How are you the same age?"
"You're the doctor. I'm sure you can figure it out."
"You're twins?"
"Bingo. I beat Robert out of the womb by one minute. It was the last time I was ahead of him."
"That is crazy," she muttered with a disbelieving shake of her head. "I had no idea Robert was a twin. Why didn't he tell me?"
"Why would he tell you?" Reid countered.
"Because I'm a twin, and we've had many conversations about the role genetics plays in disease. It seems strange that Robert wouldn't tell me he was also a twin."
"He probably forgot he had a twin," he said dryly.
"You don't seem very forgettable." She paused, compassion in her gaze.
"And you?"
He shrugged. "I'm sure they loved me in their own way. But we had nothing in common." As he finished speaking, he headed back to the couch.
Shayla followed him, but once again settled herself on the very uncomfortable-looking chair by the fake fireplace.
"There's room for you here," he said, patting the soft cushions next to him. Her eyes sparkled at his suggestive words, and he smiled. "Unless you don't think you can control yourself when you're sitting this close to me?"
"Maybe you can't control yourself."
"I'm always in control." While his words were meant to be teasing, they were in fact the truth. He'd taken control of his life a long time ago, and he liked calling the shots. The one time he'd let himself get too caught up in what someone else wanted had ended in disaster.
"So let's get back to your family," Shayla said. "Your dad is a teacher, right?"
He let her change the subject, because he thought keeping Shayla on the other side of the coffee table was a better idea than putting her within arm's reach. "Yes. He teaches economics at Stanford. My mother runs the music program at a private school."
"How often do you see them?"
"I never see them."
"Why not?" she asked in surprise.
He shrugged. "I told you, we have little interest in each other. Robert is their favorite son, the one they understand and respect."
"Even after what he did to you?"
He stiffened, her question taking him back to a place he didn't want to go. "Yes," he said tersely. "Even after that."
"I don't understand."
"Join the club."
"They must have been angry with Robert. They must have realized that he hurt you."
"Who the hell knows what they thought? It was a long time ago. I'm over it."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe you."
"Well, what you believe doesn't really matter to me."
He didn't usually speak so harshly to a woman he barely knew, but she'd touched a nerve. It wasn't just Robert's betrayal that had hurt, it was also the way his parents had tried to make excuses for his brother that had told him just where he stood in the family.
"You like to say that a lot," Shayla said. "That things don't matter to you. That you don't care about anyone or anything and that no one cares about you in return. You even bought a boat called the Lone Wolf. I don't think that was a coincidence."
"I did like the name."
"Where did you and Lisa meet? What brought you together? What made you fall in love with her?" Shayla asked.
He could see her curiosity growing with each question. "I don't want to talk about Lisa."
"Did you have a long engagement or one of those whirlwind romances?"
"What part of I don't want to talk about Lisa don't you understand?" he asked with annoyance.
She brushed off his question. "I know Lisa and Robert got married seven years ago, because I went to their anniversary party, which took place about a month before they separated. So I'm guessing you were with her at least eight years ago. That would have made you how old?"
"Twenty-six," he bit out.
Surprise flashed in her eyes. "Twenty-six?" she echoed. "Really?"
Her gaze narrowed as if he'd presented her with an equation that didn't add up.
"Yes. Why so surprised?"
"How old are you now?"
"Thirty-four."
"But Robert is thirty-four. How are you the same age?"
"You're the doctor. I'm sure you can figure it out."
"You're twins?"
"Bingo. I beat Robert out of the womb by one minute. It was the last time I was ahead of him."
"That is crazy," she muttered with a disbelieving shake of her head. "I had no idea Robert was a twin. Why didn't he tell me?"
"Why would he tell you?" Reid countered.
"Because I'm a twin, and we've had many conversations about the role genetics plays in disease. It seems strange that Robert wouldn't tell me he was also a twin."
"He probably forgot he had a twin," he said dryly.
"You don't seem very forgettable." She paused, compassion in her gaze.
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