Knowing Logan was in the storeroom breaking down liquor boxes, Brett began making his way to that side of the bar. He made sure to give Sidney and her guest a wide berth and stayed on the opposite line of foot traffic to keep from being spotted. He didn’t need another uncomfortable meeting like they’d had earlier in the day. If you asked him, once had been enough.

But before he made it to the hallway in which the storeroom was located, someone grasped his arm. “Hey, where are you going?”

He glanced over his shoulder at Valerie and then turned to face her. “I’m going to see if your husband needs any help.”

“Oh, he’s probably close to being finished by now.”

Brett shrugged. “That’s all right. I’ll just go hang out with him then. Anything as long as it gets me out of this room.”

Valerie’s eyes filled with concern. “Why? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Yeah,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her toward the area where Sidney was sitting with her date. “That happened.”

“Oh. That sucks.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

His sister glanced back at him. “Did she see you?”

“Not yet. I was trying to escape before that happened.”

Valerie crossed her arms. “Go on then. I’ll cover for you, if necessary. I can always say that I borrowed your truck.”

He squeezed her shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Val. This is why you’re my favorite sister.”

She laughed. “The competition isn’t real stiff. I’m your only sister, dork.”

Brett grinned at her and then slipped down the hallway to get out of sight. He didn’t look at it as running from his problems. It was more like he was removing himself from a difficult situation rather than reacting to it.

He’d learned that in therapy.

Over the past year, his counselor had given him some great tools that really improved his overall behavior and attitude. Like when he was struggling with a difficult situation, she’d suggested that he head to the gym and take his frustrations out on a boxing bag or work up a good sweat on the weights. He’d taken her advice, and not only had it enhanced his body, but working out had become therapeutic when something was troubling him.

Like seeing Sidney with another man.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have access to a gym this late in the evening. But the good news was that he now knew how to handle the uncomfortable situation like a grown man rather than the immature idiot he once was.

Brett shoved open the door to the storeroom and found Logan sitting on a crate. “Hey, dillhole. Need any help?”

“With what? Sitting on my ass?”