Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ADDISON
I prided myself on being on time. After all, I couldn’t exactly get on my brothers’ cases for being late if I always was, too. Usually, it was fine. Usually, I was the first one up and the first one at our morning meetings.
But usually, it wasn’t the morning following an evening wherein I made my—what?
Ex-boyfriend? Ex-lover?—watch from the doorway while I got myself off with the toy he purchased for me.
And usually, I wasn’t doing everything in my power to avoid another run-in with said person, just to save a bit of my sanity.
Last night, after Chase had dropped the bomb that he’d be there and ready whenever I was, he’d left me. Naked and alone in my bed, where I’d proceeded to toss and turn all night, thoughts of just what that might look like if I took him up on his offer swarming me.
But we’d already been down that path. Had been for years. And where I’d once thought I could handle it again because I was the one in charge, this past year had proven otherwise. It had proven that Chase actually held all the cards. And I had no intention of blindly walking into that again.
So I’d done the mature thing this morning.
I’d hidden in my bedroom, waiting and listening, until Chase left for his PT appointment. Was it the coward’s way out? Maybe. Probably. But so long as it meant I had some breathing room before I had to see him again, I didn’t care.
Unfortunately, it also meant that I was late for the morning meeting, and I was going to get an earful about it from my brothers.
After waiting long enough that I was certain Chase had left the premises, I flew out of my room and through the inn.
Beck had grumbled enough about where our meeting location was that we now switched off between the main inn and the diner.
Fortunately, today’s was here, which meant I didn’t have as far to go.
I flew down the stairs, naturally avoiding the creaky steps—a holdover from my teenage years.
But before I rounded the corner, hushed voices reached me, automatically perking my ears.
Narrowing my eyes, I tilted my head as I tried to catch what was being said.
My brothers weren’t exactly known for their quiet, demure voices, so that meant one of two things—either they were talking about me, or they were talking about something they didn’t want me to hear.
Both of which I, obviously, wanted to know immediately.
I crept down the hall, careful to avoid any creaky planks of wood and grateful Avery was doing her usual morning rounds so I didn’t have to excuse my James Bond act to her.
When I was close enough to hear my brothers’ conversation without straining, I plastered myself against the wall outside the dining room and held my breath.
“…said he checked himself in to rehab,” Brady said in a hushed tone.
“Not the first time,” Beck mumbled.
“For how long?” Ford asked.
“Not sure.” Brady again. “Based on what I heard, my guess is he’s already been there for a month.”
“Not the first time for that, either,” Aiden said, his voice hard.
There was no doubt in my mind who the he was they were talking about.
Our father. I’d been young enough when it all started that I had no idea how many times he’d gone to rehab in my life.
Four since I’d finally figured it out when I was in high school, but who knew how many of the “fishing trips” during my childhood had really been a stint in rehab.
I knew my brothers had had more time dealing with all the shit our dad had done, and it had eclipsed the good parts for them, but the good parts were what I remembered most.
His hearty laugh when my mom would tell a joke. His mustache tickling my cheek when he’d kiss me goodnight after reading me a bedtime story. Him scooping me into his arms and carrying me into my room after I’d fallen asleep on a long road trip.
I remembered the bad, too, in a vague kind of way. Which was probably why the good overshadowed it for me, not allowing me to ignore it.
“No idea how long he’s planning to be in there,” Brady said.
“If history is anything to go by, he’ll check himself out soon and be back at the liquor store a couple hours after that,” Aiden grumbled.
Murmurs of agreement went up, and the pang in my stomach spread.
Brady blew out a heavy sigh. “Fortunately, either people around town don’t know he’s there, or they’re keeping it quiet out of respect for us.”
“At least until Mabel gets ahold of this, and it shows up on the front page of the newspaper,” Aiden said.
“Don’t see that happening, seeing as Mabel’s the one who let me know in the first place.” Brady cleared his throat. “As for Addison, I assume we’re all on the same page…”
I furrowed my brow. On the same page about—
“She doesn’t need to know,” Aiden confirmed. “Levi, that means you need to keep your mouth shut.”
“Fuck off,” Levi said. “I know the drill.”
And that was it. The conversation shifted to something else, and I stood frozen in place, shock and dismay and…hurt swarming inside me.
My brothers had always kept me sheltered since I was old enough to toddle behind them and poke my nose where it didn’t belong.
Sheltered me more than they should have, actually.
More than I’d wanted them to. So much so that when I’d come back home after graduating college, my main goal had been to prove to them that I didn’t need to be protected anymore.
I was an adult. Strong as hell with a will of iron who could handle anything. Anything.
Apparently, they didn’t think I could handle this.
After I shoved all my thoughts and emotions deep, shutting down any shadow of hurt so they couldn’t see, I strode into the dining room and took a seat in the open chair they’d left for me.
“It’s nice of you to join us,” Levi drawled, an echo to what I said to him nearly every meeting he attended.
I flipped him off without glancing in his direction. “If you guys are finally ready, let’s dive in.”
Ford snorted and Aiden blew out a long-suffering sigh, but no one commented otherwise as Aiden dove into this week’s budget numbers.
Usually, I was the one who ran these meetings. Kept everyone in line and on schedule, but I couldn’t stay focused. My mind kept wandering, what-ifs and maybes bombarding me.
What if rehab stuck this time?
Maybe he would stay sober…
What if it could be different?
Maybe he’d want to come back here…move back in to his cottage, but this time, maybe he wouldn’t shut us out…
“Addison,” Aiden said, and it was clear from the irritation in his tone that it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name.
“What?” I glanced around at the all-too-intuitive stares of my brothers.
“You okay, little D?” Ford asked. “You haven’t yelled once, and that’s not like you.”
And I didn’t even have it in me to snap back about his little dictator reference, either. “I’m fine. Where were we?”
Brady studied my face for far longer than I was comfortable with, considering he interrogated suspects for a living. Then he dropped his gaze to my closed iPad and the obvious lack of usual chaos spread in front of me, his brow twitching.
“I asked when we’re going to start taking reservations for Cottage Thirteen,” Aiden said.
I shifted in my seat, that pang of uneasiness inside me multiplying. “It’s, um…it’s not done yet.”
Levi shot me a what the fuck look. “Since when? It’s been done for days.”
I kept my attention on anything but the five of them, finally opening the cover for my iPad and navigating to the reservations app just to give myself something to do. “I, uh…I wanted to do some stuff to it.”
Silence hung in the air, and I didn’t have to be looking at them to know they’d all exchanged what the hell is going on glances.
“What kind of stuff?” Aiden asked, suspicion heavy in his tone.
I shrugged. “Um…decorating stuff.”
“Decorating stuff,” Ford repeated.
“Yeah. Like…you know…throw pillows and cozy blankets and whatnot.” I didn’t dare lift my gaze—busy, busy, oh-so busy sorting through our excess of upcoming reservations—because I had no doubt they’d be able to read everything in my expression.
I knew this was stupid. I knew there was absolutely no reason to keep this perfectly rentable cottage vacant on the off chance our father decided to get his shit together after decades of proving otherwise.
But the pull that had been there—that tiny niggle of doubt whenever I’d discussed it—had grown into something I could no longer ignore.
“Cut the bullshit, Addison,” Beck said, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. “What’s going on?”
“I just think maybe we jumped the gun with it. It might be a good idea to hold off on taking reservations for now.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes on me. “Aren’t you the one constantly telling us how booked we are and how we could be making a fortune if we had more cottages available?”
“If we had another dozen cottages to add, yes. But one more isn’t going to make that much of a difference.”
“What’s this really about?” Brady asked, getting straight to the point.
I shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. “I just think it might be a good idea to have it open and available in case…someone needs it.”
“And would that someone be the asshole who injured your best friend?” Aiden said.
“Don’t be a dick,” I snapped. “Avery already told you it was an accident.”
“An accident that wouldn’t have happened if he weren’t a drunk.” Aiden’s voice rose with every word.
“Aiden,” Brady said, his tone low and firm.
“Are you kidding me?” Aiden asked, incredulous. “Are you actually considering this?”
Brady shot me a look out of the corner of his eye, his mouth set in a firm line, and I knew his answer before he even uttered a word. He gave one definitive shake of his head. “No.”
“No,” I repeated flatly. “And that’s it?”
“That’s it,” Aiden confirmed. “You’re the only one here concerned about him. That should tell you something.”
“What it tells me is that you’re all uncaring, insensitive assholes.”
“And you are allowing guilt to override your common sense,” Aiden said. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, Addison.”
“Hey.” The sharp voice startled everyone, and we glanced at the doorway.
Chase stood there, looking as imposing as he did on the ice.
His hands were fisted at his sides, his mouth set in a firm line as he glared at Aiden.
Then, in a low tone that sent shivers skating down my spine, he said, “Call her a fucking idiot again, and we’re gonna have a problem. ”