Unsure of how Brett would react, Sidney nearly panicked when he suddenly rose to his feet and faced the other man head-on. Her breath had stalled in her lungs, and her nerves had fired a warning shot to each of her limbs in case she needed to react quickly. Even though Brett had told her that he was in therapy and has changed his ways, she’d seen him in action too many times in the past to expect anything but the worst.

But then he’d surprised her.

Maybe it’s true. Maybe he really has changed, after all.

After saying good-bye to Charles at the hot dog stand earlier in the day, she’d headed directly for the shop to talk to Brett. She didn’t know why she felt the need to explain herself, but she did. Too bad she didn’t get the chance. By the time she arrived, Brett had already left.

She’d worried that might happen, damn it. Now she couldn’t stop wondering what it had all meant. Had he been upset about her date? Or did he not care at all? Maybe that was it. Maybe he was completely over her and didn’t give a damn who she went out with. After all, he had told her to have a good time on her date tonight. God. Had he really meant that? She just didn’t know.

“It’s starting to rain,” Charles told her, turning on his wipers to clear the splatters of rain drops from his windshield. “I don’t think it’s supposed to get bad until later tonight though.”

“That’s good,” Sidney replied absently.

“You okay? You’re not sick or anything, are you?”

She badly wanted to fake some stomach pains and ask him to take her home, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “I’m fine. I think the weather is just making me a little tired.” She crossed her mental fingers, hoping he would take that as a hint.

No such luck.

Charles winked at her. “Don’t worry. I have something that is going to wake you right up. I hope you’re thirsty,” he said, pulling into a parking lot.

Sidney glanced through the windshield and gazed up at the Bottoms Up sign on the front of the bar, and her stomach twisted. As Charles pulled into an empty slot, she quickly scanned the surrounding vehicles until her eyes landed on a red pickup a few rows over. Damn it. Not only did Brett’s best friend and sister own this bar, but his truck was in the parking lot. The last thing she wanted to do was make anyone uncomfortable…including herself.

She wiped at her brow. “Um, I don’t know about this.”

“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun. We can grab a few drinks and cause a bit of a ruckus.”

Exactly what I’m afraid of.