Chapter 8
Eight
brOOKS
I rolled the tire over to Grayson, wiping the sweat from my brow when I stopped. He lifted it up to the truck, letting out a rush of air when he secured it onto the axle. Together, we tightened the lug nuts and bolts, securing the tire to the vehicle. He nodded to the other mechanic, stepping back to wipe his face with his rag.
“It gets hotter every summer,” he moaned.
Snorting, I walked over to the water cooler and filled two cups. Stepping back, I smiled before I tossed one onto his face, bringing the other to my lips.
“Hey!” he yelled but sighed as the cool water trickled down his face and soaked his shirt. “I should return the favor, but it feels too nice today.”
Chuckling, I continued to drink my water, attempting to find the words I needed to say. When I wasn’t on the rodeo circuit, I helped Grayson out at the shop. It was easy and gave me income when I was off. Grayson bought this place a few years back with his earnings from modeling. He’d wanted something permanent to call his own in case the jobs quit coming or he grew tired of it.
More and more, I saw him taking fewer jobs and focusing on the shop and our brotherhood. It made me want to do the same. I just wasn’t sure what outside of rodeo I was good at.
It sure as hell wasn’t talking to girls. Darcie had been the first one I’d ever connected with, and that had been through a camera without ever seeing her face. I still couldn’t believe she was here, in my house, just down the hall from me.
It seemed too good to be true, but I didn’t think Darcie had a deceitful bone in her body, so I’d take my good fortune and thank my stars for her return to me.
“What’s on your mind, Brooks? You’ve been quieter than usual,” Grayson said, eyeing me. His hand covered the top part of his face, shielding it from the sun.
“Can we move inside?” I asked, not wanting any of the other guys to hear. They were friendly for the most part, but they weren’t my brothers.
“Yeah, sure.”
He called to one of the guys and led the way into the office. He sighed in relief when he stepped into the AC, an audible sound breaking free. He took his chair behind the cluttered desk, a contrast to the tidy room back at home. I’d asked him once why it was so disorganized here, and he shrugged, stating he didn’t have to sleep at work.
I took the chair across from him, spreading my legs wide as I sat. Downing the last of the water, I tossed the cup into the trash before turning to look at him.
“Spit it out, Cowboy.”
When Grayson really meant something, he’d call me by my road name, leaving it for only times he wanted to get his point across.
“Do you remember how you told me to try that website so I could practice talking to girls and get some,” I cleared my throat, “experience?”
Grayson sat back, clearly not expecting me to say this. His brow lifted, and he nodded. “Of course. If I remember correctly, you met someone and spent a lot of money on her, then she just vanished. You were really broken up about it for months. Why?”
I fidgeted, picking at the chair arm as I rolled the words over in my head. Sometimes I had to practice saying things several times before I found the courage to utter them. A therapist had told me it was rehearsing, and while it could be helpful to decrease a lot of my anxiety, it wasn’t a way to live. If I was always practicing life, I would never actually live it.
That notion had stuck with me, making me be more present with the people in my circle, knowing it was better to say something instead of only thinking it.
“Darcie,” I started, instantly piquing Grayson’s interest. I’d seen how he watched her this morning, jealous of the kiss she’d given me. It was why I wanted to talk with him, so he’d know.
“Yeah, she’s a sweet thing,” he said, a smile crossing his face. “You have a thing for her?”
I nodded, licking my lips. “I do. She’s the girl.”
His brow furrowed as he focused on me. “I think she’s pretty great, but you just met her, Brooks. I wouldn’t go and make any proclamations to her. You’ll scare her away.”
I smiled, able to appreciate his concern for me. There had been a time in my life when I hadn’t had anyone care about me. Finding Bubba and Pretty Boy had been the thing that saved me.
“No, I mean, she’s the girl from the website. She’s my Rose.”
He stopped, staring at me for a few seconds. I was worried he wasn’t breathing until he finally blinked. His face was blank, making me wonder if I had misread his interest.
“Wow, okay. That’s big. Um, yeah. That’s great.”
Grayson fiddled with something on his desk, putting the documents and order slips into piles. It was his nervous tick coming out, his need to clean and organize.
“Grayson, you might want to hear what I have to say before you jump to conclusions.”
He stopped, his eyes lifting to mine. “What do you mean? I remember how you felt about her. I’m guessing you’ll be riding off into the sunset now?”
I shook my head, a small smile lifting at the corner of my mouth. It warmed my heart that he would let her go for me. He truly was my brother.
“No. I think she’s the one we’ve all been waiting for.”
Grayson’s eyes searched mine, his jaw flexing as he processed what I said. “I don’t understand. If she’s the girl you’ve been hung up on, why would you…” He stopped, waving his arms in front of him. “You know. I don’t get it. Besides, we talked about that late one night when we were all drunk. I didn’t think any of us meant it for real.”
“So if the perfect girl walked into the shop and we all liked her, you wouldn’t want to try to keep us together? You’d brush it off as drunken conversation?”
Grayson’s mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words. Finally, he opened his mouth, an argument on his tongue. “This isn’t that. You had a relationship with her. You have a right to claim her.”
“And if I believed she was the perfect woman to fit all three of our needs, to have that balance of light and dark, and the capacity to love us all, you’d still tell me no?” I challenged.
He was quiet for a while, the gears rolling in his head.
“You really think Darcie is that?” he asked quietly.
“I do. I think I always did. Every time I talked to her, I wished you and Waylon could as well. She made everything better, and I knew we needed someone like her. And this morning, I saw the way you both looked at her. Though Waylon is fighting his attraction.”
Grayson snorted, nodding. “Yeah. He thinks he’s too old for her. But I caught the fire in his eyes. I hadn’t seen it there in a while, either.”
I nodded, feeling more hopeful now that Grayson seemed on board. “And you were jealous she gave me attention. I saw you watching her every move. She intrigues you.”
“There’s something about her. I won’t deny that.” He chuckled, rubbing his brow. “I’m pretty sure she went into my room yesterday and switched around my things. I opened my drawer to put on socks and found shirts. I about had a conniption until I smelled her fragrance lingering in the air. Then all I could do was smile and laugh at her playful behavior.”
“That sounds like Darcie,” I sighed, my smile growing bigger.
“Do you really think it could work? The three of us and her? Will she go for it?”
I shrugged. “She’s best friends with Lennox, so we have that on our side. She’s aware of this type of relationship, so it won’t be a completely new thing for her. And I think she will. I could tell she liked the attention from all of us.”
“Liking attention and wanting to be sexual with three men are two different things, Brooks.”
“Yeah, yeah. I just have a hunch.”
“How are we going to get Bubba on board?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m not sure we’ll have to do much. I think we need to talk to Darcie first, and she’ll do the rest. Besides, Bubba’s already halfway there. Listen to this text he sent me.”
I pulled out my phone and read it off.
Waylon: This girl is driving me nuts.
Brooks: How so?
Waylon: She wants a motorcycle.
Brooks: Why is that bad?
Waylon: She’ll get herself killed.
Brooks: Then teach her how not to. But I think she might surprise you.
Waylon: The less time I have to spend with her, the better. You guys are taking her tomorrow.
Brooks: Is the big bad biker scared of a little girl?
Waylon: She’s definitely not a little girl.
I looked up, catching Grayson’s eyes. He had a knowing look, his smile wide as he peered back at me.
“You’re right. Okay, maybe you’re not so crazy after all.”
“Shy, yes. Crazy, never.”
We both laughed, and that feeling of excitement I got before the gate was lifted at the rodeo spread through me. My phone buzzed, and I glanced down to see Waylon had sent another text.
Waylon: Shit, I think I messed up.
Brooks: Why? What happened?
I instantly went on high alert, both for my brother and the girl I had feelings for.
Waylon: I was angry and came around the corner, not thinking. She flinched, cowering in front of me like she expected me to hit her. I fucked up, man.
Sweat dripped down my back as I tried to imagine what Darcie was feeling. From everything she’d told me last night, I was worried this would push her away.
Brooks: You gotta apologize.
Waylon: How?
Brooks: Looks like you’re teaching her how to drive your bike on the way home tonight.
Waylon: Fuck.
I laughed, catching Grayson’s attention.
“What now?” he asked, finishing straightening the last pile. His desk did look better. I wondered if the threat of sending her here tomorrow had motivated him to make it more organized.
“Waylon scared her, so I told him to apologize by teaching her how to ride.” My eyes sparkled as I chuckled to myself. I knew Darcie could ride; she told me how she’d basically been raised on them. I wished I could be there to see Bubba’s face. “She grew up in an MC. She’s no stranger to bikes.”
“Oh man, that’s going to be a riot. I wish we had a camera,” Grayson said, mirroring my thoughts.
“Maybe if we hurry, we can get there before they leave,” I suggested.
Grayson looked at the clock, then the schedule, jumping up from the desk. “Chop, chop, Cowboy. We have a girl to woo.”
Grinning, I hopped up, a new skip in my step. I knew I could’ve been selfish and kept Darcie to myself. But the dream we’d conjured up one drunken night had stayed with me; the hope we could always be a brotherhood with one woman to devote ourselves to felt right.
There hadn’t been any women before that had fit the bill. Mostly because I’d always been too shy to step outside my comfort zone and try. With Darcie, it wasn’t as scary; her body was already a permanent image in my mind.
As we finished the day, I couldn’t help but notice how much happier Grayson seemed too. Darcie would be good for us, and we’d keep her safe.
In the back of my mind, I knew I’d have to face the ghost of Maddox with her one day, but for now, I’d relish in the fact that the girl of my dreams was no longer just a voice over a screen.