Chapter Twenty-One
Lucas
“Shit.” I run a hand through my hair, torn between rushing after Rainey and dealing with her pissed-off brother.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Hudson says, a scowl on his face.
Of all the ways for my relationship with Rainey to come out, getting caught lip-locked in the Thunder storage room never crossed my mind.
Hudson stands glaring at me, and I meet his gaze head-on.
The twins are twenty-six to my twenty-nine but they’re solid, muscular, and protective as hell over Rainey. The same as her father and Jack.
“Look, I know you’re pissed and I know better than to tell you not to mention this to Jack. Just know it’s not a fling. Not for me.” Those are the only words I’m giving him. “Now, I need to go find your sister. And, by the way, I’ll be back to pick up the items she wants for the party.”
I push past her brother and rush out the door, going back the way I came, knowing I have to find Rainey. Stepping into the muggy sunshine, I see her getting into her car, and I jog to catch her before she drives away.
“Rainey!” I call as I stop by her side of the vehicle and knock on the window.
She pulls it down instead of opening the door and getting out of the vehicle. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her skin is pale, and it breaks my heart to see her so upset.
“I promise you, we’ll work this out,” I say, and I’m determined to do just that.
She shakes her head. “I thought we could tell Jack about us together. On our time. Now things are going to blow up before the anniversary party and with everything else going wrong, it’s the last thing I have time to deal with.”
“Get out of the car. I want to talk to you.” I grab the handle and with a sigh, she clicks the unlock button. I open her door and extend a hand. She places hers in mine and I pull her from the vehicle, directly into my arms.
I wrap my hands around her waist and keep her against me. “Did I just hear you say you thought we could tell Jack about us together? As in, you weren’t going to walk away when the anniversary events are over?”
She blows out a long breath. “I didn’t think about it, exactly. I just knew it was going to be hard, if not impossible to… separate when things were over. And I knew Jack’s return would speed things up. I just didn’t know he’d be home so fast.”
I have to laugh. “He’s been gone for a while. He had to return sometime.”
“I know.” She presses her palms to her eyes. “But it’s too soon.”
I grasp her wrists and lower her hands so I can see her face. “Maybe it’s exactly the right time. I can deal with your brother, Rainey. I can even face your parents.”
She wrinkles her nose, confusion on her face. “What do my parents have to do with anything?”
“We need to talk, but I don’t want to do it here. Are you in the mood to hit up the food truck again?” Hopefully we can find a bench to sit on while I explain my concerns about her family, what they really think of me and how it could impact us.
“But what about the boxes from the storage room? I wasn’t thinking straight when I was going to drive away without them,” she says.
“How about this: you said the ones you want have sticky notes on them, right?”
She nods.
“I’ll load them up and bring them to your office. Then we can go eat and talk.”
She throws her arms around my neck and hugs me tight. “Thank you!”
I know how much her family means to her, and I have no idea what she’ll do if her father and brothers really don’t approve of our relationship. But she deserves to know what’s on my mind and think things through before she has to face them.
A couple of hours later, the merchandise is loaded in the back room of her office. I put the last box down and turn to see her lining the empty goodie bags on the long tables set up along the wall by the new window in the back.
As if sensing my gaze, she turns. “Lucas?”
“Yes?”
“I was thinking. Maybe we can order in food and fill goodie bags while we talk? Kaylee texted me that her sister was in a minor car accident but she’s at the hospital with her. And I have a feeling she’ll need to watch her niece, at least for tonight. I need to do these bags alone so…”
I walk over and brush my knuckles over her cheek. “You already know, if you need me, I’m here. I just need to let Tristan know I’ll be in late tonight.”
“Thank you. Really.”
I wink at her, then pull my phone from my pocket and text my partner.
Rainey and I order lunch. The pizza won’t be as good as the food truck, but I don’t care what we eat as long as we’re together.
Then we get to work. It’s a lot, filling the bags, folding and rolling T-shirts before putting them inside, among other things.
And when the food arrives, we agree to take a break.
I wait until we finish eating and clean up the garbage before I ask her to sit down again at the small table we set up for our late lunch. So late it’s almost dinnertime.
“Okay, I think you’ve stalled long enough. What’s on your mind?” she asks.
She’s right. This isn’t a conversation I’m comfortable having, but it’s necessary. “So, here’s the thing. Even when we get Jack on board with our relationship—”
“When? You’re so sure we can get Jack to accept us?” she asks.
I nod. “I am. I can handle him.” He wants someone who will take care of his sister, and that’s me. He’ll get over the shock and anger. In time. “It’s your father I’m worried about. I know how much you love your parents and don’t want to disappoint them.”
She takes a sip of her soda from one of the cans we’d gotten with our order. “Why would me being with you upset them?” She props her chin on her hands. “I really don’t understand.”
It’s better to lay things out for her, starting at the beginning. “What did your father think of me when Jack and I became friends? What did he tell you about me?”
She meets my gaze, her cheeks flushed. “If we’re being honest, he wasn’t happy when he found out about your past. Or the things you got in trouble for when you first came to live with the Carrases.”
I nod. Despite her confirming what I already know, and even despite understanding that Ian Dare had every reason not to want his kids around me back then, it hurts to hear the truth.
“I’m not so sure his feelings have changed.” When she opens her mouth, I hold up a hand. “At least not when it comes to his precious daughter.” And the last thing I want to do is come between Rainey and her father.
Her brothers? I’m not lying when I tell her I believe I can handle them.
Ian Dare? I’m not so sure.
She rises from her seat and sets her hands on her hips, looking at me with a disappointed look of her own. “Lucas Carras, you are not the same man as the boy you were.”
I let out a chuckle because—“You sound like my mom.”
She treats me to a beautiful and wide smile. “That’s quite the compliment since she strikes me as a very smart woman. She said we make a beautiful couple, after all.”
I manage a smile. “I appreciate your optimism but—”
“How about you let me handle my parents and we’ll deal with Jack together?”
I take her hand. “I like that idea.” Us being together is the goal.
“I’m not dismissing your concerns, though I think they belong in the past. But when we agreed to a fling, I wanted to keep things a secret because I was afraid it would look unprofessional to be with someone I’m working with.”
“I remember.” I also recall not liking it, but I’m not going to mention that now.
She raises her shoulders in a shrug. “I was wrong. I was so hung up on what happened to me in the past with Gregory Attwater and my career that I restricted myself and tried to make everything perfect.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask her.
She rises and walks around the table, coming up beside me and sitting on my lap. “Yeah. It’s being with you that’s perfect,” she murmurs.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say, as she seals her lips to mine.
I respond, loving the taste and feel of her, but my mind isn’t on the kiss. As optimistic as she seems, I’m more concerned about what her family will say. Because I won’t be satisfied until I have her brother’s one free shot at hitting me behind us, and her father’s blessing.