9. Merritt
merritt
. . .
Scarlett Trejo was fucking adorable.
My cutie.
Mine. Mine. Mine, the beast inside me started to chant.
I’d known there was something special about her, but even with how obsessed I was, I hadn’t realized just how much I underestimated her. She was sweet and funny. Slightly dorky but in the cutest of ways. And she is mine, curse be damned. After putting in our coffee orders along with some pastries, I led the way to a table. I had just pulled her seat out when they called our order, but I told her I’d get it.
When I returned, walking right towards her, I doubted we looked away from each other for even a moment. She was my very own lighthouse. The light from those beautiful dark eyes would lead me home every day for the rest of my life if I had anything to say about it.
“Here is your Secret Admirer.”
“Thanks.” She blushed, and I had a feeling she was thinking about whoever had sent her the arrangement. She was thinking about me. I sat a little straighter, puffing my chest out with male pride. I liked her thinking about me even if she didn’t know it.
“What did you get?” she asked, and I grinned.
“Cupid’s Arrow.” It had gone right through me when I’d first seen her, so I felt it fitting. We sat and sipped at our drinks. The look of appreciation on her face after tasting it let me believe she liked her drink. “So, what do you think?”
“About?”
“Your Secret Admirer?” I was playing a dangerous game and knew it.
“How did you know about–––“ Her eyes turned into saucers, and she snorted again. “You mean my drink,” she corrected, and I fought the need to smile. “It’s good. Really good.”
“Is there a secret admirer?” I asked. She stilled, and her eyes met mine just as she was about to take a bite of her almond croissant.
“No!” she quickly denied. “I mean, do those still exist? I mean, out of romance novels, and I mean, why would anyone––“ I loved to listen to her ramble nervously. Fuck, one good wind would make me come in my pants like a damn untouched teenager.
“Merri?” a deep all too familiar voice said behind me, and I winced.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, not missing the fact that Scarlett had caught my reaction. I turned around, and sure enough, it was Austin.
“Scarlett?” he said, and a muscle under my eye ticked. I didn’t like him talking to her. She’s mine, the possessive beast inside growled.
“How do you guys know each other?” His eyes bounced back and forth between us. To anyone else, he seemed relaxed, but I knew my brother—he wasn’t. Austin was putting things together, along with my surly attitude the last couple of weeks.
“We don’t!” she blurted, suddenly standing up and accidentally hitting the chair behind her.
She was obviously nervous, and I had blown my shot at trying to get her to go to dinner with me. Damn it! The beast inside growled.
“Sorry! Excuse me,” she apologized to the ladies at the table next to us. “We don’t know each other,” she said again, and I didn’t like it. You know me, cutie. You know me. I know you do.
“Until a couple of minutes ago when we were in line,” I shared. My brother’s brow rose with suspicion. “I recognized her from the brewery and introduced myself.”
“Right.” Austin nodded, but by the way his eyes bounced between us before they settled on mine, I had a feeling he had cottoned on to my crush on his best friend’s little sister.
“I should actually go. It’s late, and I still have to work.” She squeezed by the chair and stopped in front of me. “Umm, it was nice to meet you, Merritt Hart,” she said in the most endearing way.
And I lost my mind.
Forgetting about my brother’s watchful gaze or the hustle and bustle of the coffee shop, I reached for her again, and it felt like coming home. All from simply holding her hand. I covered it with the other, and her pretty, dark eyes widened for a split second before they dropped to where our hands were connected then came back to me.
“It was really nice to meet you, too, Scarlett Trejo.” To finally meet you again. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I choked them down. I had been right. Touching her, even if it was just her hand, would be the thing that broke me. I’d need more than sweet little touches.
“Well, umm…” She cleared her throat before she tried to pull her hand away, but I couldn’t get myself to let her go. No! She’s ours! the beast in my head argued, and my heart didn’t fight back. When Austin cleared his throat, it snapped me out of my internal fight. I begrudgingly let go, immediately missing its softness and warmth.
She took a step, but when I called out her name, she turned. “Don’t forget about your Secret Admirer.” I wasn’t sure if I was talking about the coffee or me. Either way, it earned me a honey-coated giggle and a shake of her head.
“Right! I’m such a nerd.” She reached for her drink then scurried out like the cutest little bunny to ever live.
My brother and I stood next to one another as I watched her exit the coffee shop. “What the hell do you think you are you doing?” he asked, low enough for it to be for my ears only.
“I don’t know what you are––“ I started to deny, but he wasn’t going to have it.
“You do,” he cut me off, and I sighed.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” I offered.
The fewer witnesses to this conversation, the better. It was bad enough that one drunken night after moving to Moonlit Pines, my little brother had shared about his family being cursed to never find and keep true love. People thought we were crazy as it was. Not that it stopped the single female population from making it more than clear they would be willing to try and break the curse.
We walked out and towards his truck, we leaned against it and for a quiet moment watched people come and go. It was Friday, so there was a little more foot traffic than usual.
“I don’t have all day,” he muttered.
“Austin,” I sighed, and he shook his head.
“You know why we can’t get involved. It always ends terrible for the Hart men.”
“I haven’t done––“ I started to lie, but he shot me a look that had me shutting my mouth. He leaned in close. Austin and I were about the same height and build.
“I have eyes, Merri. I’ve seen how you look at her when she comes in and how fucking devasted you look when she doesn’t stop by with her sisters. You really think I believe you love the brewery so much you’ve practically made it your home office?”
“Austin––“
“She’s my best friend’s little sister, Merri,” he reminded me. “She’s younger than you. Fuck, if you’d been a teen dad like Uncle Cord, you would be old enough to be her fucking dad.”
“Austin.”
“What?” he clipped, and my shoulders relaxed. There was only one way to get him to see reason here.
“I love her,” I admitted out loud, and it felt like the whole fucking world came to a stop, somehow holding on where it was and not plummeting through space.
“What did you say?” he whispered.
“I love her,” I calmly repeated. Austin’s eyes were lighter than mine, and I watched them shut as his head tilted forward until his chin touched his chest.
“No,” he stated as if it was law. “No, you’re not in love with Onyx’ little sister. You can’t be! Or did you forget about the goddamn curse?”
“It’s a fucking self-destroying habit the men in our lives like to blame. Not a fucking curse.” His eyes opened, and he turned his head to look at me. Something was working behind those eyes.
Something I had no idea what it was about, but fuck me, it looked a lot like fucking hope.
“You think so?” he asked with caution. Something was going on with him, and it didn’t surprise me. Where Boyd and Shep were open books with their conquests up and down this mountain, Austin and I were more discreet and held our cards closer to our chests.
“Come on, man.” I shook my head. “Think about it. Like you said about Uncle Cord. Sure, he knocked up his high school sweetheart, but they were happily married for a decade before Aunt Trish passed because she got sick. He turned to drinking to cope with the loss, but imagine if he hadn’t? Imagine if he had coped better? Or if Dad had after Mom walked out? Maybe they would have found love again instead of finding themselves at the bottom of a bottle?”
Austin sighed and looked out towards the town. I didn’t miss the way his gaze stayed locked onto the new hair salon. “All I’m saying is we make our own destiny, man.”
“This is a crazy one-eighty, Merri. Just a month ago, you were telling us how this curse was a blessing because it got us focused on our careers.”
“Hey, shit happens. You get older and wiser.”
“And a month made the difference?”
“One night did,” I rasped, honesty dripping through my deep voice. Austin looked at me and then tilted his head. I could see the pieces clicking into place.
“One night? Wait… New Year’s? The grand opening party?” My eyes narrowed.
“How’d you know?”
“I saw you two. She bumped into you. It was brief but…” He stopped talking and shook his head. “Holy shit.”
“Well, yeah, I saw her across the place and…” I rubbed the top of my chest right below my heart. “This is all your fault.” I shoulder-bumped him. “I was determined to stay home and ring in the new year in front of the TV, but you had to go host a grand opening.”
“Shut the fuck up!” He laughed and shook his head. “Holy shit.” He looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time in his life instead of knowing me the entirety of it.
“You’re in love. With Scarlett, no less. Shit.” He chuckled and ran his fingers through his overgrown hair. “This is going to be interesting as fuck.” His reaction surprised me.
“You’re not going to tell me to keep my hands to myself?” He turned to me.
“Something tells me if I did, you wouldn’t listen, and I got a feeling you haven’t.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, wondering what else he might know. Fuck, maybe I hadn’t been as subtle as I thought.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s another thing the Hart men are cursed with? The inability to stay away from the women who get us all tangled up and tempt us,” he mumbled the last part to himself before pushing himself off my truck. “I better get those damn coffees before the guys start calling wondering where the hell I disappeared to.”
“Austin, I know I shouldn’t ask you but––“
“Don’t worry,” he interrupted, “I’m not saying a word, brother. Trust me, I don’t want to be anywhere close when whatever is happening blows up in your face.”
“I told you there is no such thing as a curse,” I gritted through my teeth.
“There might not be, but I know you. I know your businesses and the people you work with. I also know the men in our families.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, Merri, whatever you are doing, you better be as fucking good as you think you are. Not only is that girl more skittish than a newborn fawn, her brother will literally rip your balls off and serve them at the grill for breakfast.”
“Onyx.” I chuckled, but he shook his head.
“He’s easy going, but anyone hurts his sisters, they pay. I’ve seen it. Fucking messy. I’ve also known her for years, but she is so withdrawn and quiet around new people , I’m pretty sure that conversation I had inside of there was the most I’ve ever heard her talk. That’s in a decade of being around her and that family. Not only that, but something tells me you’ve been keeping tabs on her, and I don’t only mean the way you’ve been a constant shadow at the brewery.” He finished off by saying, “Good luck. I think you’re going to need it.” He leaned in, and we hugged before he walked back into Pine and Grind.
I sighed and walked down the way to the flower shop and picked up the bouquet she had looked at earlier, knowing I would be the one to make this delivery myself.