Chapter 31
TJ
SIBLINGS
Grace looks at me from the passenger seat wearing a very unconvincing smile.
“So remember how Veronica is one of your biggest fans?”
I nod. “Hardly see how that’s relevant right now, but yes.”
“And remember how that picture was on a music blog with a bunch of your fans?”
“Yeah. And? What does that—” I cut myself off when it clicks. “No. Please tell me she didn’t see it.”
“Do you want the truth or do you want me to do what you asked?” I hear a playful tone in her voice. I’m glad she’s having fun with this because she’s not the one who is probably going to face down her brothers.
“Shit.” I strum my fingers over the steering wheel. “You know we already have our bags. We could take an impromptu road trip to literally anywhere — anywhere your brothers aren’t?”
“Tommy.” I hear the seriousness in her voice, but also the calmness.
Then I feel her hand gently squeeze my knee in a comforting gesture, but I keep my eyes on the road.
“If we want to keep taking this seriously, we might as well rip this bandaid off. V said Tanner’s waiting at your house. So let’s get it over with.”
I take a deep breath and exhale. “You’re right. It’s not like we got married without telling them. We’re just two adults that are happy together.”
She lets out an infectious laugh and a thought I’ve never even let see the light of day creeps into my mind.
What does she want long-term? Would she ever even want to get married?
And if I’m thinking about that, is that what I really want deep down?
I bury that thought for another day and focus on the task at hand, getting home, and talking to her brother.
“Relax,” she says, her calm voice soothing my nerves. “We’ll do this together.”
Sure enough, when I pull through the gate into my driveway and past the main house, Tanner’s truck is there, parked right next to Grace’s van.
And leaning against the truck is the six-four, rugged mountain man that I’ve known for years, who also happens to be the brother of the girl I’m falling for. Correction, I’ve completely fallen for.
I park behind her van and look at her in the passenger seat. “You think if we sit here long enough he’ll leave?”
She gives me a playful shove, but I see her hesitation. “Come on, let’s get this over with.” She unbuckles her seatbelt, stopping to look back at me. “Besides, if he really does beat your ass, I can nurse your old, frail body back to health.”
She tosses me a wink and suddenly, I don’t feel nearly as bad about this as I did fifteen minutes ago.
I step out of the car and walk around to the passenger side, opening the door for her. She hops out and hugs me, tapping the door shut behind her with her boot. I hold her against my chest, rubbing her back.
Tanner just stands there menacingly, briefly looking at us before focusing all his intensity on me.
Knowing him, I’m sure his pulse is a goddamn flatline.
He’s worked for me for years before we became friends and I’ve never once seen him lose his temper.
The look on his face now though is pure, quiet rage and I get it.
I’d probably be pissed too if I had a little sister and someone I called a friend was going after her.
Much less an infamous rockstar who was fifteen years older than her and has baggage that still follows him around.
I brush her bangs out of the way and press my lips against her forehead before letting go of her and I don’t miss the way Tanner grimaces.
I tip my chin to him. “Hey,” I start, “I’m sorry you had to find out that way. She wanted to tell you herself when she was ready. This is what she wanted though.”
He looks at Grace for a second before stepping toward me, stopping within arm’s reach for someone his size. “What the fuck is wrong with you, TJ? You hire my little sister and now you’re dragging her into the media for some publicity stunt or whatever it is you’re even doing?”
I shake my head. “No, that’s not it at all. I hired her because I know she’s passionate about what she does. Because she’s smart. Because she cares so deeply. Everything else sort of just happened after that.”
His nostrils flare and I see the doubt in his expression. “So you’re telling me that you never thought about her like this before hiring her?”
I sigh and palm my face. “I’m not going to lie to you. I was interested in her. When we met in Bend, she was just so genuine, so—” I run my hand through my hair and sigh. “So damn energetic and real. But I meant it when I said that’s not why I asked her to work for me.”
He takes a step toward Grace and holds her shoulder. If he wasn’t her brother, I’d have already decked anyone for getting that close and touching her. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry for letting him take advantage of you.”
I watch her reaction and the look in her eyes might be more intense than her brother’s.
She steps into him and shoves him square in the chest, almost knocking him off his feet.
Tanner normally dwarfs most people around him, but I can see that she’s used to being up in her brother’s face with her height.
He takes a step back and looks between us.
“Am I alright? Do you realize how messed up it is that you’re asking me that?
” She takes another step toward him and jabs him in the chest with a pointed finger.
“Do you really still think I’m that same fragile girl from high school?
You still think I can’t take care of myself and make my own decisions? ”
He scrubs his hand over his face and shakes his head. “No, of course not. That’s not what I meant. But you don’t need to date him just because he’s our boss.”
Her jaw tightens and her eyebrows shoot up. I see the hardened look in her normally sparkling eyes.
Shit. She’s mad.
That doesn’t change the fact that she is absolutely stunning right now.
Her profile is laced with fury and intensity, highlighted by the snowy landscape behind her amplifying her vibrant colors.
Those beautiful evergreen pools burn with a fire that I can’t look away from, framed by her bangs and freckles in a way that draws me in more.
All of it screams passion, confidence, and determination, the kind I once had. The kind I’ve started to feel again when I’m with her.
“This is what I’m talking about. Have you, for once, considered that I’m the one who wanted this?
That I’m the one who started things with him?
No, apparently not. Apparently you think I’m still little Gracie that needs to be protected from herself and everything around her.
Do you realize how pissed Mom would be if she knew you treated me like this? ”
I wince at that, knowing the history behind her loss, their loss.
She takes a step back and crosses her arms over her chest. She tilts her head toward the truck. “Now, go home. Come back when you get your stupid damn head out of your childish ass. I’m done talking with you.”
He opens his mouth to say something, but she shoots him a glare. “Now. I mean it.”
I watch in complete dismay as Tanner tucks his tail between his legs and walks back to his truck. He takes one look at the two of us over his shoulder before getting in and closing the door with a solid thud. Grace and I both watch as he backs down the driveway and the gate closes behind him.
I turn to her, seeing her shoulders rise and fall with heavy breaths, her cheeks red. She’s still fuming when I reach out and grab her hand.
“Hey. I’m sorry. Are you alright?”
Her brows wrinkle and she looks at me. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I step closer to her, resting my hand on her hip over her long, puffy down jacket. “That was brutal and I’m the reason he’s pissed at you.”
She sighs and shakes her head. Her eyes meet mine and I see some of her normal brightness returning. “We’re siblings. We argue sometimes, but that’s not your problem. This is between me and him. And honestly, it’s mostly on him.”
The look on my face must not be convincing because she rolls her eyes and smiles. “Seriously, Tanner and I will be fine. He might look all mean and broody, but he’s a teddy bear underneath all of that. You’ve seen him with Veronica enough to know that.”
“More like a grizzly bear if you ask me.”
She gives me a playful shove in my chest, unlike the one Tanner was on the receiving end of. “Very funny.”
Jake and I have fought, but never like that. Clearly, their sibling bond is strong if she’s that confident they’ll just get over it. But if I do want this to work, I should take a note from this whole day and trust her and give her the space to sort this out how she wants.
“Just let me know what I can do.” I reach up, rubbing the back of my knuckles over her freckles.
“You can start by taking my bags in and letting me see that shower of yours finally.” She gives me a wry smile and I give her one swift nod in return.
“Done.” Just like me, because I’m done.
I’m not just falling for her, I already have. She has my heart and she has my love.