The Last Single Garrett. Brenda Harlen

now until midnight.”

      “Lucky me.” He sighed. “And the other two will probably be awake at the crack of dawn, like they were this morning.”

      “You should take them to the parade tomorrow,” she said.

      “Why?”

      “Because I think they’ll enjoy it, and you know the whole Garrett clan will be at the park to help you keep an eye on them afterward.”

      “I almost forgot tomorrow was the Fourth of July,” he admitted.

      “It follows the third every year,” she pointed out.

      He laughed softly. “That’s assuming I knew today was the third. I’m not even sure what day of the week it is.”

      “Monday,” she said, heading toward the door.

      “Thanks for all of your help,” he said.

      “You’re welcome.”

      “I hope canceling your date tonight wasn’t a problem.”

      She shook her head. “I’ll see him tomorrow.”

      That revelation surprised him. “You guys must be pretty serious if you’re introducing Rafe to your family,” he commented.

      “He’s already met my family,” she said, then she frowned. “Wait a minute—I never told you his name.”

      “Your sister mentioned it.”

      “What else did she mention?”

      He shrugged. “She didn’t tell me how long you’ve been dating him...or if you’re sleeping with him.”

      Tristyn rolled her eyes. “You really don’t understand the concept of boundaries, do you?”

      “I’m guessing that’s a ‘no,’” Josh continued. “If your relationship was at that stage, you wouldn’t have bailed on him tonight.”

      She frowned. “What kind of logic is that?”

      “The undisputable kind. Because if you were sleeping with him—and he was able to satisfy you in the bedroom—you wouldn’t have let anything interfere with your plans to be with him,” he said.

      “Of course, the other possibility is that you are sleeping with him but he’s lousy in bed.” Then he shook his head. “But no, I can’t imagine you would still be with a man who wasn’t able to meet your needs.”

      “You do realize this whole conversation could be categorized as sexual harassment,” she noted.

      “Are you feeling harassed?”

      No, she was feeling...aroused, she realized uneasily.

      Which, she was certain, had absolutely nothing to do with Josh but was simply a result of the topic of their conversation—and the fact that she hadn’t had sex in almost two years. A sexual hiatus that she’d considered ending tonight.

      She wondered what it said about her relationship with Rafe that she hadn’t hesitated to break their plans—that she had, perhaps, even been a little relieved to have an excuse not to take that next step right now. She liked Rafe—she really did. He was handsome and sweet and kind, and she always had a good time with him. But for some inexplicable reason, she wasn’t eager to get naked with him.

      Or maybe the reason wasn’t inexplicable at all.

      Maybe the reason was standing right in front of her.

      She pushed that unwarranted and unwelcome thought to the back of her mind. “I’m going home now,” she told Josh.

      “And if you were sleeping with him,” he continued, as if she hadn’t spoken, “you’d probably be stopping by his place on your way home to—”

      “Good night, Josh.” And with those final words, she opened the door and made her escape.

      Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy to escape her own thoughts and feelings. Because the truth was, simply being in the same room with Josh stirred her up far more than being in Rafe’s arms ever did.