Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
XANDER
The four of us split up into two vehicles, and rather than heading straight to Bitterroot Valley for some brotherly football time, we’re making a detour into Silver Springs and the office of a certain attorney.
Chad hasn’t attended a family function since Tucker and Darby’s engagement party. And I know for a fact that he’s not just avoiding us.
He’s avoiding my sister.
His fiancée.
Because he’s hardly been home in the past month, and even if Ava insists that Chad is her endgame, which I call bullshit on, her brothers need to have a fucking conversation with him.
It’s past time.
And Zack’s currently in town, so the timing is perfect.
We pull up in front of Chad’s office, and all four of us climb out of the vehicles and move to the doors.
We’re all big, muscular men. Tall. Strong.
Some might say we’re intimidating.
And that’s fucking perfect for what we plan to do today.
“Oh, hello.” The receptionist blinks owlishly, swallowing hard as she looks all of us over. Her gaze stops at Zack, and her face flames. “Oh God. You’re—”
“We’re here to see Chad,” Zack says with a charming smile.
He gets recognized everywhere. Chipmunks recognize this asshole. He’s been on movie screens for fifteen years. And, I can objectively say, he’s a good-looking guy.
The poor man gets mobbed at every turn.
“Oh,” she replies. Oh seems to be her favorite word. “Do you have an appointment? I don’t see one on his calendar.”
“Of course we do,” Tucker says with a wink as I slip her a fifty-dollar bill. “Feel free to take your break. Head on over to Buzz and get some coffee.”
She nods, staring at the money. “Sure. Yeah, okay. You can go on in.”
She stands and grabs her purse, and the four of us move to the office. I’m in the lead, and when I push through the door, I see that Chad’s on the phone. He scowls when he sees us and then says, “Hey, I have to call you back.”
He hangs up and stands, straightening his suit jacket.
“Is Ava okay?”
“That’s the right goddamn question,” Easton says with a pleased nod. “And yes. Ava’s fine.”
“She’s at my place,” I tell him, and his shoulders relax. “Working on wedding plans with the other girls.”
His jaw tics. His hands fist.
He doesn’t like the thought of that.
“So what can I do for you gentlemen? Do you need legal representation?”
“Not yet,” I reply with a humorless smile.
“We just came by to chat,” Tucker says. As the oldest, Tucker’s always been the most laid back. The man is incredibly chill. He takes his time with things, goes with the flow.
And he looks chill now.
But I see the anger in his eyes.
“We haven’t seen much of you lately,” Easton adds. “Ava says you’ve been working a lot in Helena and Missoula.”
“Yeah.” Chad nods and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ve had cases in both cities. Did she tell you that she feels like I’m neglecting her? Because she assured me that she’s fine. You know how your sister likes her space.”
“She didn’t elaborate after that,” I reply, keeping my voice calm.
“But we’re curious about some things,” Zack says, speaking for the first time. Since Zack is based out of LA and isn’t here that often, he doesn’t know Chad all that well. Hell, neither do I for the exact same reason. But we know enough to know that this douchebag isn’t good enough for our sister.
“What do you want to know?” Chad asks and gestures to the chairs in his office. “Have a seat.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I stride over and sit in front of his desk. Tucker takes the other chair, and Zack and Easton both lean near the window close by.
“Well, Chad, we feel like you don’t seem particularly excited about marrying our sister,” Easton says. “And we want to make sure that you’re in this for the long haul with her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If I wasn’t committed, I wouldn’t have proposed.”
I take a breath and share a glance with Zack, who’s jaw clenches.
“We’re a tight-knit family,” Tucker says, and Chad rolls his eyes. “Does that bother you?”
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Chad replies. “You’re way too involved in each other’s business. Case in point right now. Ava’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.”
“Of course she can,” Easton replies with a nod.
“We’re not trying to talk her out of marrying you.
We’re trying to figure out why she would want to in the first place because you never say nice things to her in front of us, she’s not glowing with joy, and you’ve been dragging your feet on the wedding. ”
“All of the answers to those questions are between Ava and myself.”
“Personally,” I begin, fully out of patience, “and I can’t speak for the others, but I’d like to know what the fuck your problem is.”
Chad’s brows pull together in a scowl. “What?”
“If you’re unhappy in your relationship,” Zack says, picking up the torch, “why are you with her? Because it’s obvious to all of us that you’re fucking miserable. I’ve never seen you smile at her. Not once.”
I blink in surprise and think back over all the times that I’ve been around Chad, and I have to admit, he’s right. “Now that I think of it, I haven’t either.”
“I smile at her all the fucking time,” Chad replies. “Your family is more affectionate than most. Don’t tell me that there’s something wrong with me because I don’t fawn all over her.”
“You fucking should,” Easton growls. “You should adore that woman and make it real crystal clear to anyone else that she’s yours and you’re fucking obsessed with her. You treat her like . . .”
“I treat her like a partner,” Chad cuts in. “Like an adult woman. I’m not going to coddle her. That’s demeaning. She doesn’t need that.”
“Smiles are coddling?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “Showing affection, like kissing her cheek or holding her hand is demeaning?”
“He must be really great in the sack,” Zack says, shaking his head, and Chad’s eyes narrow.
“Fuck you, Zack.”
“Oh, no thank you. I’m pretty sure it would be a disappointment.”
“Listen,” Tucker breaks in. “Ava insists that she loves you. That you’re the one she wants to marry. It’s a mystery to the rest of us.”
“It’s the fucking Bermuda Triangle,” I mutter, shaking my head. “If you were just nice to her—”
“I’m fucking nice to her,” Chad breaks in, his voice rising. “I’m respectful, I’m kind.”
“So kind that you keep trying to postpone the wedding,” Tucker says, his voice a little harder now. “You proposed, Chad. E and I were there.”
Chad drags his hand down his face in agitation.
“And you didn’t say one fucking word about loving her,” Easton growls. “Not once in that whole fucked-up proposal.”
“She knows I love her.”
“Do you?” Zack demands. “Do you love her? Because none of us can actually tell.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you can see what I feel for Ava. It’s between me and her, and if she’s happy that’s all you need to know. The rest is none of your fucking business.”
You could hear a pin drop as tension blooms between us.
“Oh, Chad.” I breathe out a sigh and lean forward, bracing my elbows on my legs. “The thing is, it is our business because she’s our baby sister.”
“Don’t I just fucking know it,” he growls in agitation.
“Apparently, you don’t know it well enough,” Tucker says. “I don’t like how fucking sad my sister is all the time. I don’t like that you’ve wiped so much of the fun from her eyes. Her outspokenness.”
“She needs to learn to—”
“No one asked you to speak,” Easton cuts in.
“Ava’s perfect, just the way she is,” Zack says. “And if you don’t see that, if you want to change her and mold her into your perfect little Stepford wife that fits in with the other politicians and is so goddamn boring that it makes me want to scream, then she’s not the woman for you.”
“Are you seriously asking me to break up with your sister?”
“No,” Tucker replies. “We’re asking you to be a man who deserves her. She already wants you, but you need to earn her. Do better. Make her feel special.”
“She’s nothing but amazing, and you’ve made her feel like you’re doing her a fucking favor, and for that alone, you don’t deserve one minute of her time,” Easton says.
Chad blows out a breath and pinches his nose. “If you’re done, you can see yourself out. I have an afternoon meeting.”
“Great talk,” I say as I stand. “Just stop being an asshole, Chad. Give Ava what she wants.”
“Go away,” Chad says, as if he’s bored.
Without another word, we file out. The receptionist is still gone.
And when we hit the sidewalk, we all shove our hands in our pockets and shake our heads.
“What the fuck does she see in him?” Zack asks.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” I reply grimly.