Page 101 of Nothing to Win

“Yesterday,” Tripp said, leaning back when a server brought him a fresh cup of coffee.

“Your folks here too?”

“They’re in Chile,” Tripp said.“Mom’s been desperate to get down there for a while.”

The Breckenridges had a medical center in Chile that specialized in children’s health.Alice Breckenridge liked to spend time there but didn’t like to travel without her husband, which limited how much time she could spend there.

Brogan couldn’t tear his attention from the woman draping a towel on a lounger.Conversation went on without him.Gia settled down and dipped her hand into a large tote to retrieve a book.Damn, she was a vision.Why wasn’t he allowed to go to her and touch her anymore?Wrong had no meaning until right then.

Julius went on, “I didn’t know the Breckenridges were interested in Gault Logistics.”

“We’re not,” Tripp said and leaned over the table to pull a few grapes from the bowl in the middle.“We’re here in an advisory capacity.”Tripp tossed a grape in his mouth.“Shit, I’m turning into my dad.”He swallowed.“I, I am here in an advisory capacity.Gault has questions, guy wants to make the right decision.He’s been out of the game since his health scare.I guess, he’s out of the business mindset.”

Julius laughed.“He called you for advice?”he asked and laughed.“Fuck, the guy must be desperate.”

“I’m a Breckenridge, stuff goes in by osmosis.”

“You did go to college,” Julius said.“No one was sure how much of an education you got there—sorry, how much of a business education you got there.”

“Got a great hands on education.”

“That’s still going.”Julius laughed.“No one doubts that, boy.Few places those hands haven’t been.But for business, I might’ve expected Gault to call Breck.”

“Think Breck’s got the time to come here?”Tripp asked.“The biggest Breckenridge brother is a busy man.”

“A family man, almost.”

“Right,” Tripp agreed, eating another grape.“And don’t write me off, I’ve got my own talents.”

“True.You have a way of reading people.”

“Natural talent,” Tripp said.“Are you playing football later?Gault is putting a game together before dinner.”

“Brogan?You want him to play football?”Julius said, laughing again.“Look at him.The boy can’t even string a sentence together, you want him on the field?”

“Not on my team,” Tripp said, “but on the other side, sure.”

“I remember when you guys were teenagers, Brant used to end up in a team on his own.None of you wanted to play with him.”

“Some things don’t change.Back when Brog gave us the time of day,” Tripp said and slapped his shoulder.“We used to be close as brothers, and I know it, I have them.”

Now that he had eyes on Gia, Brogan was loathed to tear them away.“What’s that got to do with anything?”he asked.

Tripp sank back in his chair, out of Brogan’s peripheral vision.“She is one beautiful woman.”

After a second of processing, Brogan twisted slowly until he brought the Breckenridge into focus.Tripp clicked his tongue and winked, then let his gaze slide past.

Playing with fire could end in a brawl.Good thing he’d given Carver the weekend off, he could use the exercise.

Brogan leaned in to block Tripp’s line of sight.“Are you getting a hard-on looking at my girlfriend?”

“I thought you broke up,” Tripp said, still perusing her.

“They did,” Julius said.“She’s a free agent.”

“My mom will love her,” Tripp said, talking past Brogan though he wouldn’t see Julius.“Adore her.They’ll be peas in a pod.”

“You’re not taking her home to your mother.”