Chapter 34
I don’t need the Raider brothers to cheer me up. I need Hazel.
Miles
Eli parks his massive SUV at the entrance to the boardwalk and all of us Raider brothers pile out.
“Can we skip whatever this is? I’m not in the mood.”
I’m not in the mood for anything. I’ve barely heard from Hazel since I stormed out of my house three days ago. She hasn’t answered any of my calls. And her only response to my numerous messages was, I need to think. I’ll be in touch soon.
Needs to think? Without me? Don’t I factor into her decisions? The man she loves. But apparently doesn’t want to love. Fucking ouch.
I’m giving her what she wants –– some space to think. Too bad she doesn’t realize I’d give her anything she wants. But I never promised not to message her. I need to make certain she’s okay. It’s a living, breathing, pulsing need inside of me.
Jaxon purses his lips. “I’m not in the mood either but no one ever considers my feelings.”
Rhett throws an arm over his shoulders. “Because you’d crawl into a cave and never come out if we let you.”
“Wrong. My wife wouldn’t let me crawl into a cave. I’ve asked.”
Despite how black my mood is, I chuckle at Jaxon. He seriously would prefer to never interact with other people for the rest of his life. Even if the other people are his brothers. Blossom has tried to bring him out of his shell, but there’s a limit to how much his wife can do.
“Why do all of my brothers bitch and moan whenever we have a Raider brothers outing?” Eli asks.
Kai’s hand shoots into the air. “I don’t!”
“Me either.” Zane elbows me. “And this one usually doesn’t bitch and moan but he’s still in the wooing stage.”
Wooing stage? I’ve wooed, and I’ve wooed. I don’t know if I can woo anymore. I’m all wooed out.
Eli rubs his hands together. “Which is why we’re having a Raider brothers outing to cheer him up.”
“I don’t need cheering up.”
I need Hazel to answer my calls. I need her to admit she loves me. I need her to give this second chance a real chance. Dive in, Blaze. I promise to catch you.
Jaxon pushes his glasses up his nose as he studies me. “Even I know you’re lying.”
I give him the finger.
“Everyone, stop acting like a smuggler in love with a mermaid who rejected him,” Eli orders. “We’re here to have fun.”
“And take Miles’s mind off how he ruined his second chance with Hazel,” Zane adds.
I snarl at him. “I didn’t ruin anything.”
Did I storm off? Yes. But I made it clear to Hazel that we’re not over. I didn’t destroy us in a fit of rage. Which is what I feared would happen if I stayed.
“You’ve been moping around the distillery for the past three days.”
“I don’t mope.”
“Really?” Rhett lifts his eyebrow. “Dakota threatened to transfer all incoming calls to your number and you told her to go ahead.”
I shrug. “I was trying to help.”
Zane barks out a laugh. “You didn’t realize what she said until the first call came in.”
Kai shakes his head. “Some poor woman searching for a job and you told her there was no sense working since life was over.”
I scowl. “I never said anything of the sort.”
“But you are depressed,” Jaxon declares.
“I’m not depressed.”
He fiddles with his glasses. “You haven’t been surfing all week. You yelled at Zane when he asked to borrow your stapler.”
“It’s a good stapler,” I mutter.
“And I found you listening to sad songs when I left last night.”
Kai laughs. “Was he listening to Taylor Swift again?”
I glare at him. “Do not make fun of Taylor Swift. She’s a goddess who has more talent in her little pinkie than you do in your entire body.”
“Whoa!” He throws up his hands and backs away. “He really is depressed.”
I stomp toward him. “I’ll show you depressed.”
Rhett steps in front of me. “No beating up your brother.”
“Why not? We’re outside. We’re not at work. And he deserves it.”
“Because violence isn’t the answer.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Really? And you didn’t throw a bowling shoe at my head because I was, quote, ‘being a little shit and you were over it’?”
“You little shit. Do you have my missing bowling shoe?”
I debate lying. I’ve been hiding his bowling shoe from him since he was in high school. It hasn’t been easy since we lived in the same house for years but I can be tricky if the occasion calls for it. And even when the occasion doesn’t.
“Maybe.”
Rhett dives for me but Eli shackles his wrist to stop him. “No beating up your brother.”
Rhett’s nostrils flare. “He stole my bowling shoe and kept it hidden for a decade. He deserves it.”
I feign buffing my nails on my t-shirt. “Personally, I think I deserve to be crowned the king of the prank wars.”
“King of the pain in my ass,” Rhett mutters.
Jaxon clears his throat. “Less than ten minutes until we were reduced to name calling. Can I go home now?”
“Nope. We’re going surfing.”
My mouth gapes open at Eli’s announcement. My brothers have never wanted to surf with me. And, trust me, I’ve tried to get them interested. The closest anyone’s come is Jaxon, who rowed every morning while I surfed when we were in high school.
“But none of you know how to surf,” I finally manage to say.
Eli grins. “Which is why you’re going to teach us.”
I frown. “But I don’t have my teaching equipment anymore.”
“Shit, dude. Were you robbed?” Kai asks.
“Robbed? Why do you think I was robbed?”
“Because there’s no other way you’d ever let your surfing equipment go,” Zane answers.
“Wrong. I sold it.”
Kai’s jaw drops to the ground while Zane feigns cleaning out his ear. “What did he say? I think my ears are blocked.”
“He said!” Kai shouts at him. “He sold his teaching equipment!”
I might as well get all of this over now. My brothers will act like drama queens and then the teasing will begin. I’m already over it.
“I put the surf shack up for sale.”
Kai clutches his head. “I feel dizzy. I think I’m going to faint.”
I roll my eyes. “Drama queen.”
“This is…” Kai scratches his chin. “I honestly don’t know what to say.”
“Really?” Jaxon studies him. “You don’t know what to say? This is highly unusual.”
“Actually.” Kai clears his throat. “I do know what to say. Have you lost your mind?”
“I—”
He throws up a hand. “Not done yet. You love that shack. Why the hell would you sell it?”
I shrug. “It was time. It’s not as if I’m giving up surfing. But I don’t have time to give lessons anymore.”
“No time to play with the pretty women who take surfing lessons?” Zane waggles his eyebrows.
I grunt. “You’re the player. Not me.”
“Not anymore. I’m off the market. I’ve got a baby and a woman. I’m fulfilled.”
I frown. I want to be fulfilled. I want the woman I love living with me. And maybe a baby as well. Not now, but soon.
“I never expected in a million years you’d sell the shack,” Eli says.
“What do you mean? I asked if you were okay with me selling the shack.” I own the shack but since Eli helped me pay for the renovations after the hurricane destroyed my previous shack, I wanted his permission before selling.
He shrugs. “I thought it was a rhetorical question.”
“I asked you for the number of your realtor.”
“I think we should say goodbye to the shack before you sell it,” Rhett suggests.
“Excellent idea.” Kai rubs his hands together. “I’ll get the moonshine.”
“I’ll get the snacks,” Zane adds.
They start to rush away but I yell, “Stop! We are not having a party and trashing the shack when it’s for sale.”
Kai scowls. “Why do you assume we’d trash it?”
“Because I’ve known you your entire life and you don’t know how to stay out of trouble once the moonshine is flowing. Need I remind you of the Great Puking Disaster?”
He shivers. “No need. I’m not the same person. Harper keeps me in line now.”
I open up my arms. “Harper’s not here.”
“Wrong.” He points to the beach where Harper is standing with the rest of the partners of the Raider brothers.
“What are they doing here?”
Eli drops an arm around my shoulders. “Aren’t you happy to see your sisters-in-law?”
I grunt. I love all of them but being around the women reminds me of what I don’t have with me – the woman I love.
He squeezes my shoulder. “Keep watching.”
I frown but I do as he says. And I’m glad I do when Hazel steps out from the back of the group and walks to the front.
“Hazel is joining us?”
“This is her show.” Eli drops his arm and nudges me forward.
No need to nudge, big brother. I’m going already. I kick off my shoes before stepping onto the beach. I forget all about my shoes as I make my way to Hazel as fast as I can.
“What are you doing here?”
She bites her bottom lip and stares up at me from beneath her lashes. Is she nervous? There’s no need for her to be nervous. “I have a surprise for you.”
“I love surprises.”
“I hope you’ll love this one.”
I grasp her hand. “If it involves you, I’ll love it.”