CHAPTER TWO
MATTI
“We have a problem.”
“Is it a real problem this time?” Knox doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yes!” I yank the door to the ranch’s main lodge open and march inside.
“It’s a real fucking problem.” That came out louder than I intended, but one look around the lobby, and I’m relieved to find it’s pretty much abandoned for the moment.
Not counting the people working the front desk, of course, but the lobby is on the grander scale of things, so it’s entirely possible they’re still out of earshot and missed my whiny, and not at all appealing for a grown-ass man, outburst.
“You’re serious.” Knox’s tone changes the second he understands I’m not messing around and calling to complain about horses again. “What’s up?”
“This dude ranch disaster just keeps getting worse.”
“How so?”
“It’s not a fucking sisters trip.” It’s always a sisters trip. Always . For ten years, it’s always been just the four of them. Until now. “It’s couples.”
“Couples?”
I don’t answer Knox. Just let him sort out what it means. Doesn’t take him long to get there. “Shit.”
“Shit is right.”
“Nessa is there with a dude?”
“Yeah. A dude I already had the pleasure of meeting. A dude she plans to tell the kids about when she gets home.” A dude I didn’t even hate, even if he did gawk at me like I was a freaking alien the entire time.
“And that’s just half of it. The other half is Vale.
” I look around the lobby just to make sure I don’t suddenly see someone I recognize.
A thing I’ll be wise to do for the duration of the trip given the number of people here I know.
“Vale is here.” In a million years, I never would have pegged him for someone interested in a couples vacation.
Family vacations for his kids? Sure, he suffered through those, but couples hanging out for the sake of enjoying each other’s company?
No way. Except he’s the one who answered the door to their cabin. And then invited me inside.
He’s definitely here.
“So?” Knox isn’t moved by this revelation like he ought to be. “Vale is always around. What’s another dude at this point? At least this one isn’t your competition.”
Maybe not. But he may as well be. “Vale hates me,” I remind Knox of a fact he’s well aware of.
“Vale has always hated me. He may not be any sort of competition but he’s certainly not going to be any sort of cheerleader rooting for me to win back Ness either.
” Which made it all the weirder when he asked me to come in.
“Probably not.” At least he’s genuine this time when he agrees with me. “Maybe you can use this to your advantage.”
“How?”
“Vale hates everyone. This poor new dude has no idea what he’s in for. You, on the other hand,
are used to it.”
I suppose there may be something to that.
Maybe Vale already hates the new guy more than he hated me.
Maybe that’s why he tried to get me to stick around just now.
“I guess you’re right. I mean, if I didn’t let Vale’s death threats keep me away when I was fourteen and he towered over me and I was undoubtedly scared for my life, I’m obviously not going to back down now.
And if I just keep my head down, maybe Vale will keep all his focus on the new guy.
Hell, he may get rid of him before the trip is even over.
” I sigh. “Unless of course, by some miracle, he’s a fan of the new guy.
” In which case he was only inviting me in so he could rub it in my face.
“Then I’ll be Vale’s only target. Especially since I’ve already hurt Nessa once. ”
Knox makes a sound that’s a lot like a mixture of disgust and disbelief. “Listen to me, no matter what Vale thinks, no one has taken better care or been more protective of Nessa’s heart than you have. And under all of Vale’s macho big brother bullshit, he knows that too.”
“I still think he might punch me if he finds out I’m here to win her back,” I mutter dryly.
“And it won’t be like when we were kids.
The man’s a personal trainer now. He bulks up for a living.
And if he swings at me with his bodybuilder’s arm, that shit’s gonna hurt.
” I rub at my jawbone, right around where it was busted.
When I was sixteen. And Vale punched me the first time.
All because he got his sisters’ boyfriends confused.
Still, he never apologized. Just pointed out there was more where that came from if I ever did to Nessa what that asshole did to Roni.
“Nessa’s not worth taking another hit for?” he teases.
“Of course, she is.” Even at sixteen, I knew I’d be willing to go round after round with Vale the rest of my life if I had to.
“Fuck. This whole plan has just gone completely off the rails. But I can’t scrap it, full force ahead is all I got.
Especially if there’s a new guy. A new guy could mean I’m on the verge of losing her for good.
And I can’t just let that happen without first giving it all I’ve got. ”
“Good. So, now what?”
Right. I’m glad he asked.
“So, now I need everyone to get on a plane and come to Hawaii so that the bullshit that came out of my mouth when I stood face to face with my ex-wife’s date and she asked me why I was there, is no longer bullshit but actually true.
” Ness will still know it’s bullshit, but the others won’t.
And more importantly, she won’t be able to prove it one way or the other.
At least until I admit it as part of my big ‘I’m here to get you back’ move.
Knox lets out a laugh. “You’re joking.”
“I’m definitely not.” I lock eyes with the first person I see working the front desk and start making a beeline toward her.
“I’m booking us a cabin as we speak. Start packing.
And do me a favor, call Cass and Jason while I get things set up on this end.
” Then I hang up and greet the woman who’s been staring at me ever since I walked in the doors.
“Good afternoon. I’d like to book a cabin for the week. ”
“I’m afraid all of our Frontier Family Lodges are booked,” she apologizes, gaze moving to the computer screen in front of her as she types away.
Meanwhile, my eyes catch on her name tag and I make a mental note of it.
Renee . If she’s going to be the only person I know here outside of my ex-wife, her date, and my ex-in-laws, I can’t keep calling this girl the woman behind the counter.
“The Cowboy Camp Cabin is available,” Renee says after a moment of searching her database, “but it’s usually better suited for company retreats and family reunions. It’s quite large.”
“I’ll take it.” Hell, a lot of space might make up for the fact I’m forcing everyone back under one roof during the brief reprieve we get from each other’s otherwise non-stop company.
“Could you also direct me to the nearest western wear store?” I ask, handing her my credit card and driver’s license.
“I seem to have forgotten to pack some essentials.” It really doesn’t pay to assume.
If it did, my bag of board shorts and t-shirts wouldn’t be entirely useless right now.
“Oh my God,” Renee gasps staring at my ID.
“I was right. I thought I was crazy, but I wasn’t,” she rattles on for a second before she gets around to spitting it out.
“You really are Matti Benning from The Wilds.” She shakes her head, staring at me in a mix of delight and disbelief. “You play bass for Knox Marley.”
“I like to think I play with him, not for him, but sure,” I nod, smiling, “that’s me.”
“Would it be totally inappropriate to ask you for a selfie?” She bites her lip nervously. Of course it’s inappropriate. It’s also a totally normal request and one I’m always happy to oblige.
“If you wait a day, you’ll get the whole band,” I tell her, grinning in anticipation of what her reaction will be. I’m not disappointed.
“Seriously?” Her eyes look like they may bug out of her head and she starts jumping up and down with excitement, clapping her hands as she does.
Two seconds into her happy dance, her supervisor steps out from the office, casting a curious but stern glare in her direction. Renee quickly settles herself.
“I mean,” she clears her throat, finding her casual, business-as-usual voice again, “the whole band would obviously be even better. Thank you.” She hands me back my credit card and driver’s license.
“As for your interest in shopping, we have a gift shop on the property I think will provide what you’re looking for. ”
“Perfect, thank you.” I smile back at her and slowly manage to settle my breathing and relax. From here on out the conversation is just formalities. Renee informs me of all I’ll need to know while I’m a guest and that already makes it the best chat I’ve had with anyone since arriving in Hawaii.
NESSA
“Did you know he was going to be here?” Judging by the way she jabs her finger in my direction, then retracts it and frowns, Tori can’t seem to decide between feeling accusatory or concerned. And wait, something else. Is that...joy?
“Of course not.” I turn away from her and start for the kitchen.
All of these surprises are exhausting. I can’t even begin to try and decipher her motives right now.
I need fuel. Preferably in the form of chocolate.
“If you recall, I wasn’t expecting any men to join us here.
” And so far, the only one I’m not pissed to see here on my vacation, is Vale.
“Well,” Roni cuts in, apparently following me into the kitchen.
I turn around to find Tori isn’t far behind either.
Can’t say I’m surprised to find I have an entourage, let alone one I’m actually trying to get away from.
“If you knew Matti was going to be here, it would explain why you were sort of apprehensive about Oliver.”