She wondered whom he was visiting in the area and had been tempted to ask, but knew it wasn’t any of her business.

After placing his order on the counter for one of her brothers to pick up, she glanced over at Kaegan. He was staring at her and the heat from his gaze made sensuous currents flow through her as if she was holding a live wire. She broke eye contact with him to grab the coffeepot so she could pour Jeremy’s coffee.

Bryce was tempted to look back over at Kaegan but didn’t. Instead she walked back to where Jeremy sat to serve his coffee.

* * *

BACK AT THE office Kaegan could barely get any work done for thinking about Bryce and that guy this morning. Even after Ray and Sawyer had left he’d hung back, getting more muffins and refills on his coffee and pretending to check messages on his cell phone just to linger around. There was something about the man he hadn’t liked. Namely, the man’s interest in Bryce. And like he’d told Ray and Sawyer, it was obvious they knew each other. How? Had the two of them dated before?

When she brought over his refill of coffee, he’d been tempted to ask but didn’t. Like Ray had said and Sawyer had reiterated before leaving, Bryce was not his girl and he needed to stop acting territorial where she was concerned.

The beeper on his desk went off. He pressed the button on his desk. “Yes, Willa?”

“Ray is here to see you.”

“Okay, send him in.” He stood and walked around to the front of his desk, leaned against it and waited for Ray to walk in. “And what brings you here for a visit, Ray? Bored with being tour-boat captain and want your old job back?”

“No. First, I wanted to make sure you hadn’t gotten into trouble this morning after Sawyer and I left. You were pretty ticked off.”

Kaegan went back to sit down in the chair behind his desk, thinking about that morning and feeling frustrated. “Yes, I was pretty ticked off, although I know I don’t have a right to be, like both you and Sawyer pointed out. I was the one who screwed up, Ray. I should have believed in Bryce, had more faith in her. I loved her. She’d been my best friend forever, but in that space of time I forgot all about that.”

Ray sat and didn’t say anything for a minute. “I recall getting mad with Ashley when I thought she’d betrayed me. Something you said is what kicked my ass into gear.”

“And what did I say?”

“You basically told me that I could continue to feel sorry for myself, or I could grow some balls and be thankful for Ashley and do something to make sure I kept her.”

“Grow some balls? I’m sure I didn’t use that terminology.”

Ray grinned. “No, but what you said meant the same thing. I think it’s time you take heed of your own advice.”