Chapter 7
7
Zane
Garrett
Jack said you almost punched little Sam Allen in the nuts last night for talking to Rachel.
WTF?
Jack
Just sitting here.
Garrett
He also said she’s sleeping in Dylan’s old room. Have you banged her yet?
What are you? Fifteen?
Garrett
Kissed her?
No.
Garrett
Asked her on a date???
Hendrix
New phone, who dis?
Garrett
Bruh, nobody says that anymore.
Hendrix
Get off my dick.
Garrett
Grandpaw dick. How are you so old and yet the youngest?
I’m actually at work.
Garrett
Have Miss G add “Bang Rachel” to your To-Do list.
Logan
I’m in the brothers chat now?!
Garrett
First rule of brothers chat…
Hendrix
Don’t fuck it up.
Garrett
Better. Also, nothing said here is repeated.
And tone down the PDAs with Dylan.
Logan
Are we giving you any ideas?
Garrett
That’s my boy—give it to him.
Logan
Rachel’s right there, man. What are you waiting for?
Zane Bradford has left the conversation.
Garrett Bradford added Zane Bradford to the conversation.
Zane Bradford has left the conversation.
Garrett Bradford added Zane Bradford to the conversation.
Garrett
I can do this allll day.
Muting this chat.
Garrett
You can run, but you can’t hide.
This is hell.
Garrett
I bet I know where you can find some heaven…
Hendrix
And you call me a dork.
Walking out to the Jeep, I see Edward is already in the back with his hoodie pulled over his head. Rachel is in the front with her hair down again in those bumpy waves. It was in braids all day tied on her head while she bounced around in the pool with Miss Gina.
She has the shade down, and she’s putting something shiny on her full lips. It’s not chapstick, but it doesn’t have a color. Somehow it makes her mouth even more luscious, and my cock twitches in my pants. The good right in front of me .
She looks amazing, and after Garrett’s texting all day, now I’m just pissed. I’m not banging Rachel.
Grinding my jaw, I drop my tool bag a little too hard in the back, causing Edward to jump.
“Sorry, buddy,” I mutter, and he shifts closer to the other side of the vehicle.
Climbing through the open door roughly, I don’t look at her sitting over there taunting me. How does she still smell like honeysuckle after being in a saltwater pool for an hour? And why did I say that about perfect being the enemy of good? I don’t supply ammo to be used against me.
“With all the excitement this morning, I didn’t get to ask you how it went with Eddie.” She shifts around to face me in her seat, and while I don’t look, I can still see her glossy lips in my peripheral vision.
Fucking Garrett. I’m not kissing her either.
I crank the Jeep and shove the stick into reverse, turning away from her to look over my shoulder. The sooner we’re on the road with the wind blocking out her voice the better.
She only speaks louder, tapping my arm. “How’d it go at the stables?”
I keep my eyes on the road. “He didn’t tell you?”
“He told me some, but you know how he is.”
“How is he?”
“So far, just like you!” Her voice rises. “How did it go? What did he do?”
“Keep your shirt on.” I cut her a glance .
She exhales, and a smile hints at her lips. “Okay. How did it go?”
“He’s right here. Just ask him.”
“Oh, my lord!” She drops her arms, and I can’t help a chuckle.
She’s so easy to rile up, and dammit, the angry pixie bit makes me want to fuck her.
“He did good. We started slow, but he liked grooming the horses. He walked Shiloh around the arena.”
“You had him mucking stalls.”
“We all do that.” I take the turn onto the road leading to the house. “We might try riding tomorrow.”
Her smile returns, and she puts her hand on my forearm. “Thank you, Zane.”
My throat tightens, and I give the Jeep some gas. We’re almost home. “Glad to help.”
“You are?” Her head tilts. “Why?”
“He’s a good kid. I don’t like hearing he was bullied at school. I don’t like hearing you had to defend him all by yourself. That’s not how we do things here.”
“I’m learning that.” The warmth in her tone makes me itchy.
Thankfully, we’re back. I pull into the drive and put the Jeep in park before hopping out and starting for the restaurant without another word.
“Hey, where are you going?” Rachel calls after me. “Zane!”
I hesitate, turning to the side, but not looking back. “Dylan asked me to help her with the Thanksgiving decorations.”
“We can help, too! Just give me a minute.”
“Don’t you need to eat something? You were doing all that exercise.” The last thing I want is her fainting again.
“Nope.” I look up to see her pop a purple candy into her mouth.
“That works?”
She shoves a hand in her backpack and pulls out a box of grape Mike and Ike candies. “Yep! I’ll just drop off my stuff, and we’ll head down.”
I wave and continue down the bluff to the restaurant, where I can see people moving around inside. Cooters & Shooters is closed from two to five to get ready for the dinner crowd, but we don’t usually have customers until closer to seven.
“Oh, good, you’re here.” My sister is in her usual cutoffs and logo T-shirt, which is a turtle with crossed pool cues behind it, and flip-flops. “Allie is helping me dig out the November boxes. We’ve got orange twinkle lights and a few hay bales outside, and the first-grade class made these adorable popsicle-stick turkeys.”
“Look at my turkey, Uncle Zee!” Kimmie dances over to me holding up a wooden bird with Gobble stamped on its stomach.
“That’s actually pretty good.” I lift her onto my hip, and she walks the turkey up my shoulder making gobble noises.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Dylan mutters.
“Your stuff was always construction paper that fell apart as soon as it got outside in the humidity.”
“Kimmie’s teacher is very clever when it comes to crafts.” Dylan shows me a box full of popsicle-stick turkeys. “The kids will get a kick out of finding their turkeys stashed around the restaurant.”
“Smart, and good for business.”
“We’re giving her a discount all month.” My sister winks before heading to the bar with the decorations.
Allie is there putting pilgrim outfits on the condiment holders. “Where’s Rachel?”
My jaw tightens, but I don’t snap a reply. I don’t think the girls are in on the high-pressure campaign.
“She’s dropping off her stuff at the house, then she’ll walk down with Edward.”
Kimmie wiggles, and I put her on her feet. “I’ll show him my turkey.”
“Oh, good! I was hoping they’d come down and help,” Dylan calls over her shoulder. “We might actually have this place done before the dinner crowd shows up.”
“Folks won’t mind if we’re finishing up while they’re here.” Salina Duck, who’s been a waitress since she graduated high school walks through. “Hey, Zane.”
She says it in a sly voice and even winks, which has my chin pulling back. What was that?
Dylan grabs my arm before I have time to process. “Come with me.”
I follow her into the storage closet near the exit to the pool tables. We duck and go inside where she has painted pumpkins, corn stalks, and scarecrows in the center of the small space.
“We’ll do all the inside stuff. You can start on the porch.”
A ladder is folded in the corner, and I lift it onto my shoulder. “Did Gloria say anything to you about a pool tournament the other night?”
“No.” Dylan crawls behind a cabinet and drags out a giant cornucopia. “Is this too much?”
“Where would you put it?”
“On the bar?” Her nose wrinkles, and she pushes it behind the cabinet again. “You’re right. The dancers would kick it across the room and kill somebody.”
I huff a laugh, and she shakes her head. “What’s this about a pool tournament?”
“It’s still in the planning stages, but I think she’d like to do it after Thanksgiving.” I lift a wheel of twinkle lights out of the box and the staple gun. “She wants the kids to be the players and let them go around getting sponsors.”
“Do they even know how to play?” She sits back on her heels looking up at me.
“Got me, but I can teach Edward the basics.”
“You are so sweet with him.” Her head tilts, and her gooey eyes make me ready to go.
“He’s a good kid. ”
“Rachel must be over the moon that you’re working with him.”
My jaw tightens. “That’s not why I did it.”
“Oh, I know.” She pushes off the floor to stand, picking up the orange streamers before following me out into the dining area. “You always looked out for me…”
“Mom said it was my job as a big brother.” I’m only partly teasing—although in Dylan’s case, I really let everyone down big time.
“You take care of Kimmie…”
“You help way more with her than I do.”
“Well, Jack’s all by himself.”
When we emerge, Rachel is at the bar with Allie taking the popsicle-stick turkeys out of the crate. She’s still wearing that overall-miniskirt thing over her bathing suit, and my eyes slide down her toned legs, all smooth and exposed.
She looks as tempting in a one-piece as she does in a bikini.
Kimmie dances past us twirling her stuffed red turtle, and Edward studies the room with a solemn expression while he holds Smokey in one hand and a pinecone wreath in the other.
The big windows are open, and a cool, salty breeze swirls through the space. I don’t stop, heading straight for the porch with the twinkle lights and my equipment in hand.
Dylan follows me, carrying an extension cord and still chattering. “Gloria loves you, Miss Gina loves you…”
I stop at the door, lowering the ladder and leveling my eyes on hers. “Don’t say it.”
“I just wish you weren’t alone all the time.”
Shaking my head, I pick up the ladder again. “If only I were alone some of the time.”
“Don’t be like that. You know what I mean. I just want you to be happy.”
“Hold the door.” She exhales loudly as I pass her, going onto the porch. “I’m happy. Now let me get this done. ”
She mutters something about stubborn mules before dropping the extension cord in the corner and going back inside.
I spend the next half hour holding twinkle lights over my head and stapling them to the eaves then moving the ladder and doing it all again.
The girls come in and out placing scarecrows, pumpkins, and corn stalks around the rocking chairs no one ever uses, and I try not to notice how Rachel’s skirt rises dangerously high on the back of her thighs when she bends over.
The worst part is when she and Allie hang a garland over the door. I have to turn away from the sight of her full breast swelling out of the side of her bathing suit. I wipe my forehead against my biceps while I staple the last stretch of twinkle lights in place.
I wish it worked to wipe the memory of her bare breasts from my mind. As it is, I have to wait to descend the ladder until they’ve gone back inside so my damn dick will calm down. Garrett’s a pain in the ass, but he’s right about one thing. It’s been a while since I got laid.
My shoulders and neck are aching by the time we’re done, but I’m not saying a word about it.
The brothers’ group chat has kept my phone lit up in my pocket. Taking it out, I see more crap about missing my shot and how I’m only getting older.
Garrett takes the opportunity to let me know how at my age I should be worried my dick’ll stop working if I don’t use it. Hendrix asks if that can really happen, and I reply with the middle finger emoji before shoving the device into my pocket again.
“I noticed you went dark pretty fast.” Jack’s voice is a low tease behind me as I emerge from the small storage closet where I returned the ladder.
“Thanks for nothing.” I cut my eyes at him as I take the beer he’s holding out to me.
“For what it’s worth, I only answered his questions honestly.” Jack crosses his arms, looking at the small crowd filtering into the restaurant. “Rachel is a nice girl, and I do think she’d be someone you might like. If that’s what you want to do.”
We’re behind the bar near the side patio where the pool tables are located. A few guys are playing a game, and Allie returns from where she apparently just brought them drinks.
“Hey, Jack.” Her voice is a little breathless, and she blinks quickly. “How’s it going?”
“Doing all right. You?”
“Oh, you know. The same.” She waves her hand, and her cheeks turn pinkish.
Speaking of the good right in front of you…
“Austin really likes playing on the team. He says you’re a great coach.”
“Well, he’s a great kid. We’re lucky to have him.”
“Thanks.” The word comes out in a gush, and she hesitates a bit longer before nodding. “Well, I’ll see you then.”
“See ya, Allie.”
My brow furrows, and I look up at him. He takes another sip of beer and looks out the large window at the bay. I’ve known my brother longer than anybody, and I can tell something’s going on in his head. Allie’s a pretty girl, and Austin’s a good kid.
“I guess we all have our reasons for what we do,” I say.
Or don’t do.
Clearing his throat, he looks back at me. “Is this about her dad?”
“What?” That pulls me up short.
“Jayden Wells is Rachel’s dad. Is that why you’ve written her off?”
“You know about that?”
“It didn’t take much to put the names together. Hell, she practically did the work for us when she got here. She said her dad loved this place, and she was always curious about it. How many Wellses do you know?”
“Still, I didn’t expect her to be connected to him .”
Jack inhales, nodding slowly. “Yeah, Jayden’s a real asshole. ”
“She didn’t know anything about what he did.” I look down at my feet, and I recall her expression when I told her—first shock then embarrassment then something like resignation.
“Well, it was all pretty long ago. Before Dylan was born.”
I think back to that time, when Jack and I weren’t the heads of the family. When our actual parents trusted a man who shat all over them.
I remember my dad’s shock at Jayden’s betrayal. I remember the anger my mom felt when she understood my dad was more hurt over losing a friend than he was at losing a potential business deal.
Sometimes I wished she didn’t talk to me so much. Maybe I’d be less protective of their memory.
“If that’s what’s bothering you, I wouldn’t let it.” My brother pulls me back to the present.
“You can forgive that?” I know he remembers what happened as well as I do. Hell, possibly better. Jack’s two years older than me.
He exhales heavily. “A lot of the boys I coach come from pretty rough situations. Bad parents, no money, crime, drugs, but they’re doing what they can to rise above it. They’re working hard to stand on their own and have something better the only way they can.”
It’s not often Jack talks this way about his work, but I know he’s right. I remember how it was when I was in high school playing on the team.
“Hell, look at Allie and Austin,” he continues. “I’m not going to judge him because his dad’s a piece of shit.”
Nodding, I turn the bottle in my hand. “I hear you, but giving her a chance feels like letting Jayden off the hook. It feels disloyal to Mom and Dad.”
“Things worked out like they were supposed to. I can’t imagine Cooters & Shooters any other way, and Rachel’s only been honest and helpful.”
I’m about to say her dad started off as a friend, too, when Salina Duck appears. “Howdy, partners.” She’s chewing gum, and she cocks her hip to one side, sliding her eyes up and down me again.
I straighten, exhaling a low noise. I don’t like it. Salina’s barely twenty-two, and I remember when she was Kimmie’s age, running around here.
“Thomas said he’s got extra burgers if y’all are hungry, and Dylan said to make Edward have another one.” Just as fast her voice changes and she rolls her eyes. “Of course, Rachel made some comment about paying her back.”
Jack and I exchange a glance.
“I’ll get Kimmie and meet you there.” He places his beer in the trash.
Yacht rock is playing softly throughout the restaurant, and Kimmie dances in circles, kicking her leg out behind her as she sings along. She’s not as naturally talented as her aunt was at her age, but she makes up for it with enthusiasm.
“Dance with me, Ed!” she cries.
“I’m decorating, Kim.” Edward has three small, painted pumpkins in his arms.
“Have you eaten?” I reach out to stop him.
“I had a burger when we got here.” He looks down at the gourds. “Austin’s mom asked me to put these out by the pool tables.”
“Come to the kitchen when you’re done.”
He nods, and I follow Jack and his little dervish through the double doors. A crowd of friends is gathered around the silver work table when we enter, and Logan’s face is beet red.
“It’s getting worse!” he groans.
Dylan is right beside him stroking his arm, and Allie is holding a towel over her face, barely hiding her laughter.
Craig rushes to him with a glass of milk. “Drink this.”
“It’s made with serranos, babe.” Dylan’s voice is soothing. “They’re only one step above jalape?os on Scoville.”
“I don’t like jalape?os.” Logan gulps the milk quickly .
“How do I love this man?” Dylan’s hand is on his shoulder, and she’s doing her best not to laugh.
I have no idea what happened, but I can guess knowing my little sister. What I can’t believe is Logan fell for it again.
“I’ll eat it!” Rachel pipes up from his other side, then ducks as if she’s embarrassed. “If Logan doesn’t want it, I mean.”
“Knock yourself out.” He slides the plate to her, drinking more milk.
“I feel like I missed something.” I’m standing at the end of the table, and Allie waves me over.
“Thomas is experimenting with some new menu items.” She puts a plate in front of me. “He’s calling it the Melt yo Face burger, and it’s made with serrano peppers. I think it’s delicious, but Logan, well…”
Her lips twist, and I nod. “Logan’s a puss–y cat.”
I quickly edit myself when I see my little niece is at his side looking worried.
“I don’t think cats like hot peppers either, Uncle Zee.” She looks warily at Logan’s burger, which Rachel is polishing off in a way that shouldn’t be sexy.
She takes a big bite of the thick burger and lets out a groan. “It’s so good, Thomas!”
I swallow hard, redirecting my attention to my own plate.
“This one’s for you, Peanut.” Allie puts a burger with a toothpick bearing a little green flag in front of her. “Green means safe. Red means danger.”
“We need to get that to go.” Jack’s voice is low, and he smooths his hand over his daughter’s curly brown head. “School tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Allie smiles up at him, quickly grabbing paper boxes. “I’ll add some fries and a cookie.”
“Thanks, Miss Allie!” Kimmie puts her arm around Allie’s waist and gives her a hug. “You’re the best!”
Jack clears his throat and for the first time, I see the smallest crack in his wall. “Yeah, thanks, Allie. ”
“It’s no problem at all.” She smiles brightly, patting his daughter’s arms. “You two have a good night.”
Edward walks in at that point, and Kimmie skips over to him. “Night, Ed! See you on the flippity flop!”
“Night, Kim. Stay gold.”
Rachel puts her hands on her cheeks.
Dylan presses her lips together, and Jack’s eyebrow cocks. “See y’all tomorrow.”
“We should probably head on back as well.” Rachel walks over to where her brother is standing beside me. “Thank you so much for dinner.”
“Did Edward get something to eat?” Dylan asks.
“He had a hamburger when we got here this afternoon. Are you hungry?” She looks at her brother.
“Not really.” He seems sincere.
“Have a cookie.” Allie wraps a large chocolate chip cookie in a napkin. “Have it with some milk, and you’ll sleep better.”
“There’s little scientific evidence that warm milk helps you sleep.” Edward takes the cookie from her.
“Still, everyone loves a cookie.”
He nods. “Thank you.”
We say our goodnights and walk to the house in comfortable silence. My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I’m not about to take it out and see what the brothers are saying at this point. If Logan’s adding fuel to the fire, I’m more than ready to call his ass out for being a pussy who can’t even eat a spicy burger.
“Bunch of old ladies,” I say under my breath.
“What?” Rachel’s voice is soft, and she glances up at me.
“Ah… just thinking about something from earlier.”
We enter through the kitchen, and I linger as they head upstairs. I’ll give them time to get out of the way. Pulling down the box of saltines, I take out a sleeve then grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
It seems quiet, and I slowly make my way upstairs. My shoulders are tight, and I try rolling my head side to side when I get to my bedroom.
Of course, Rachel is lurking around and sees me.
“Did you irritate your back today?” Her voice is soft as she enters my bedroom, and my stomach tightens at the sound of her voice. “I was worried about you when I saw you working on that ladder for so long.”
Jack’s words are in my ears, and as much as I try to dismiss them, I think my oldest brother is probably right. I don’t need him to tell me Rachel’s not like her father. I already know she’s not.
Now she’s standing here in my bedroom. She’s dressed in a long-sleeved pink shirt and flowy pants. Her soft blonde hair is brushed out, her face is freshly washed again, and she smells like honeysuckle.
“You don’t have to worry about me.” My voice is rough, but this time, it’s because I’m too tired to fight.
“I know, I know.” A smile is in her voice, and she holds out a rolled-up mat. “I have this acupuncture mat you can try lying on.”
She unrolls it on top of my bed, and I study the tiny points sticking up all over it. “It looks like a bed of nails.”
She laughs softly. “It’s supposed to be relaxing.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll stick with ibuprofen.”
“If you’ll let me work on your back, I could get out all those knots.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I lift my hand to wave her away.
“What’s this?” She picks up the saltines. “You eat crackers in bed? What are you, a psycho?”
A damn smile curls my lips at her fake-horror. “I thought I might get hungry.”
“No. Just no.” She tucks the sleeve under her arm when her eyes land on the book lying facedown on my desk. “You’re reading it?”
“I haven’t gotten very far. ”
“What do you think?”
I pick up the pale blue paperback, turning it to the side. “I think she spends a lot of time analyzing every single thing he does.”
“He’s a mystery to her—and everyone.” She quickly adds the last part.
“He’s simply doing what any homeowner would do, fixing the steps, mowing the grass.”
“You’d be surprised.” The way she says it sounds like she’s had to pick up the slack on some of those types of chores.
“I’d like to punch that Travis guy in the nuts. Who passes judgment on someone without even knowing them?”
Her lips poke out, and she slides her finger along the edge of the desk, looking down. She doesn’t answer, and I’m not stupid. I know what she’s thinking.
Still. “I like that she’s honest with him,” I say.
“Honesty is important.” Her voice is quiet.
“It’s everything.” Mine is firm.
The clock ticks.
The sound of a car passes on the road outside.
With a little nod, she straightens, going to the door. “I’d like to be there when Edward rides a horse for the first time—if that’s okay?”
The note of yearning in her tone twists that tightness in my chest. Hell, everything about her hits that wall I’ve been trying to build with a sledgehammer.
“We leave at six. You’re welcome to join us.”
Her eyes light, and a smile lifts her cheeks. “I’ll be ready.”
She skips out the door, leaving the soft scent of flowers in her wake, and I can’t help wondering if I’ll be ready.