Trent
Mel swings by our table at The Rig with a practiced smile. “Here you go, boys. Wings and a pitcher.” She sets them down, foam still spilling over the rim. “Anything else I can get you?”
“We’re all good, thanks, Mel,” Kade says, already reaching for a wing.
I nod, distracted, thumbs flying over my phone as I finish typing out a quick text to Aubrey asking if she got home okay and hit send, before sliding my phone into my pocket, and finally look up.
Kade’s staring at me—not just looking, staring. His gaze flicks to the bar, then back to me, and he shakes his head like I’ve personally offended him.
“What?” I ask, grabbing the pitcher.
He jerks his chin toward the bar. “You seriously didn’t see the way she was looking at you?”
I pour myself a beer. “Wasn’t paying attention.”
“Jesus, man.” He leans back in his chair. “That leg injury must’ve scrambled your brain, because Mel was definitely giving you the look.”
I huff a laugh. “Shut up.”
He grins, but I know that look—he’s not dropping it. Kade never does.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Mel could strip down and sing my name from the bar and I still wouldn’t care. There’s only one woman who matters to me—and no one else even comes close.
Problem is, she’s Kade’s little sister.
“I thought you two hooked up before?” he says.
I shrug, tearing into a wing. “Years ago.”
“Right.”
A beat of silence passes before I glance up and catch him watching me, his expression impossible to read.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just trying to figure out if you need medical attention.”
I frown. “Medical attention?”
“I never thought I’d see the day Trent Gibson missed a woman checking him out.”
I snort. “You’re hilarious. Do you notice women checking you out?”
“That’s different. I’m in a relationship.” He smiles, and something twists tight in my chest. “When you’ve got the only woman you’ll ever want waiting at home, you don’t look at anyone else.”
Jealousy hits harder than I expect. Kade has everything he wants. After everything he and Liv went through, they deserve it—but I can’t help craving that same certainty. That same freedom.
If he knew the truth—that I don’t notice Mel, or anyone else, because I’ve already found my person—he’d understand. He wouldn’t like it. Not when that person is his baby sister. But he’d understand.
I shake my head and force a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. You’re domesticated. We get it.”
Kade smirks. “Anyway… I want to talk to you about something.”
I let my neck roll slightly, feeling the tension ease out of my shoulders. “Go for it,” I say, keeping my tone light.
“This new project we’re taking on—it’s going to be a lot to manage.” He rubs the back of his neck, glancing at me. “Me and Brandon were talking, and we know you’re nowhere near ready to come back full-time, but we were wondering if you’d help out a bit.”
I tilt my head, curious. “Help out how?”
“With recruiting more workers, planning the crews and schedules,” Kade says, a little spark creeping into his tone. “Maybe even tagging along on site visits with me to check progress.”
I stare at him, caught off guard. For a second, I don’t even breathe. Everyone knows I’ve been missing work, but hearing that Kade and Brandon actually sat down and thought about how to include me—it hits deeper than I can put into words.
Kade must read something in my face, because his expression shifts, the confidence fading to concern. “Obviously, there’s no pressure,” he says quickly. “Your recovery comes first. We’re not trying to rush you back.”
I swallow hard, my throat tightening. “You’d… create a space for me to be involved,” I manage, “even though I might not be any use to you?”
Kade’s brows draw together. “Trent, just because you can’t swing a hammer doesn’t mean you’re not useful. You’re the most experienced man we’ve got. You know those guys better than anyone. There’s no one else I’d trust to make sure they know what they’re doing.”
“You know, you could just hire someone to fill my spot until I’m back,” I say, my voice tight.
Kade shakes his head firmly, eyes locking on mine. “We don’t want to hire anyone for your role. You’re our foreman.”
I swallow hard, doing my best to hold back the emotion swelling in my chest.
“Shit, man… are you going to cry?” Kade asks, half-amused, half-worried he’s pushed me too far.
Kade leans back, arms crossed, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Okay, so are you going to give me an answer, or just leave me hanging?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool, even though my chest’s still tight. “Well… my schedule’s surprisingly open right now, and by the sounds of it, you need me. What kind of guy would I be if I didn’t help out friends in need?”
Kade raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Do you know what? I’ve changed my mind.”
I snort. “Nah, fuck that. You can’t change your mind. You offered it to me, and I accepted. Done deal, motherfucker.”
“You’re a dick,” Kade says with an exaggerated eye roll, reaching for his glass and taking a long gulp of beer.
I chuckle, grabbing another wing, feeling lighter than I have in ages. Everything’s falling into place—well, almost everything.
The part I can’t share is the one that matters most, but it’s not my call to make. That ball’s in Aubrey’s court.
All I can do is hope that, someday soon, she’ll be ready for it.