Free Flight Risk (Antiques in Flight) by Nicole Helm Page B

Trevor? “I’m a little tired of getting that particular accusation. I can care about your brother without being in love with him. It’s called friendship.”
    “It sounds pathetic,” Shelby shot back.
    “You know what? I’m done. I’ll wait in the car.” Ignoring her half-eaten sandwich, Callie pushed out of the chair. Em didn’t try to stop her. She was still too busy gaping at the exchange she’d just witnessed.
    The anger increased with each step away. Callie couldn’t place the source of it, but it bubbled hot and heavy in her chest.
    She could blame it on being used, but she’d known all along Shelby was using her. She could blame it on everyone thinking she was in love with Trevor. Couldn’t two members of the opposite sex just be friends? Couldn’t two members of the opposite sex who had a kind of weird attraction to each other still be friends without everyone accusing the woman in the duo of being some kind of lovesick, pathetic moron?
    Callie wrenched the car door open and slid inside. It was such a double standard. She bet no one ever accused Trevor of being in love with her. Not that he would have any reason to be. What exactly did she have to offer? A bad attitude, a snarky mouth, and a crappy way with people.
    Callie groaned and rapped her head against the steering wheel. She was losing her mind, and she wanted to blame it on everyone else. On Em for being perfect, on Shelby for being such a bitch, on Trevor for being Trevor, but the bottom line was all of her weird feelings and conflicting emotions were her own damn fault.
    Because no matter how disgusted she was with herself over it, there was a part of her, a very large part, that liked the idea of convincing Trevor to stay. A part of her that might have gone along with the plan if Shelby hadn’t been so sneaky about it.
    Which made Callie a total moron. About as much as sitting here sulking in her car did.
    She wasn’t in love with Trevor, no matter what Em or Shelby or anyone might think, but if she was being honest she knew there was a danger with him. If things had been a little different, if she were a little different, or if he were, there was potential for something .
    She didn’t want to think about that potential, that something. Since she’d been a baby, all of the people she’d loved and counted on deserted her. Like some sort of curse, death swept them away. Truly letting herself feel what she could potentially feel with Trevor would leave her open to all that hurt again.
    She could count on one hand the people she cared for unconditionally, the people who returned that feeling, and of that small handful, Trevor was the only one who wasn’t blood. The only one who could walk away and break all ties to her without the word family bringing him back.
    Callie was desperate to keep that handful intact.
    The passenger car door opened and Em slid in. Callie swallowed down the lump in her throat as Shelby moved into the backseat with her dress. No one said a word, and Callie was more than happy to drive in complete silence.
    When Callie pulled the car into the Steele driveway twenty-five long, silent minutes later, Trevor was using a weed eater along the edges of the front yard, biceps flexing under the weight of the long machine.
    Callie put the car into park, but didn’t make a move to get out. She was glad when Em didn’t either and Shelby climbed out of the backseat.
    Trevor leaned into the open window, an easygoing smile on his face. “Everything went okay?” She could smell grass and sweat on him, and when he leaned into the car, he was closer than she felt particularly comfortable with.
    Callie looked at Shelby skirting the front of the car. Shelby’s expression was a mixture of anger and pleading. Something about it had Callie censoring her words.
    “Yeah. Great.” What would be the point in telling him about Shelby’s little plan or their painful argument? It’d make him feel guilty about letting Shelby down. She