7. Levi
CHAPTER 7
LEVI
I’d been trying to figure out how to handle myself around Brooklyn since that kiss the other night. At that moment, I’d wanted to be the man she needed. But with a little time and distance, I wasn’t sure I had it in me. As much as I wanted her, I was pissed at myself for giving in. Watching her have a good time with Lily and Peyton at the bar last night, I’d been jealous as hell. I wanted to be the one to make her laugh and put a smile on her face. I also wanted to take her home and make all kinds of promises that would bind her to me forever.
Frustrated and feeling like my life was spinning out of control, I tightened the fitting underneath the bunkhouse sink I’d been working on. When my phone pinged with a text, I almost didn’t look at it. But then I worried Brooklyn might need me, so I sat up and pulled it out of my pocket.
Fuck. The potential client I’d been talking to about a whole house remodel decided to go with someone else. I texted back to ask why, but he wouldn’t give me a solid reason. I’d worked my ass off on that proposal. It was supposed to be my first big solo project and help me get set up on my own instead of busting my ass for someone else like I had been for the past twelve years.
Dammit.
I sat back on my heels and looked around the bunkhouse. Thankfully Shane had hired me to fix up the bathroom, but it was almost finished, and I’d given notice to my boss that I was starting my own business. As soon as I wrapped up the old bank building remodel he had me working on downtown, I’d be done. If I didn’t schedule something on my own soon, I’d have to beg him for my job back.
But the referral for the whole house remodel had come from Kyle. My gut told me something else was at play. It was time to confront my brother. He’d been avoiding me long enough.
I loaded up my truck and headed into town. Kyle had made himself pretty scarce lately, but he never missed his weekly staff meeting. When I pulled into a spot in front of the downtown building where his office was located, I saw his car. He was in.
Despite looking like I’d just walked off a job site, I brushed off the receptionist and stalked straight into the conference room where Kyle held court.
He stood at the head of a long table, impeccably dressed in one of his custom-tailored suits. “Levi, what a surprise.”
“What the hell are you up to?” I growled at him from the doorway.
“I need a few minutes with my brother. We can pick this up later.” Kyle crossed his arms and waited for everyone to scurry out of the room. Once we were alone, he closed the door and gestured to a nearby chair. “Want to have a seat and talk about this?”
“No. I want to break your fucking face for what you did to Brooklyn.” I narrowed my eyes and made a move toward him, relishing the way he flinched. He wasn’t so tough when he was taking on someone his own size, or in my case, someone who’d been beating his ass since we were kids.
“I don’t know what she told you, but it was an accident.” He put his hands out like he was trying to calm down a pissed off grizzly bear. He’d be better off playing dead or trying to make a run for it than thinking he’d be able to talk his way out of this one.
“You’re a piece of shit and a liar.” Brooklyn still hadn’t told me a goddamn thing, but it didn’t take a genius to know he was responsible for hurting her.
“We had an argument. She tripped on the edge of the rug and banged her head against the coffee table. I told her I didn’t think we should see each other anymore. She got mad and is trying to turn the whole town against me, letting them think I’d ever lay a hand on her. You know me better than that.”
His performance deserved a fucking Oscar, but he didn’t fool me. “Touch her again, and you won’t be able to talk your way out of it because I’ll break your fucking jaw.”
“I see she’s already worked her witchy magic on you, little brother.” Kyle shook his head. “I’m just saying, don’t believe everything she says. How do you think we hooked up in the first place? She was between jobs and needed a place to stay. Her ex had thrown her out and she played my heartstrings like a pro. I’m better off without her, but I’d hate to see you get tangled up in her web.”
My eyes narrowed. No fucking way was he telling the truth. Brooklyn couldn’t be playing me. The feelings I had for her were legit. I’d bet my life on it. Still, Kyle made me question myself. He’d always had a knack for fucking with peoples’ heads.
“Don’t believe me? You’ll find out for yourself soon enough.” He gestured toward the chair closest to him. “As long as you’re here, I’ve got a business proposition for you. Care to entertain it?”
My gut warned me to get out of there, but I was in a tight spot with no jobs on the horizon. With a successful commercial development business going for him, Kyle had the ability to send some major business my way. I wasn’t ready to jump into a project with him, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hear him out. “What kind of proposition?”
“Jesus, Levi. Take a seat and I’ll tell you about it.” He sat down and pulled a packet of papers from a folder on the table. “I’m sure you’ve seen the signs that a new grocery store is going in where that bookstore used to be. Lucky for you, the investor wants to work with someone local. The job is yours if you want it. He hopes to open in a couple of months, so you’d have to get started right away.”
“This investor…” I shook my head, not wanting to believe that my brother could have gotten involved with the same group that was trying to destroy Mustang Mountain from the inside out. “Is it the same one that’s redoing the hot springs?”
“Yeah. They’ve got a plan to put Mustang Mountain on the map, and I’m handing you a golden ticket to be a part of it.” His smile reeked of smug satisfaction, like he truly thought he was doing the right thing.
“What if Mustang Mountain doesn’t want to be put on their fucked-up map?”
“This is your chance to get your business off the ground.” Kyle narrowed his eyes. “You could really make a name for yourself.”
“By getting into bed with you and the assholes who are trying to ruin us? Is that why the lead you gave me on the house remodel fell through?” The pieces were starting to click together and fall into place. Kyle might claim he was giving me a leg up, but he never did anything that didn’t also benefit him.
“This job wasn’t on the table when I referred you for that house remodel. And you’ll make three times the amount, maybe even four. This guy is willing to pay extra if you come in ahead of schedule.” Kyle held out his hand to shake on it. “What do you say, little brother? Are you willing to let me make you a very rich man?”
“Fuck you.” I’d rather go back to working for someone else than help destroy the town where I’d been born and raised. I’d seen what had happened to other places around us who’d sold out and let big developers come in and take over. There was no way I’d be a part of that no matter how much I needed a big break.
“That’s what’s always been wrong with you. You’re never going to make something of yourself because you don’t have the guts to make things happen. Good luck with your little business. And good luck with Brooklyn. You’re going to need it with her.” Kyle shook his head and stalked toward the door. Right before he walked through the doorway, he turned to face me. “I thought family meant something to you, brother, but you’re always going to fall short.”
My entire body tensed as he walked away. I was doing the right thing, even if it meant putting my values above family. But what if he was right about the rest of it? That I was a fuck-up who would never amount to anything?
Brooklyn had plans with Peyton, so I had the cabin to myself when I got home. Gus greeted me with his tail wagging, but not even he could chase away my bad mood. I heated up some leftovers Brooklyn had brought home after a catering event and headed out to the back deck to nurse my bruised ego with a beer.
Could Brooklyn just be using me for a safe place to land for a while? That kiss had felt so real. If she’d been faking it, she’d done a hell of a job. My heart squeezed tight as I thought of a life without her in it.
She’d only been staying at my place for a little over a week, but signs of her were everywhere. From the way she fluffed the pillows on the couch to the stack of books she’d set on the coffee table, I could see her touch in everything. She’d even bought me new kitchen towels and hung them on the handle of the oven since she said mine were too old and thin. Even when she wasn’t here, I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
I must have sat out on the deck for hours. Until the sound of tires crunching on the drive had Gus barking and rushing around to the front of the cabin. I heard Brooklyn’s laugh and a car door close. Peyton must have driven her home. I stood, the anticipation of seeing her bubbling up in my chest. Then I remembered it might not be real and sat back down.
The light turned on inside, and I watched her walk through the cabin, calling my name. Gus scratched at the sliding glass door, and she opened it then followed him out onto the deck. Even my damn dog was on her side.
“Hey.” Her voice was soft and with the light from the cabin at her back, she looked like a fucking angel. “How long have you been sitting out here?”
“Too long. I should probably head to bed.” I got up again, steeling myself to pass by without reaching for her.
She stopped me, her palm resting on my chest. “Is everything okay?”
I stared down into her eyes with Kyle’s words ringing through my head. Maybe it was the shit day I’d had or the liquid courage I’d downed from a couple of tumblers of Devil’s Dance whiskey, but I slid my hand up to cup her cheek. “What are we doing here, Brooklyn? Am I just a stepping stone on your way out of Mustang Mountain?”
Her forehead creased. “What do you mean?”
My thumb traced over her jawbone. The light from the moon bathed us both in shades of black and white. For years, she’d been out of my reach, and now that she was standing right in front of me, I needed to know if she was playing me or truly had feelings for me.
“I saw Kyle today. He said…” I let my eyelids drift closed.
“Let me guess. He got in your head. Probably told you I was just using you, right?” she whispered.
I didn’t have it in me to argue, so I opened my eyes and stared down into her eyes. “Are you?”